It is Finished

John chapter 19 verses 28 through 30. We'll read through the text then we'll

John 19:28–30

pray and then we will jump in. John 19 28. After this when Jesus knew that

everything was now accomplished that the scripture might be fulfilled he said

I'm thirsty. A jar full of sour wine was sitting there so they fixed a sponge

full of sour wine on hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the

sour wine he said it is finished. Then bowing his head he gave up his spirit.

Let's pray. Father God we come to you today and we thank you for your word. We

come to you today and we thank you for Jesus Christ. As he uttered those

words that we just read dear Lord he hung on a cross for the forgiveness of

our sins dear Lord let us not not overlook the significance of that today

dear Lord maybe there are some today here that do not know who Jesus is and I

pray that today that your Holy Spirit would speak to us that your word would

speak to us dear Lord that you would hide me behind the cross that you would

help me to preach and teach in a way God that's gonna bring glory to you and I

pray God that you just would be with us in these next few minutes and I ask

these things in Jesus name amen. These were the last words that Jesus spoke

before his life was gone. Jesus had suffered and bled and died and there he

hung on the cross and Jesus said it is finished. But there was a lot that had

gone on before we got to this part of the scripture. I wish we could stay here

for five or six hours today and really dig through the scriptures. I'm probably

the only one that would love to do that. But we'll go through this in a reasonable

amount of time but but we have to go back a little bit and see what got us to

this point. You see Jesus had had come into town there the triumphal entry we

call it when Jesus humbly came into town and riding on a donkey and there the

crowds gathered and they sang and they praised and they worshiped and they laid

the palm branches down and they laid their robes in the street and Jesus came

into Jerusalem for the final week of his life and there is the end was approaching

and his days were drawing near to come to a close. There he had the last supper

with his Apostles and there with him he told them about a new covenant that he

was making with them something greater that was soon to be established through

his death and through his resurrection and there as he ate with his Apostles

and there as he began to tell them the things that would that would take place

and that and that they would they would all run and that they would they would

flee from him when this time come Peter boldly spoke up and he said even if I

have to die for you Lord I will not deny you perhaps some days we are like Peter

maybe today some of us in this room are like Peter we are very zealous for the

Lord and praise the Lord on those days that we are that we are so so zealous

for the Lord that we are ready to do anything for the Lord there are some

days that we are like that and Peter was he was assured he knew that he loved

Jesus he loved the Lord and he was not going to deny him he would never flee

from him he said and not only Peter the scripture says and all of them said the

same thing and so here at this last meal that Jesus was having with his Apostles

they were all out of it Lord Jesus whatever happens we will not flee from

you we will not deny you under any circumstance and soon the meal would end

and Jesus would go to the Garden of the Gethsemane where he would begin to pray

to the Lord father if there is any other way let this cup pass from me God if

there's any way to accomplish your plan if there's any way to bring about

salvation if there's any way to save these people dear Lord let it be because

Jesus knew what was before him he knew the cross was before him and it wasn't

going to be long that he would soon be arrested and there Jesus sat and there

Jesus prayed and in the text Jesus said my soul is swallowed up in sorrow

perhaps we can relate to Jesus perhaps there are seasons in our life where our

souls are swallowed up in sorrow where the task that is before us is so heavy

and it's so hard and we pray to God and we seek God and and we just feel that

perhaps there's some of you today in this room and you can relate to Jesus

you know what that prayer is like to cry out to God and say God I need you father

I need you our souls are swallowed up in sorrow and we need to follow the example

of Jesus Christ that's one of the beautiful things I think about this

passage in this story is as we read through these last few hours of Jesus's

life and we see these different characters we can relate to them even

Jesus himself we can connect with this with this story and these people in some

way because there are days that we are like Peter that we are zealous for the

Lord and ready to do anything for the Lord and then there are days in our life

where our souls are swallowed up in sorrow and we don't know if we're going

to be able to accomplish what God has placed before us but nevertheless God is

with us God has our best interest in mine and whatever we do we need to do in

obedience to the Father and Jesus prayed that prayer let this cup pass from me

but Jesus also said father not my will be done but your will be done Jesus knew

who he had come to serve he had come to serve the father he had come to die on

the cross for you and I and he knew that time was short and if there was another

way let it be but father if there's not another way Jesus says I am ready to

live in obedience to you and in our days of sorrow and our times of pain we need

to follow Jesus's example and say Lord deliver me and help me but God if

there's no deliverance I will not deny you God I will not give up on you God I

will not quit my mission God I will do what you've called me to do and soon

after that the soldiers would come and Jesus would be arrested and just as

Jesus had said all of his Apostles they all fled just so quickly just hours

before they said we will never leave you Jesus we'll never flee from you and oh

how quickly things change the disciples all fled from Jesus Jesus was taken into

town for a trial we can call it a mock trial the the sentence had already been

passed they already decided what they wanted to do the ones who were passing

sentence on Jesus had already decided he needed to die they didn't like Jesus

they didn't like who he was they didn't like how he preached they didn't like

the things that he taught he had an authority and he had something about him

that when Jesus would speak that people would flock to him and they would listen

to him and Jesus would do miracles that were unexplainable and and many in the

crowds and many in the communities thousands would come and listen to what

Jesus said and there were some who were very religious and they were threatened

by Jesus he marched to the beat of a different drum and the people knew that

when Jesus preached the Bible says that he spoke like one who had authority

unlike the other leaders who were there and these leaders hated Jesus and these

are the very ones that brought Jesus in that night and put him on trial but it

was already determined he would be guilty guilty of what guilty of nothing

but guilty of whatever they decided that could bring him to death and there is

that mock trial was taking place there was Peter he was standing there and Jesus

had told him you're gonna deny me three times before the rooster crows well

Peter had already been adamant that he would never deny Jesus but but he was

keeping his distance because even though he had fled when Jesus was arrested he

still was curious enough and he still cared enough that he he wanted to see

what was going on in there as Peter was watching in the distance he was asked on

three occasions wait a minute don't don't you know Jesus aren't aren't you one of

his disciples weren't you with him and and every time Jesus Peter said I don't

know the man I don't know the man look I don't know the man and one who was so

zealous for the Lord only a few hours later was completely denying who Jesus

was perhaps if we are honest we can relate to that side of Peter as well

there are some days perhaps that we are so zealous for the Lord and there are

other days that we deny who Jesus is that we did not a stand-up for him that

we did not Jesus by our actions by our choice to sin that we deny Jesus one day

we're close to Jesus and the next day where we're fleeing from Jesus perhaps

there are some today who were like Peter was during the trial maybe you've been

denying who Jesus is maybe you know Jesus Peter knew Jesus he knew who he

was he believed who he was but yet when things got difficult he began to not to

deny who Jesus was we don't want to be those today if you relate to Peter today

then we need to repent even Peter was restored when he came back to Jesus

Christ after Jesus was resurrected there's restoration for you and I today

brothers and sisters in Christ those who were once zealous for the Lord and have

denied the Lord there is restoration and there is forgiveness in Jesus Christ and

there Peter stood and watched in the distance as he denied Jesus and the

sentence was passed that Jesus was guilty and deserving of death and so

there Jesus was taken he was taken before Pilate who was the kind of the

governor of the area who oversaw things and and they brought Jesus before Pilate

and and the Jews had their charges and said this man needs to die he says he's

the king of the Jews and and and there's no other king but Caesar they said now

they didn't care anything about Caesar but they would say whatever they had to

say to make sure that Jesus was going to be killed and and Pilate listened to

them and and Pilate said look this man has done nothing wrong and Pilate talked

with Jesus and and he listened to the people and he even sent Jesus to Herod

and even Herod said look Jesus has done nothing deserving of death and and

Pilate made lots of efforts to try to deliver Jesus but eventually he gave in

to the cries of the people there before Pilate that day and before Jesus that

day stood a mob an angry mob who hated Jesus with every fiber of their being

and Pilate said look I'll take him he'll be beaten that'll be enough and we'll

let him go and the crowd said crucify him crucify him

Pilate didn't want to give in to their requests but the crowd grew louder and

louder and louder the crowd said his blood be on us and our children what a

powerful statement what a powerful statement that they're these these very

ones who wanted to kill Jesus the very ones who wanted to shed his blood are

the very ones that he died so that his blood would be shed and their sins could

be forgiven his blood be on us they said that is to say his blood be on our hands

we will be guilty of his murder we will be guilty of his death but Jesus

willfully went to that cross that day and his blood was shed so that their

sins could be covered and that our sins could be covered perhaps we can relate

to those in the crowd perhaps there are some of us today that have denied who

Jesus is perhaps there are some of us today who are still living in our sin

and our blood his blood is on our hands we're we're guilty Jesus died for the

forgiveness of sins perhaps if we would have been in the crowd that day we would

have been the ones who would have been yelling crucify him crucify him perhaps

we would have been the ones that day with his blood on our hands and yet

today we are those with his blood on our hands because we are the very ones that

he died for it is our sin that he died for when we sin and sin and sin we're

choosing sin it's our fault that Jesus went to the cross but you know Jesus

doesn't want his blood to be on our hands he wants his blood to be on our

hearts we want to be those who are covered by the blood of Jesus that our

sins are washed away that we're not charged with our sins but that they have

been covered by his precious blood and the crowd that day the people had a

choice Pilate said wait a minute I'll release somebody it's the tradition that

every year I release a prisoner for you look here's this Barabbas over here

he's a murderer he's he's part of a rebellion how about how about I release

Jesus and and the people said wait a minute wait a minute we don't want we

don't want Jesus release Barabbas release the murderer release the

rebellious one and there the crowds chanted all the more and there that day

the crowds chose a sinner over a Savior it would be a tragedy for us to make the

same mistake today because before us today we have the same decision that they

had before us today and every day when we wake up we have a decision before us

are we going to follow sin are we going to follow a Savior in Jesus Christ and

that day is Jesus was before them they chose their sin over the Savior let us

not be those who make that mistake today oh if you've been living in sin and

you've been choosing sin today is the day that we need to repent that we need

to choose the Savior who shed his blood for us that even knowing that we were

rotten dirty nasty sinners that Jesus said I'm going to take all of the

ridicule pilot knew he couldn't calm the crowds down that they had made their

decision it was decided that Jesus would be crucified now this is reserved for

the worst of the worst of criminals and Jesus had done nothing wrong

nevertheless the sentence was passed by pilot and Jesus began to carry his cross

as far as he could until he could carry it no more

eventually someone would help Jesus carry his cross all the way to Calvary

all the way to Golgoth all the way to the place of the skull where his death

would take place and there Jesus would be nailed to the cross with a crown of

thorns placed on his head standing there for the crowds watching some were there

mourning some were there sad some were followers of Jesus who were watching in

the distance at what was taking place others were there praising what was

taking place they were rejoicing in Jesus's crucifixion they were rejoicing

in his pain they were rejoicing in his suffering and they were mocking Jesus oh

if Jesus is so good then let's see if God wants him let's see if God's gonna

come to his rescue it didn't appear as though God was present in this situation

after all that had taken place the one who had claimed to be the Messiah the

Son of God had been beaten and he'd been mocked and now he was

nailed to a cross and it didn't appear as though God was at work and the crowd

says you know where is God at if he wants him he'll come get him perhaps

sometimes we're like the crowd in that respect perhaps sometimes when some of

God's most beautiful plans are unfolding it doesn't appear that God is at work it

didn't appear that God was at work that day how could God be at work with Jesus

being beaten and mocked and nailed to a cross how could God be at work yet that

was part of God's plan that was part of God's plan there was pain and there was

suffering but that is the way that salvation was going to be accomplished

and there was no other way that it could be accomplished and perhaps in our life

today we can relate perhaps for some of us today we are going through things

things that that are hard that are difficult things that we just we really

believe and we have believed that they're part of God's plan but now it's

gotten really really hard and it doesn't appear as though God is at work but God

is at work even when we don't see God even when we don't recognize it God is

at work and we must be obedient even Jesus knew that is he hung on the cross

he knew that God was at work he knew that God had not abandoned him he knew

that God was there the crowd didn't know that the crowd mocked but Jesus knew

that he was accomplishing the mission of God no matter how difficult and painful

it would be Jesus knew what he had to do and it was there on the cross that

Jesus looked to crowd looked at those who had nailed him to the cross and

uttered really some of the some of the strongest words that I think anyone has

ever uttered father forgive them for they know not what they are doing now

that takes a lot of power that takes a lot of humility that takes a lot of

strength for those who have beaten you and those who have mocked you and those

who continue to mock you and those who have nailed you to a cross that you can

stand that your enemies above your enemies hanging on that cross and say

father forgive them but Jesus knew why he was hanging on that cross he was

hanging on the cross so he could say those words so that those words could be

a possibility because had Jesus have not hung on the cross that day there would

be no possibility of forgiveness but yet Jesus did hang on the cross that day and

he forgave those who wronged him perhaps we need to learn from Jesus in that way

there are probably some people in your life that have wronged you that have

not been very nice to you that don't treat you right they've cheated and

stolen lied to you and there are probably some of you today that say I

can't forgive that person but the Bible calls us to forgive and if Jesus Christ

can forgive then so can we and you may say this morning we you don't know what

they did to me no I don't but they didn't beat you and mock you and nail

you to a cross and even if they do that we need to forgive them because that's

what Jesus did in the last moments of his life he offered forgiveness for

those who had nailed him to the cross if they would only put their trust in it if

they would only put their trust in him even that day even in that moment there

could be forgiveness and as Jesus hung on the cross there were two criminals

who were hung beside him one of the criminals was mocking Jesus but the

other criminal he recognized who Jesus was he recognized what was going on and

he told the other criminal he said look he said we deserve what we're getting

we're criminals we broken the law he said but this man doesn't deserve these

things he's done nothing wrong and the one the one criminal called out to Jesus

and Jesus said today you will be with me in paradise I hope that we are like that

criminal today that we would recognize who Jesus is because he got it he got

the basics of what we all need to recognize today he got the basics of

salvation we are sinners we have done wrong and we are deserving of punishment

but Jesus is perfect that criminal on the cross understand understood the

truth of the gospel that day the truth that you and I need to realize that we

are sinners but Jesus Christ is perfect that he takes the sin and the

punishment that that we are deserving of he takes our sin on himself so that we

may be forgiven of that sin I hope that we are not like the one criminal today

who rejected who Jesus was who denied who Jesus was but let us be like the

criminal who got it who understood that Jesus is perfect and there is salvation

in no other and when all this was said and done after several hours of hanging

on the cross we arrive at the passage we started out as all things were drawing

to a close Jesus asked for something to drink as he was thirsty and it says he

asked this so that all things would be fulfilled so that the scripture would be

fulfilled all things are accomplished and when all things were accomplished

Jesus said it is finished everything that needed to take place everything

that needed to occur for the forgiveness of our sins for salvation for you and I

today it was all accomplished on the cross of Jesus Christ there is nothing

left for you to accomplish there are too many times that we are trying to get our

own lives in order and we are trying to accomplish things on our own and we're

trying to figure out this and we're trying to figure out that and we're

trying to make it through and do it when Jesus has already done it there is

nothing left to be accomplished because Jesus has accomplished it all that is

left for us to do is to trust in Jesus and who he is he is the one who wants to

be with us and we need to be zealous for him and on the days that we are not we

need to repent and we need to seek him we need to be those who choose a Savior

over our sin we need to be those who recognize that we are not worthy of sin

but that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and when Jesus died on that cross

it is finished all the work that needed to be done is finished everything that

God wanted to accomplish has been accomplished in Jesus Christ and three

days later God raised Jesus from the grave and Jesus is seated at the right

hand of God Jesus has conquered death he has conquered sin Jesus is victorious

today and Jesus wants to give you that victory perhaps there are things you're

trusting in yourself things you're trying to accomplish on your own when

you just need to trust in Jesus Christ who has accomplished all things through

the cross through his death and through his resurrection do you know who Jesus

is today are you trusting in him today maybe you've sit in a church pew for years

of your life maybe you've heard this story a hundred times maybe you know

full well who Jesus is but maybe you have never put your faith and trust in

him maybe you've never followed him maybe you've been living for yourself

maybe you've been denying him your whole life but maybe today you realize like

that criminal on the cross wait a minute there's something about this Jesus

there's something about him there is no joy there is no happiness there is no

deliverance there is no forgiveness of sins apart from Jesus Christ grace comes

through Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected and that's what will get us

through our days it's through Jesus that we are forgiven is through the grace of

God that we're able to make it every day if it were not for the grace of God our

life would be too difficult too much of a struggle but when our life gets

difficult we remember who Jesus is we remember what Jesus has done we

remember that he is our strength we remember that he is our victor and so we

will find victory Jesus shows us the example of what it is to live for the

father and that's the example that Jesus calls us to Jesus gave up everything he

did everything he could to live for the will of the father and when we put our

faith and trust in Jesus Christ that's what he calls us to do that's what it

means to be a Christian to say Lord I choose you and I'm going to live for you

above and beyond all other things if you've never put your faith and trust in

Jesus Christ today I pray that you would let's pray dear Lord we come to you this

morning we thank you for your good words and I pray God that as we reflect on

this story maybe for some it's the first time they've ever heard it God maybe for

others they've heard it 50 times but dear Lord it's good it's good dear Lord

and I pray that we would not overlook the power in this passage that we would

not we would we would not fail to see dear Lord what it means that Jesus

Christ died on the cross for us so that we would be forgiven God we thank you

for sending Jesus we thank you that Jesus was faithful all the way to death

on the cross dear Lord God our sins are many we are so rotten we say and we do

and we think so many things that are horrible dear Lord but what a beautiful

thing it is God that Jesus seeing all of our our wretchedness he still chose to

die on that cross dear Lord maybe there are some today that your Holy Spirit's

already beginning to work on them God I pray that today that they'd know that you

love them that Jesus loves them that no matter how how many their sins may be

that the blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse them all dear Lord God maybe

there's some here today that do not know you I pray that they would repent God

that is to turn away from our sins that we say no more that we're not living for

ourselves that we're not living for this world but God that we're ready to live

for you that we repent God we ask you to forgive us and that forgiveness comes

dear Lord through Jesus Christ God maybe there's some today and they are yours

but maybe they're just in a in a tough place maybe they're like Jesus was in

the garden dear Lord maybe there are some today whose souls are swallowed up

in sorrow God I pray that you give them grace your grace is sufficient dear Lord

I pray that you'd give them strength I pray that you would help them never to

to stop doing the work that you've called them to do dear Lord sometimes

it's hard what you call us to but dear Lord let us let us trust you and seek you

in the same way that Jesus did God maybe there are some that are like Peter today

maybe they know you maybe they've walked with you but maybe they've denied you

here in their life recently dear Lord maybe they've been denying you with

their actions and denying you with their words dear Lord but praise the Lord

there's restoration God even for Peter dear Lord there was restoration God maybe

there are some here today in their years and they just need to be restored I pray

that they would call out to you this morning but God if you spoke into

anybody today I pray God that you just would help them to seek you in the next

few minutes and I ask these things in Jesus name amen