When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. John 19: 30, NIV.
Gracious God, here we are again, longing to hear from You! Our souls desire to hear Your voice, as we sit in submission at Your feet. Please speak to us in the study of Your Word, for Christ’s sake. Amen.
Throughout Jesus’ sojourn upon the earth, He never lost sight of His mission. The key to success, in maintaining His focus, was His intimate relationship to the Father; the many hours He spent in prayer to the Father. He knew when His journey began, and He knew when it had come to an end. Let us observe some of those moments in His life, when it would have been easy for Him to lose His focus, but He did not:
As a youth in the temple. As was their custom, the family of Jesus went up to the temple at Jerusalem for the celebration of the Passover. Soon it was time to return home. Assuming that the child Jesus was in the company of other family members, they travelled for three days without inquiring of His where-about. Suddenly it occurred to his parents that they had not seen Him for some time. It was then that they realized He was missing. When they found Him in the temple, and expressed their concern, His response to them was: “Why did you seek me? Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business? But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them” (Luke 2: 49, NKJV, emphasis provided). Although His earthly parents did not understand, He did; and He never lost sight of what He was supposed to be doing.
At the wedding in Cana of Galilee. Jesus, His mother, and His disciples, were invited to a wedding. On the third day, to the dismay of the host and hostess, the wine ran out. This was a very embarrassing situation. Mary rapidly searched for her son, and requested His help. He loved His mother dearly, but I imagine, He saw in her request an act that was highly symbolic of His mission here on earth – to provide His blood, represented by the wine, for the “emergency” caused by sin. I wonder if His reply was intended to prepare her for what lay ahead. She obviously didn’t get it, but He was constantly aware of where His path would eventually lead, ” ‘Dear woman, why do you involve me?’ Jesus replied. ‘My time has not yet come’ ” (John 2: 4, NIV).
When they tried to make Him king by force, Jesus refused. Nothing was going to make Him spoil the perfect plan of salvation that He and His Father had decided upon, in the “Council of Peace.” “Therefore, when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone” (John 6: 15). Alone, in the presence of the Father, He found the strength to remain focused.
When Jesus heard that the Greeks were seeking Him, He foretold the “nearness” of His hour. ” ‘Now My souls is troubled and what shall I say? ‘Father save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father glorify Your name’ ” (John 12: 27). As the hour drew near, He asked His Father to prepare Him for what was to come.
In the presence of Pilate. Pilate, no doubt had never seen a man of the stature and bearing of Jesus. Dignified even in the face of abuse, He stood every bit, the picture of a king. “Are You the king of the Jews?” Jesus answered Pilate’s question with another question, “Did someone tell you this, or are You asking out of your own curiosity? After Pilate’s defensive response, Jesus replied plainly, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here” (John 18: 36).
“It is finished.” When He uttered these words, it was because the work that He had come to do, had been accomplished. The perfect plan of salvation had been carried out to a perfect completion. There was nothing that had been left undone. The Perfect Sacrifice had been offered. Therefore, the curtain in the temple could be rent, (Matthew 27: 51) because there was no longer a need for a “Most Holy Place,” here on earth. All the earthly types had met Antitype. The high priests could hang up their robes and turn off the lights. The Perfect Sacrifice, would now return to heaven, to become the Perfect High Priest. When He uttered these words that Friday afternoon, it was because, indeed, His work of salvation, on our behalf, was “finished!”