John: It Is Finished!

John 19:25-37

Jesus hung on a cross, suspended between heaven and earth. Completely sinless, he was there to pay the penalty for your sins and mine. While he hung on the cross, soldiers gambled for his seamless tunic that was “woven in one piece from top to bottom” (John 19:23).

John observes that the casting of lots to decide which soldier took the tunic home fulfilled Psalm 22, one of the fifteen “messianic psalms” in Scripture. In Psalm 22, written by King David, the sufferer declares God's holiness, yet cries out in his pain, “All who see me mock me . . . He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him…” (Psalm 22:7-8). 

The one David describes says, “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast . . . my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death” (Psalm 22:14-15). These words vividly depict Jesus hanging on the cross. Then, in Psalm 22:18, “They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots” (John 19:24). Fulfilled prophecies serve as strong reminders and confirm that God is in control from start to finish. 

As the soldiers gambled for Jesus’ tunic at the foot of the cross, four grieving women stood nearby. Jesus’ mother, Mary’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene, a woman Jesus had freed from demonic oppression and who had traveled with the disciples (Luke 8:2-3), were there with John. 

John 19:26-27
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

Even from the cross, Jesus, as the oldest son, took time to make sure his mother was cared for. And John likely looked after Mary for the rest of her life. 

John 19:28-30
After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Remember, the Gospel of John is the latest of the four Gospels, written around AD 85-90. Since the other Gospels have been circulating, John doesn’t repeat details that have already been shared. When we look at Matthew and Mark, we learn that Jesus cried out in a loud voice the first words of Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46; Mark 15:34). It was during this moment that the Father poured out his wrath for sin on Jesus, his Son. The physical pain of the cross was indeed excruciating, but words cannot even describe the depth of emotion as Jesus bore the wrath for all sin for all time. 

From the cross, the One who is the source of living water said, “I thirst.” This was in fulfillment of Psalm 69, one of the fifteen messianic psalms. Here’s how the psalm, written by David, begins: 

Psalm 69:1-3, 21
Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me. I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched . . . for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.

The NET Bible notes are helpful here:

In light of the connection in the Fourth Gospel between thirst and the living water which Jesus offers, it is highly ironic that here Jesus himself, the source of that living water, expresses his thirst. And since 7:39 associates the living water with the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ statement here in 19:28 amounts to an admission that at this point he has been forsaken by God (cf. Ps 22:1, Matt 27:46, and Mark 15:34).[1]

Sour wine, cheap vinegar wine diluted with water and usually reserved for prisoners and soldiers, was applied to Jesus’ lips with a sponge. After drinking it, he said, “It is finished.” These words translate the Greek word tetelestai, which comes from the marketplace and means “paid in full.” Through his death on the cross, Jesus paid the entire debt for humanity’s sin. There is nothing we can add to the work Jesus did on the cross. He accomplished for us what we couldn’t achieve on our own, providing the way to have a relationship with the holy God. 

After declaring, “It is finished,” Jesus died.

Usually, the bodies of those crucified were left on the cross for some time. However, there were cases when crucifixions occurred before a celebration, so in those situations, bodies were removed earlier. The crucifixion happened on a Friday, and the Jews needed the bodies taken down before the Sabbath. John notes that it was not only the Sabbath, but the Passover also fell on the Sabbath that year, making it a “high day” (John 19:31). 

Death on the cross ultimately resulted from asphyxiation. One was unable to breathe while hanging with separated shoulders, so the victim had to push up with their legs for each breath. For some, this could go on for days. But since it was approaching the Sabbath, beginning at 6:00 in the evening, on Friday, the Jews requested that the legs of those on the cross be broken.

Breaking the legs of one hanging on a cross was a guaranteed way of speeding up the dying process since the victim no longer had the use of their limbs for adjusting their position. The legs were broken with a heavy mallet. But when the soldiers came to Jesus, they could see he was already dead. To make certain, one soldier pierced Jesus with a long spear, presumably through the heart.

Here’s how John concludes his account of the crucifixion:

John 19:35-37
He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.”[from Ex. 12:46; Num. 9:12; and Ps. 34:20]. And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.” [from Zech. 12:10—a single phrase is quoted, however, the entire context is associated with the events of the cross.]

In John 17:5, Jesus prayed, “And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” His prayer has been answered. After completing his mission, Jesus returned to the Father’s presence to enjoy eternal fellowship in the divine glory he shared before the incarnation. And the glory of the resurrection is just around the corner!

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Time in the Word: Read and reflect on John 19:25-37. Focus on Jesus’ last words on the cross, “It is finished.” Contemplate the significance of his completed work.  

Talking to God: How does the fulfillment of prophecy in Jesus’ suffering strengthen your trust in God's plan—even in seasons of silence or sorrow?

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