Thirty-four years later the Alabama State legislature
adopted a new state flag that remains to this day. In fact they memorialized the design this
way: “The flag of the State of Alabama
shall be a crimson cross of St. Andrews on a field of white. The bars shall be not less than six inches
broad, and must extend diagonally across the flag from side to side.” So think of it. In 1895 the State of Alabama changed its
flag. In Alabama the cross supplanted
the serpent! The disciple John would
have appreciated that.
Of all the Gospel writers, John is the one who gives us the
sixth word of Jesus from the cross. Without the Gospel of John we would never have
known this incomparable declaration of victory from the cross of Jesus.
Last week we took much care to see how the fourth word, “My
God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” spells the defeat of sin, death, and
Satan; but the sixth word is clear confirmation. And what’s particularly wonderful is that
John was there to hear it. For remember
the words that immediately preceded “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”
were, “Woman, behold your son…”
As Arthur W. Pink says, “’It is finished,’ was not the
despairing cry of a helpless martyr. It
was not an expression of satisfaction that the termination of His sufferings
was now reached. It was not the last
gasp of a worn-out life; no, rather it was the declaration on the part of the
Divine Redeemer that all for which He came from heaven to earth to do, was now
done; that all that was needed to reveal the full character of God had now been
accomplished; that all that was required by the law before sinners could be
saved had now been performed: that the full price of our redemption was now
paid.”
Moreover, the word Jesus utters here is the necessary
declaration that the great purpose of God in human history is now
accomplished. What the first Adam was
unable to do, the last Adam has done.
Taking on human flesh God the Son, the Light of the World, defeated the
scheme of the former bearer of light, and ransomed a people God had made lower
than the angels to sit with Him in heavenly places.
Think of it. When the
Son of God announces, “It is finished,” He not only insures that the creatures
of dust will sit with Him in the heavenly places, but will be His bride, and
judge the angels, including the fallen ones!
If it is true that a picture is worth a thousand words, this one word
from the lips of our Lord Jesus Christ is worth a trillion words. There is no greater evidence of Christ’s
cosmic victory than His sixth word from the cross.
Read what Charles Spurgeon says of it:
“Children of God, ye who by faith
received Christ as your all in all tell it every day of your lives that it is
finished. Go and tell it to those who
are torturing themselves thinking through obedience and mortification to offer
satisfaction. Yonder heathen is about to
throw himself down upon the spikes. Stay
poor man where for wouldst thou bleed, for it is finished. Yonder faker is holding his hand erect until
the nails grow through the flesh, torturing himself with fasting and
self-denials. Cease, cease poor wretch
from all these pains for it is finished.
In all parts of the earth there are those who think that misery of the
body and the soul may be atonement for sin.
Rush to them, stave them in their madness and say to them, ‘Wherefore do
ye this? It is finished. All the pains that God asks, Christ has
suffered. All the satisfactions by way
of agony in the flesh that the law demanded Christ has already endured. It is finished.’ And when you have done this
go next to the benighted votaries of Rome when you see the priests, with their backs
to the people, offering every day the pretended sacrifice of the Mass, lifting
up the host on high a sacrifice they say, a unbloodly sacrifice, for the quick
and the dead. Cry, ‘Cease false priests! Cease!
For it is finished. Cease false worshippers;
cease to bow for it is finished. God
neither asks nor accepts any other sacrifice than that which Christ offered
once for all upon the Cross.’”
In preparation for Sunday’s message and communion you may
wish to consider the following questions:
- What linkage can you find between Jesus’ statements in Matthew 27:46 and John 19:30?
- The words, “It is finished,” are one word in Greek: Tetelestai. This word comes from the Greek root teleo. What does teleo mean? Can you think of any English words that incorporate it?
- How is Jesus’ declaration in John 19:30 greater than Caesar’s declaration when he returned from Rome after his defeat of King Pontus?
- The word “anguish” comes from the Latin word which means “to be compressed.” How is the cross a compression for Jesus?
- In John 19:28 it says that Jesus said “I thirst” to fulfill Scripture. How is tetelestai a fulfillment of Scripture?
- John says in verse 30(a) “When Jesus had received sour wine He said, ‘It is finished.’ How is the life of Jesus a perfect illustration of receiving sour wine from the world?
- How does the word tetelestai offer us a complete picture of God’s redemption?
- How does His word tetelestai fulfill His words to His disciples in John 12:31?
- What is the geographic center of the city of London?
- What effect does this declaration have on your discipleship?
See you Sunday, as we gather at His table!
