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THEREFORE WHEN JESUS HAD
RECEIVED THE SOUR WINE, HE SAID "IT
IS FINISHED!": hote oun elaben (3SAAI) to oxos (o)
Iesous eipen (3SAAI): tetelestai (3SRPI):
(Jn 19:28, 4:34 17:4 Ge 3:15 Ps 22:15 Isa 53:10,12 Da 9:24,26 Zec 13:7
Mt 3:15 Ro 3:25 10:4 1Co 5:7 Col 2:14-17 Heb 9:11, 12, 13,14,22-28 Heb
10:1-14 12:2)
Hark! the Voice of Love and Mercy
(Play Hymn)
Hark! the voice of love and mercy
Sounds aloud from Calvary;
See, it rends the rocks asunder,
Shakes the earth, and veils the sky:
“It is finished!” “It is finished!”
“It is finished!” Hear the dying Savior cry;
Hear the dying Savior cry.
--Jonathan Evans
Context:
Jn 19:28 After
this, Jesus, knowing (He was conscious, fully aware to the end, cp
refusal of an "anesthetizing" drink Mt 27:34. Jesus was not seeking to
escape but accomplish His Father's will!) that all things had already
been accomplished (teleioo - similar to verb teleo in Jn
19:30 -
perfect tense
= finished at a point in time and still in effect), to
fulfill the Scripture, said, "I
am thirsty." 29 A jar full
of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour
wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth.
Comment: Every minute detail
of OT prophecy is fulfilled including (Ps 22:15, Ps 69:3, Ps 69:21, cp
Acts 13:29). McGee says that there are 28 prophecies alone that were
fulfilled while Jesus was hanging on the Cross.
Hyssop (note) was used at the
first Passover and after dipping in the blood of the slain lamb was
applied to the lintel and the two doorposts (Ex 12:22).
Therefore
- A term of conclusion which in this context announces the most
profound conclusion ever uttered "It
is Finished!"
John records
Jesus' declaration of His goal early in His ministry ...
Jesus said to them, "My food is to
do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish
(teleioo) His work. (Jn 4:34)
(Compare Jn 5:36 "But the testimony
which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works
which the Father has given Me to accomplish [teleioo]—the very works
that I do—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me. [See also Jn
10:25, 37, 38, 14:10, 11, Acts 2:22])
In His high
priestly prayer just prior to Calvary Jesus declared...
I glorified Thee on the earth,
having accomplished (teleioo = brought to an end, to the goal) the
work which Thou hast given Me to do. (Jn 17:4)
Jesus'
declaration "It is
finished" is the
postscript which sums up the progression from John 4:34 to John 17:4.
Andrew Murray comments...
With that word (It is finished) to
the Father He laid down His life. With that word He was strengthened,
after the terrible agony on the cross, in the knowledge that all was
now fulfilled. And with that word He uttered the truth of the gospel
of our redemption, that all that was needed for man's salvation had
been accomplished on the cross. This disposition should characterize
every follower of Christ. The mind that was in Him must be in us (Php
2:5-note)
-- it must be our meat, the strength of our life,
TO DO THE WILL OF GOD IN ALL
THINGS,
AND TO FINISH HIS WORK.
There may be small things about
which we are not conscientious, and so we bring harm to ourselves and
to God's work. Or we draw back before some great thing which demands
too much sacrifice. In every case we may find strength to perform our
duty in Christ's word "It
is finished." His
finished work secured the victory over every foe. By faith (2Co 5:7)
we may appropriate that dying word of Christ on the cross, and find
the power for daily living and dying (1Co 15:31) in the fellowship of
the crucified Christ (Gal 2:20-note).
Child of God, study the inexhaustible treasure contained in this word:
"It is finished."
Faith in what Christ accomplished on the cross will enable you to
manifest in daily life the spirit of the cross. (The
Secret of the Cross)
A T Robertson...
Jesus took the vinegar (a stimulant), though he had refused the
drugged vinegar. It is finished (tetelestai). Same for as in John
19:28. A cry of victory in the hour of defeat like nenikēka in John
16:33. Jesus knew the relation of his death to redemption for us (Mark
10:45; Matthew 20:28; Matthew 26:28).
Regarding "It
is finished", most agree that this was the 6th of Jesus' seven
last words on the Cross -
(1) Luke 23:34 (2) Luke 23:43 (3) John 19:26, 27 (4) Mt. 27:46; Mk
15:34 (5) Jn 19:28 (6) John 19:30 and (7) Luke 23:46
Ray Stedman...
Finally, John records the last word
from the cross, a word of triumph and achievement.
When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, "It
is Finished"; and he
bowed his head and gave up his spirit. {John 19:30 RSV}
This word, "It is finished," is one word in the Greek. According to
the other accounts, Jesus "cried with a loud voice, 'It is finished,'"
{cf, Mark 15:37, Luke 23:46}. There is relief in that word. The agony
is over, the terrible ordeal is finished. But there is pride in this
word as well. The race is run, the work is completed, the enemy is
defeated. In those mysterious three hours when the sun hid its face
and a strange darkness covered the whole land, Jesus cried out those
terrible cries, "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?" {Matt
27:46}. It was then he was involved in a fearful grapple with the
power of evil. But now it is over. The way to the heart of God is
achieved. The writer of Hebrews describes this in these words,
"Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary
by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way which he opened for
us, through the curtain, that is through his flesh," {Heb 10:19-20
RSV}. This is all completed now. When the work was over, when the
foundations of redemption were fully laid our Lord cried with a loud
voice, "It is finished." (He
Endured the Cross)
Warren Wiersbe...
"It is finished!" is one word in
the Greek text—tetelestai. The word was a common one and was used by
merchants to mean "The price is all paid!" Shepherds and priests used
it when they found a perfect sheep, ready for sacrifice; and Christ
died as the perfect lamb of God. Servants, when their work was
completed, would use this word when reporting to their masters.
Christ, the obedient Servant, had finished the work the Father gave
Him to do. Christ willingly and deliberately gave up His life; He laid
down His life for His friends.
(Wiersbe,
W. W. Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament. Wheaton,
Ill.: Victor Books)
John Wesley...
It is finished - My suffering: the
purchase of man's redemption.
It is finished
(5055)
(tetelestai) is a
single Greek verb
teleo (see word study).
and means that something is brought to an end, is fully accomplished, has
achieved its destined goal or is brought to perfection. Indeed, all of
these senses apply to Jesus' death on the Cross, but one sense of
tetelestai presents a powerful picture of Jesus' finished work on the
Cross, the grand work of redemption about which He Himself had
"prophesied"...
For even the Son of Man did not come to
be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. (Mark
10:45)
Glory Ever Be to Jesus
(Play Hymn)
Glory ever be to Jesus,
God’s own well belovèd Son;
By His grace He hath redeemed us,
“It is finished,” all is done.
Refrain
Saved by grace through faith in Jesus,
Saved by His own precious blood,
May we in His love abiding,
Follow on to know the Lord.
--Fanny Crosby
A W Pink
once said the following which is so apropos to the one Greek word
tetelestai translated "It is finished"...
The ancient Greeks boasted of being
able to say much in little—to 'give a sea of matter in a drop of
language'—(this) was regarded as the perfection of oratory. (Ed:
How appropriate then for the perfection of Christ's work on the
Cross!)
William Kelly...
The Creator but man lifted up from
the earth could say, in dying for sin to God's glory, "It is
finished." The work, the infinite work, was done for the putting away
of sin by His sacrifice. Thereon hangs not only the blessing of every
soul that is to be justified by faith, but of new heavens and new
earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. "It is finished," tetelestai:
one word! yet what word ever contained so much? (John
18 - 21.)
John MacArthur
writes that It is Finished...
was a shout of triumph; the
proclamation of a victor. The work of redemption that the Father had given
Him was accomplished: sin was atoned for (He 9:12-note;
He 10:12-note),
and Satan was defeated and rendered powerless (He 2:14-note;
cf. 1Pe 1:18, 19-note,
1Pe 1:20-note;
1Jn 3:8). Every requirement of God's righteous law had been satisfied;
God's holy wrath against sin had been appeased (Ro 3:25-note;
He 2:17-note;
1Jn 2:2; 4:10); every prophecy had been fulfilled. Christ's completion of
the work of redemption means that nothing needs to be nor can be added to
it. Salvation is not a joint effort of God and man, but is entirely a work
of God's grace, appropriated solely by faith (Eph. 2:8, 9-note).
His mission accomplished, the time had come for Christ to surrender His
life. (MacArthur New Testament Commentary – John 12-21)
Andrew Murray writes that...
every day that our confidence grows
fuller in Christ's finished work must see our heart more entirely
yielding itself like Him, a whole burnt offering in the service of God and
His love (The
Secret of the Cross) Tetelestai
was used in several ways in Jesus' day. A servant would use tetelestai
when reporting to his or her master, “I have completed the work assigned
to me” (cp Jesus words on His "work" in Jn 4:34,17:4) Jesus had brought to
completion all the Father had desired for Him to accomplish as the God
Man. When a priest examined an animal sacrifice and found it faultless, it
was described as tetelestai. Jesus, of course, is the perfect Lamb
of God, without spot or blemish (1Pe 1:18, 19-note).
When an artist completed a picture, or a writer a manuscript, they might
say, “It is finished!” The death of Jesus on the cross “completes
the picture” that God had been painting of "redemption" which God had
painted from eternity past (cp 2Ti 1:9NIV-note,
Ep 3:11-note,
Titus 1:2-note,
1Peter 1:20-note).
Hallelujah! What a Savior
(Play Hymn)
Lifted up was He to die,
"It is finished," was His cry;
Now in heaven exalted high:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
--Bliss
Perhaps the meaning
that Jesus had foremost in His mind when He uttered the word tetelestai
was related to its secular use in the context of payment of debts. When
someone had a debt in ancient times and it was paid off, they would write
"tetelestai" on the certificate signifying "Paid in Full".
When He gave Himself on the cross, Jesus fully met the righteous demands
of a holy law; He paid our debt in full. None of the Old Testament
sacrifices could take away sins. Their blood only covered sin. But the
Lamb of God shed His blood, (for the redemption of the transgressions that
were committed under the first covenant, Heb 9:15-note) and that blood (and
only that blood) can take away the sins of the world (Jn 1:29; He 9:24-note,
He 9:25, 26-note,
He 9:27, 28-note).
Go to Dark Gethsemane
(Play Hymn)
Calvary’s mournful mountain
climb; there, adoring at His feet,
Mark that miracle of time, God’s own sacrifice complete.
“It is finished!” hear Him cry; learn of Jesus Christ to die.
--James Montgomery
There is another
sense in which tetelestai was used in the ancient world. When a Roman
citizen was convicted of a crime, the law of that day slammed him in
prison. They prepared a "Certificate of Debt" that listed all the crimes
he was convicted of on it, and nailed it to his cell door for all to see.
It remained nailed there so all would be assured that he served his full
sentence, and "paid in full" the penalty ("debt owed") for his
crimes. When Jesus shouted "Tetelestai" from the cross, it was a
very familiar phrase to those within the sound of His voice. It was the
same word that would be stamped across the Certificate of Debt after a
criminal completed his prison term. It would literally mean "Paid in Full"
for all your crimes. Then the criminal was given the certificate. He would
be able to produce it to show that his crimes were "paid in full." He
could never become a victim of "double jeopardy" (paying for the same
crime twice - cp the result in Ro 8:1-note
= No Condemnation and Ro 8:39-note
= No Separation). This is a beautiful picture of what Christ did on the Cross,
Paul recording (quoting the original version of the NLT) that...
(God the Father) canceled the record
(Greek verb
exaleipho = wiped it away, completely obliterating the evidence) that
contained the charges against us. He took it and destroyed it by nailing
it to Christ's cross. (Col 2:14-note)
Finally, there is one other truth about
tetelestai that is notable - it is in the
perfect tense,
a tense which is identifies a past completed action (or event) with
continuing effects or results. In context the perfect tense clearly speaks
of the past, historical reality of the Crucifixion of Christ, and the fact
that His death on the Cross has permanent effects which ultimately will
last throughout eternity! All that truth with one Greek tense! Beloved our
Kinsman-Redeemer's ransom payment is sufficient for this life and the life
to come! Let us live in the power of the Cross (1Co 1:18 where "being
saved" is in the
present tense
indicating that believers are continually being saved every day of their
life (also implying that in one sense we need His saving power to live the
"victorious Christian life" day by day, even moment by moment! cp Mt
26:41, Gal 5:16-note,
Gal 5:17-note).
We have been saved [justification]. We are being saved [sanctification],
We will be saved [glorification] - see discussion of
Three Tenses of Salvation)
Alexander
Maclaren...
John’s last contribution to our
knowledge of our Lord’s words on the Cross is that triumphant ‘It is
finished,’ wherein there spoke, not only the common dying
consciousness of life being ended, but the certitude, which He alone
of all who have died, or will die, had the right to feel and utter,
that every task was completed, that all God’s will was accomplished,
all Messiah’s work done, all prophecy fulfilled (Acts 13:29),
redemption secured, God and man reconciled. He looked back over all
His life and saw no failure, no falling below the demands of the
occasion, nothing that could have been bettered, nothing that should
not have been there. He looked upwards, and even at that moment He
heard in His soul the voice of the Father saying, ‘This is My beloved
Son, in whom I am well pleased!’
Christ’s work is finished. It needs no supplement. It can never be
repeated or imitated while the world lasts, and will not lose its
power through the ages. Let us trust to it as complete for all our
needs, and not seek to strengthen ‘the sure foundation’ which it has
laid by any shifting, uncertain additions of our own. But we may
remember, too, that while Christ’s work is, in one aspect, finished,
when He bowed His head, and by His own will ‘gave up the ghost,’ in
another aspect His work is not finished, nor will be, until the whole
benefits of His incarnation and death are diffused through, and
appropriated by, the world. He is working to-day, and long ages have
yet to pass, in all probability, before the voice of Him that sitteth
on the throne shall say ‘It is done!’ (Read the full sermon
An Eyewitness's Account of the
Crucifixion - John 19:17-30)
J C Ryle
on "It is Finished"...
It is surely not too much to say,
that of all the seven famous sayings of Christ on the cross, none is
more remarkable than this, which John alone has recorded.
The precise meaning of this wondrous expression, "It is finished," is
a point which the Holy Spirit has not thought good to reveal to us.
There is a depth about it, we must all instinctively feel, which man
has probably no line to fathom. Yet there is perhaps no irreverence in
conjecturing the thoughts that were in our Lord's mind, when the word
was spoken. The finishing of all the known and unknown sufferings
which He came to endure, as our Substitute--the finishing of the
ceremonial law, which He came to wind up and fulfill, as the true
Sacrifice for sin--the finishing of the many prophecies, which He came
to accomplish--the finishing of the great work of man's redemption,
which was now close at hand--all this, we need not doubt, our Lord had
in view when He said, "It is finished." There may have been more
behind, for anything we know. But in handling the language of such a
Being as our Savior, on such an occasion, and at so mysterious a
crisis of His history, it is well to be cautious. "The place whereon
we stand is holy ground."
One comfortable thought, at all events, stands out most clearly on the
face of this famous expression. We rest our souls on a "finished
work," if we rest them on the work of Jesus Christ the Lord. We need
not fear that either sin, or Satan, or law shall condemn us at the
last day. We may lean back on the thought, that we have a Savior who
has done all, paid all, accomplished all, performed all that is
necessary for our salvation. We may take up the challenge of the
Apostle, "Who is he that condemns? It is Christ who died--yes, rather
that is risen again; who is even at the right hand of God; who also
makes intercession for us." (Ro 8:34-note
When we look at our own works, we may well be ashamed of their
imperfections. But when we look at the finished work of Christ, we may
feel peace. We "are complete in Him," if we believe. (Col 2:10-note)
F F Bruce
comments on the significance of "It
is Finished"...
All scripture that was due to be
accomplished in His passion had now been accomplished; the entire
purpose for which the Father had sent the Son into the world was now
assured of fulfillment, and since that purpose included the salvation
of the world and the procuring of eternal life for all believers (John
13:14, 15, 16, 17), salvation and eternal life were henceforth freely
available.
Adam Clarke...
As if he had said: "I have executed
the great designs of the Almighty—I have satisfied the demands of his
justice—I have accomplished all that was written in the prophets, and
suffered the utmost malice of my enemies; and now the way to the holy
of holies is made manifest through my blood." An awful, yet a glorious
finish. Through this tragic death God is reconciled to man (Ed:
God is the "Initiator"!), and the kingdom of heaven opened to every
believing soul. "Shout heaven and earth, this SUM of good to MAN!"
Wycliffe
Bible Commentary...
Emphasis here is not on the ending
of the sufferings but on the completion of the mission of redemption.
A C Gaebelein...
"It
is Finished." In the
Greek it is but one word, "tetelestai." Never before and never after
was ever spoken one word which contains and means so much. It is the
shout of the mighty Victor. And who can measure the depths of this one
word! (Commentary
on JOHN - by A C Gaebelein)
S Lewis
Johnson has succinctly said that Christ’s resurrection....
"...is God’s ‘Amen’ to
Christ’s ‘It is Finished.’
Looking at the cross we see justification completed; looking at the
open tomb we see it accepted.”
Scofield...
"It is finished" was the
shout of victory. See Jn 4:34; 17:4; Ro 10:4; Gal 3:13; Heb 10:5, 6,
7, 8, 9, 10.
William
Harris...commenting on the completeness of the Cross observes
It really has been completed,
hasn’t it? Everything for which John has been preparing us in this
Gospel has now been accomplished by our Lord. John 1 declares that
Jesus is the eternal Son of God, who called the world into being (Jn
1:1, 2, 3). He is the One sent to earth by the Father, in order to
reveal Him to men (Jn 6:46, 14:9). He is the One who “came unto His
own place and to His own people,” and yet those who were “His own”—the
Jews—rejected Him (Jn 1:11). He was “lifted up” so that He could draw
all men unto Himself (Jn 3:13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18). He came to do His
Father’s will (Jn 4:34) and has now completed it. He came to declare
His Father’s Word, and He has proclaimed it (Jn 8:26, 27, 28, 38;
12:49, 50; Jn 14:10). He came to glorify the Father, and on the Cross,
He has done that (Jn 12:23, 28, 41; Jn 13:32; Jn 17:1, Jn 17:4). It
truly is finished; His task has been completed. (Exegetical
Commentary on John 19)
Explore the
Bible...
This language confirms what Jesus
had declared earlier concerning the nature of His death—“The good
shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (Jn 10:11). (Explore
the Bible)
S Lewis
Johnson...
It's possible to understand the
subject as the prophecies (Acts 13:29). The finally reached their
culmination in the death of our Lord. There is a sense, of course, in
which that is involved. Others have suggested that it is the passion,
that is his sufferings of the atoning death. And of course, that too
is included. Many commentators feel, I rather tend to think that more
truth lies with them, that the absence of a definite subject forces
the reader to call up all of the aspects of our Lord's work that is
now brought to an end. And there are many suggestions that perhaps
that is what our Lord has in mind. In other words, the whole of the
atoning work, in so far as it has to do with prophecy and so far as it
has to do with his sufferings, it has been finished, consumatum est
the Latin text reads. It is consummated...
That (Ed: Because "It is
finished") is why it is so important in our concept of eternal
salvation to be sure that we understand the nature of the finished
work of the Lord Jesus Christ. He has accomplished the saving work by
which he has made it possible for men to receive the forgiveness of
sins. And the only required is to receive the benefits as a free gift.
That's faith. That's man's responsibility, and it is a responsibility
to believe. But when we believe we discover in the word of God that
the capacity to respond is itself also a gift of God. And our
salvation is of the Lord.
For example, when we believe that we are saved by grace but we have to
keep working in order to stay saved we are in effect saying Jesus did
not do it all. He did sufficient to get us started but we must also
add our works thereafter in order to stay saved. We are actually
taking away from the glory of our Lord to teach that a man may lose
his salvation after he has been saved. That is why we are so adamant
about the fact that the Scriptures teach that salvation is of the
Lord. He says, "It is finished," or literally, "It has been finished."
No repetition of it can be allowed at all...
J. Hudson Taylor (Biography) had
a very interesting early experience. He was from a Christian home. His
mother prayed for him constantly. She prayed that he might come to
salvation. For a long time he resisted and finally one day someone put
in his hand a little tract and in that tract was the expression, "It
is finished." It troubled him a great deal. He didn't understand
exactly what that meant. In fact, he went up into a hay loft and there
with the tract he mediated upon it. "It is finished," and
finally out of that experience came his conviction of his own
salvation. And he puts it this way,
Then there dawned upon me the
joyous conviction that since the whole work was finished and the whole
debt was paid upon the cross there was nothing for me to do but to
fall upon my knees, accept the Savior and praise him forevermore.
That's what it is to be saved, to
realize that Christ has paid it all.
Upon a life I did not live, upon a
death I did not die, another's life, another's death, I stake my whole
eternity.
And Hudson Taylor rested himself
for time and eternity upon the merits of the blood of Christ and God
used him to the salvation of many thousands of people. (The
Messiah Dying)
Alan Carr
on It is Finished...
I believe that these are the
greatest words Jesus Christ ever spoke and I would like to tell you
why this morning.
For years, liberals and unbelievers have declared that this cry of
Jesus from the cross is a cry of defeat. They say that it is the word
of a man who has lost everything. However, they are a million miles
from the truth of the matter. This English phrase is from a word that
is very expressive and filled with meaning. In fact, it is a word that
was used in many areas of society. Some of which were:
1. A Servant's Word - Used
when a task had been completed.
2. A Priest's Word - Used when a sacrificial animal was found
to be worthy.
3. A Farmer's Word - Used when a perfect specimen had been born
into the flock.
4. An Artist's Word - Used when the final touches had been
applied to a masterpiece.
5. A Merchant's Word - Used when a deal had been struck and all
the haggling had ended. Its usage meant that both parties were
satisfied.
Therefore, it is plain to see that
this word is not the cry of a defeated man, but it is instead, the
shout of a victor! This is the exultant cry of one who has just won a
great victory. We need to understand that when Jesus Christ said these
three little words, He was telling the world that something great had
been accomplished. In fact, there were three great matters that were
forever settled the day Jesus died on the Cross. (Click
to Read the rest of Pastor Carr's discussion of why these are the
greatest words ever spoken)
John Butler
sums up "It is finished"...
• It speaks of suffering.
...Christ's sufferings on earth for sin were finished. "What tongue or
pen can describe the sufferings of the Savior?" (Pink).
• It speaks of salvation.
...on the cross. Salvation requires that there be a blood sacrifice
for the sinners. The Old Testament had many sacrifices, but they never
completed the job...(He 10:11, 12-note,
He 11:14-note).
Calvary was the sacrifice that finished all sacrifices for sin which
made salvation possible.
• It speaks of success.
...of the success over Satan. Satan had opposed Christ going to the
cross and dying in the way heaven had planned. Satan had tried
numerous times to stop Calvary's plan. But he failed and Christ
conquered victoriously as "It is finished" signified.
• It speaks of service.
...Christ had completed His service, He completed the work assigned to
Him (Ed: cp Jn 4:34, Jn 5:36, Jn 17:4). It is not how many
projects we start that count but how many we finish. Many say "I quit"
instead of "It is finished." (Wordsearch
- Analytical Bible Expositor - John or
Logos version)
Spurgeon
comments...
Incarnate love has fulfilled its
self-imposed task. Jesus, as the substitute for sinners, was condemned
to die, and he died that he might finish the work of our redemption.
“It is
Finished.’
Hear the dying Saviour cry.”
Your sins have sustained their
death-blow, the robe of your righteousness has received its last
thread. It is done, complete, perfect. It needs no addition; it can
never suffer any diminution.
Oh, Christian, do lay hold of this
precious thought. I may not be able to state it except in weak terms,
but let not my weakness prevent your apprehending its glory and its
preciousness. This thought is enough to make a man leap, though his
legs were chained with irons, and to make him sing, though his mouth
were gagged. We are perfectly accepted in Christ, and our
justification is not partial. It does not go to a limited extent, but
goes the whole way. Our unrighteousness is covered. From condemnation
we are entirely and irrevocably free.
Consummatum est.
“The work is done, redemption is
accomplished; the salvation of my people is for ever secured.”
He had endured the utmost of
appointed grief and had made full vindication to divine justice. Then,
and not until then, He gave up the ghost.
Christ longed for the cross because
He looked for it as the goal of all His exertions. He could never say,
“It is finished” (John 19:30), on His throne, but on His cross He
did cry it. He preferred the sufferings of Calvary to the honors of
the multitude who crowded round about Him, for bless and heal them as
He might, still His work was undone. “I long for My sufferings,
because they will be the completion of My great work of grace.” It is
the end that brings the honor; it is the victory that crowns the
warrior rather than the battle. And so Christ longed for this, His
death, that He might see the completion of His labor.
Does the divine law require, in
order for us to be accepted, perfect submission to the will of the
Lord? He has rendered it. Does it ask for complete obedience to its
precepts? He has presented the same. Does the fulfilled will of the
Lord call for abject suffering, a sweat of blood, pangs unknown, and
death itself? Christ has presented it all, whatever that “all” may
be. When God created, His Word carried forth all His will. Likewise,
when God redeemed, His blessed and incarnate Word accomplished all His
will.
Our Salvation Is Complete -
In truth, we have plenty of reason for resting. We can sit at Jesus’
feet because our salvation is complete. He said, “It is finished”
(John 19:30), and He knew that He had wrought it all. The ransom
price has been paid for your soul. Not one drop has been withheld of
the blood that is your purchase. The robe of righteousness (Isa.
61:10) is woven from top to bottom; there is not one thread for you
to add. It is written, “Ye are complete in him” (Col. 2:10-note).
However frail we are, we are still “perfect in Christ Jesus” (Col.
1:28-note),
and in spite of all our sin we are still “accepted in the beloved”
(Eph. 1:6-note).
He bore on the tree the sentence
for me,
And now both the Surety and sinner are free.
In the heavenly Lamb thrice happy I am;
And my heart doth rejoice at the sound of His name.
A W Pink...
It is Finished—a
single word in the original. It was the briefest and yet the fullest
of His seven cross-utterances. Eternity will be needed to make
manifest all that it contains. All things had been done which the law
of God required; all things established which prophecy predicted; all
things brought to pass which the types foreshadowed; all things
accomplished which the Father had given Him to do; all things
performed which were needed for our redemption. Nothing was left
wanting. The costly ransom was given, the great conflict had been
endured, sin’s wages had been paid, Divine justice satisfied. True,
there was the committal of His spirit into the hands of the Father,
which immediately followed His word here; there was His resurrection,
ascension, and session on high, but these are the fruit and reward of
that work which He completed. Nothing more remained for Him to do;
nothing more awaited its fulfillment; His work on earth was
consummated.
It is Finished—This
was not the despairing cry of a helpless martyr. It was not an
expression of satisfaction that the end of His sufferings was now
reached.
It was not the last gasp of a
worn-out life.
No, 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 which was needful to reveal the
glorious character of God had now been accomplished; that everything
necessary for the putting away of the sins of His people, providing
for them a perfect standing before God, securing for them an eternal
inheritance and fitting them for it, had all been done.
It is Finished—The
root Greek word here, "teleo," is variously translated in the New
Testament. A reference to some of its alternative renditions in other
passages will enable us the better to discern the fullness and
finality of the term here used by the Savior. In Mt 11:1 "teleo" is
translated as follows,
When Jesus had made an end of
commanding His twelve disciples.
In Mt 17:24 it is rendered,
They that received tribute money
came to Peter, and said, Doth not your Master pay tribute.
In Lk 2:39 it is translated,
And when they had performed all
things according to the law of the Lord.
In Lk 18:31 it is rendered,
All things that are written by the
prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.
Putting these together we learn the
scope of Christ’s sixth cross-utterance.
It is Finished
He cried—it is "made an end of," it is "paid," it is "performed,"
it is "accomplished."
What was "made an end of"?—our
sins, our guilt!
What was "paid"?—the price
of our redemption!
What was "performed"?—the
utmost requirements of God’s law.
What was "accomplished"?—the
work which the Father had given Him to do!
What was "finished"?—the
making of atonement! (John
19:25-42 Christ Laying Down His Life)
Albert Barnes...
It is finished. The sufferings and
agonies in redeeming man are over. The work long contemplated, long
promised, long expected by prophets and saints, is done. The toils in
the ministry, the persecutions and mockeries, and the pangs of the
garden and the cross, are ended, and man is redeemed. What a wonderful
declaration was this! How full of consolation to man! And how should
this dying declaration of the Saviour reach every heart and affect
every soul! Notes on the New Testament Explanatory and Practical.
Rob Salvato...
What does Jesus mean when He says,
`It is finished'?"
1) It means that the work of
redemption was done.
2) All things had been done which the law of God required;
3) All things fulfilled which prophecy predicted;
4) All things brought to pass which the types foretold;
5) All things accomplished which the Father had given Jesus to do;
6) All things performed that were necessary for redemption.
Everything was done, nothing was
left. COMPLETE. The ransom was paid, the conflict was endured,
the wages of sin were paid, and divine justice was satisfied. There
was nothing more to do, so He died to rise again. Like when a Painter
signs his name. Masterpiece that cannot be added to! Mona Lisa. Not
going to get my markers out – Ruin it. Marvel at – Enjoy – don’t ruin
the work of Christ (Sermon
Notes)
Paul Apple on John 19:30...
Final Departure Under God’s
Sovereign Control
1. Final Act of His Humanity
- “When Jesus therefore had received the sour wine,”
2. Final Completion of His
Earthly Mission of Atonement - “He said, ‘It is finished!’”
3. Final Act of Sacrificial
Spiritual Worship - “And He bowed His head, and gave up His
spirit.” (John)
Grover Gunn asks...
Was His atoning work sufficient and
effective? Was He able to pay for every sin He bore? He had cried out
upon the cross, “It is finished! It is paid in full!” Was it indeed?
Yes, indeed it was! For if there had been one sin which Jesus had
taken upon Himself and for which He had not fully paid, for which He
had not made an adequate atonement, that sin would have held Him in
the grave. But He is risen! He suffered a human penalty for human sin
through His human nature, and His divine nature, distinct but
mysteriously united to His humanity in the oneness of His person, ...
His divine nature gave those human sufferings an infinite worth which
cannot be exhausted. Atonement was paid in full, and He is risen! (Ref)
><>><>><>
F B Meyer's devotional on
John 19:30...
Comparing the Gospels, we discover
that these words were said “with a loud voice.” (Mt Lk 23:46)
It was the shout of a conqueror, who has fought through a long and
terrible day, but greets victory as evening closes in .
Finished, the long line of
sacrificial rite. — From the gates of Eden the blood of sacrifice
had begun to flow,
augmented
by the confluent streams of the years. From that moment, however, not
another drop need be shed. The types were finished now that the
Antitype had been realized.
Finished, his fulfilment of
prophecy. — How contradictory some had seemed! Ancient of Days,
yet a babe; the Mighty God, yet marred of visage, and led to the
slaughter; Son of Man, yet scion of David’s stock; ruling in the midst
of enemies, yet a bruised and broken Sufferer. But all of
them,
even to the last pathetic intimation of his dying thirst, fulfilled.
Finished, his mortal life. —
Never again to be weary, hungered, tempted, buffeted, or to bear the
contradiction of sinners.
Never
again to sweat the bloody sweat, or bear the accumulated faults of
men. Nevermore to die.
Finished, a world’s redemption. — He had wrought out and
brought in a perfect salvation. The world, so far as God could make it
so, was already reconciled. Sin was put away.
Finished, the perfect obedience.
— He alone of all born of woman was able to say that there was nothing
which the Father had asked that He bad not given; nothing that the
Father had imposed that He
had not gladly borne. He had
finished the work given Him to do.
Leonard Ravenhill said of
John 19:30
The Greatest Words Ever Uttered - By
the Greatest Man That Ever Lived.... In these three words I see the
consummation of all the Old Testament truth and the germination of all New
Testament truth.
The
evangelist Alexander Wooten was approached by a young man who asked,
What must I do to be saved?
Wooten replied
It’s too late!
The young man became alarmed asking.
Do you mean that it’s too late for
me to be saved? Is there nothing I can do?”
Wooten replied
Too late! It’s already been done!
The only thing you can do is believe.
It Is Finished!
(Play Hymn)
Nothing, either great or small—
Nothing, sinner, no;
Jesus died and paid it all,
Long, long ago.
Refrain
“It is finished!” yes, indeed,
Finished, ev’ry jot;
Sinner, this is all you need,
Tell me, is it not?
--Ira Sankey
Rich Cathers offers the
following lesson related to Jesus' cry "It is Finished"...
Stop punishing yourself. Sometimes we
struggle with guilt, having a hard time accepting that our debt must be
already paid. We punish ourselves because we think we must deserve some
kind of punishment. It's especially tough when it's concerning a sin that
we repeat over and over and over again. When Jesus died on the cross, how
many of your sins were still in the future? Did Jesus pay for all of your
sins, or just part of them? Did He just pay for sins #1-136? But not for
#137? You may say to me, "But I've sinned enough for two people!" Do you
somehow think that Jesus can't pay for the both of you? He died an
infinite death, paying for an infinite amount of sin! That's enough to
even include you!
When we continue to punish ourselves over our sins, or we feel like we
just can't accept Jesus' forgiveness because we don't deserve it, we are
kind of kicking Him in the face. It's like we are saying to Him, "No, You
did not pay enough to cover this one particular sin!" He paid at one time,
enough for all of us. (Heb 10:12KJV)
Illustration- Martin Luther was one who struggled with his sins.
Before his break with the Catholic church he went to confession every day
and was so guilt-ridden by his sins he would almost have gone every hour.
On most nights Luther slept well, but he even felt guilty about that,
thinking, ''Here am I, sinful as I am, having a good night's sleep.'' So
he would confess that. One day the older priest to whom Luther went for
confession said to him, "Martin, either find a new sin and commit it, or
quit coming to see me!" (John
19:28-30 Notes)
Perhaps we need to quit hanging on
to our guilt,
and let Jesus cleanse us.
><>><>><>
PAID IN FULL (Colossians 2:14) - The newspaper article reported that a
Utah businessman had filed for bankruptcy and declared his debts to be
$613 billion. It seemed ridiculous! What's more, the man claimed assets of
only $7,310. In other words, if all debts were honored, his creditors
would receive about one-millionth of a cent on the dollar. There was no
way he could begin to pay his debts.
Sometimes I feel that's how I stand with God. Why should I even try to pay
the debt of love that I owe Him? The situation seems hopeless. When I
consider His demand of perfect righteousness, I feel totally bankrupt and
helpless.
But then I remember that my debt has been taken care of. Jesus the Son of
God shed His precious blood to pay the infinite price for my countless
sins. Now I'm free to pursue a relationship with God that is motivated by
gratitude and energized by the power of the Holy Spirit.
This is what Colossians 2 is all about (cp Jn 19:30). The law of God has
declared us spiritually bankrupt. But our great debt has been completely
removed. It has been paid in full by Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.
We are free. The only thing we owe now is an eternal debt of thanks and
praise to our wonderful Lord. — Mart De Haan
(Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
But drops of grief can ne'er repay
The debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give myself away,
'Tis all that I can do! --Watts
Some think that they have everything
When riches come their way,
But that they're poor will be revealed
On God's accounting day.
-- Henry G. Bosch
Our salvation is free
because Christ paid an enormous price.
Take a Moment to worship
Jesus
as you ponder the preciousness of blood
Play Red Mountain Music's beautiful rendition of
There is a Fountain Filled
with Blood
Red Mt Music (their
works are superbly God Glorifying)
><>><>><>
DONE! So many of our hopes and
dreams remain unfulfilled. Composer Franz Schubert departed this world
leaving behind his "Unfinished Symphony." Similarly, prolific author
Charles Dickens was unable to fully develop the plot of his novel The
Mystery of Edwin Drood.
We too undoubtedly have
aspirations that we will be unable to fulfill. But what a blessing to know
that the work of our redemption was totally and perfectly accomplished by
Jesus on the cross.
The last words of Jesus, "It is finished," are actually a single
word in the original language (John 19:30). But that word holds oceans of
meaning. What Jesus gasped was "Completed!" or "Ended!" That cry from the
cross announced that not only had His suffering come to an end but also
His redemptive work was eternally accomplished. All that He had come to
achieve in His human life was finished. Done!
We can do nothing to add to His sacrifice. Christ's self-giving death was
all-sufficient. We stretch out the empty hand of faith, and God in grace
puts into it the gift of eternal life.
Have you stretched out your hand of faith to receive this gift? — Vernon
C. Grounds
(Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
"It is finished," Jesus cried,
Then on Calvary's cross He died;
Christ the Lord atonement made,
And sin's debt was fully paid.
—Hess
Christ's sacrifice was what God
desired
and what our sin required.
><>><>><>
HE IS ENOUGH - Sometimes we are
overwhelmed by life. The crushing waves of disappointment, endless debt,
debilitating illness, or trouble with people can cause hopelessness,
depression, or despair. It happened to Jesus’ disciples. And it has
happened to me.
Three statements by the Lord beginning with the words “It is . . .” offer
us comfort, reassurance, and hope that Jesus is enough. The first is in
Matthew 4 and is repeated three times: “It is written” (vv.4,7,10). In
responding to the three temptations of Satan, Jesus gave us proof enough
that the Word of God is true and overcomes the most powerful forms of
temptation and pressure.
The second statement, “It is I” (Matt. 14:27), was spoken when Jesus told
His terrified disciples that He Himself was presence enough to stop the
howling storm and calm the raging seas.
Jesus spoke the third “It is” from the cross: “It is finished!”
(John 19:30). He assured us that His death was provision enough to pay the
debt for our sins and set us free.
Whatever our circumstances, Jesus is present with His love, compassion,
and grace. He is proof, presence, and provision enough to carry us safely
through. — David C. Egner
(Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
When trials overwhelm our souls
And tempt us to despair,
We need to reach out to the Lord
And trust His tender care. —Sper
God’s love does not keep us from trials;
it helps us get through them.
><>><>><>
FINISHED! - Outside Madrid
stands an ancient monastery where the kings of Spain have been buried. The
architect designed an elongated arch so flat that the reigning monarch
insisted it could not hold the structure above it.
Against the architect's protest, the king ordered that a column be placed
underneath the arch as a safety precaution. After the king died, the
architect revealed that he had deliberately made the column a quarter of
an inch too short--and the arch had never sagged!
Nothing need be, or can be, added to the finished work of Christ on
Calvary to sustain the weight of the world's salvation. Our Savior's cry
from the cross, "It is finished!" (Jn. 19:30), is a translation of a
single Greek word which more literally could be rendered as "Ended!"
"Completed!" or "Accomplished!"
That one word tells of the greatest miracle our Lord performed, the work
of redeeming a lost world. Because our redemption was perfectly finished,
it is impossible for us to add even one submicroscopic work of our own to
what was already done on the cross.
With utter assurance, then, we can rest our eternal hope on that one
all-important word, "Finished!" — Vernon C. Grounds
(Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Once for all, O sinner, receive it!
Once for all, O brother, believe it!
Cling to the cross, the burden will fall.
Christ has redeemed us once for all. --Bliss
We are saved not by what we do
but by what Christ has done.
><>><>><>
ADDING TO A MASTERPIECE - Could
you improve on a masterpiece? Imagine that you are walking through the
Louvre museum in Paris. As you approach the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da
Vinci, would you think about taking a palette and brushes and touching up
the painting? Maybe put some more color in her cheeks? Perhaps change her
nose a little?
"That's ridiculous!" you say. For nearly 500 years the Mona Lisa has been
considered one of the greatest artistic works of all time. How absurd to
think we could add anything to this masterpiece!
Yet that's what many people try to do with Christ's masterpiece—salvation.
They think they must improve on it with some work of their own. But that
masterpiece was completed when Jesus said, "It is finished," while hanging
on the cross (John 19:30). Then He proved that His work of redemption was
done when He rose from the dead.
When you hear that Jesus paid the price for your sin and that you don't
have to do anything to merit God's grace, do you think it's too good to be
true? Do you think there's something you must do to earn it?
You can't add anything! Receive God's gift of salvation. Jesus paid it
all. The masterpiece is complete. — Dave Branon
(Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Christ's work for my salvation is
complete!
No work of mine can add to what He's done;
I bow to worship at the Master's feet,
And honor God the Father's only Son. —Hess
Salvation is a gift to be received—not a goal to be achieved.
><>><>><>
Spurgeon commenting on Jn 19:30
said...
There is nothing for God to do. “It is
finished.” There is nothing for you to do. “It is finished.” Christ need
not bleed. “It is finished.” You need not weep. “It is finished.” God the
Holy Spirit need not delay because of your unworthiness, nor need you
delay because of your helplessness. “It is finished.” Every stumbling
block is rolled out of the road; every gate is opened. The bars of brass
are broken, the gates of iron are burst asunder. “It is finished.” Come
and welcome; come and welcome!
The general religion of mankind is
“Do,” but the religion of a true Christian is “Done.” “It is finished,” is
the believer’s conquering word.
What “it” was it that was finished? I
will not attempt to expound it. It is the biggest “it” that ever was.
Turn it over and you will see that it will grow, and grow, and grow, and
grow, till it fills the whole earth: “It is finished.”
><>><>><>
Octavius Winslow devotional...
"When Jesus therefore had received the
vinegar, he said, It is finished; and he bowed his head, and gave up the
spirit." John 19:30
A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put
it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. When Jesus had tasted
it, he said, "It is finished!" Then he bowed his head and gave up his
spirit. John 19:29, 30
Believer in Jesus! remember, all your confidence, all your hope, all your
comfort flows from the finished work of your Savior. See that you
unwittingly add nothing to the perfection of this work. You may be
betrayed into this sin and this folly by looking within yourself, rather
than to the person of Jesus; by attaching an importance too great to
repentance and faith, and your own doings and strivings, rather than
ceasing from your own works altogether, and resting for your peace, and
joy, and hope; simply, entirely, and exclusively in the work of Jesus.
Remember, that whatever we unintentionally add to the finished work of
Christ mars the perfection and obscures the beauty of that work. "If you
lift up your tool upon it, you have polluted it."
We have nothing to do, but in our moral pollution and nakedness to plunge
beneath the fountain, and wrap ourselves within the robe of that Savior's
blood and righteousness, who, when He expired on the tree, so completed
our redemption, as to leave us nothing to do but to believe and be saved.
"It is finished!" Oh words pregnant of the deepest meaning! Oh words rich
in the richest consolation! Salvation is finished! Look away from your
fluctuating frames, and fitful feelings, and changing clouds, to "Jesus
only." Look away from sins and guilt, from emptiness and poverty, to
"Jesus only." "It is finished!" Let devils hear it, and tremble! Let
sinners hear it, and believe! Let saints hear it, and rejoice! All is
finished!
"Then, Lord, I flee to You, just as I am! I have stayed away from You too
long, and am 'yet instead of getting better, I grew worse.' Too
exclusively have I looked at my unworthiness, too absorbed have I been
with my impoverishment, too bitterly have I mourned having nothing to pay.
Upon Your own finished work I now cast myself. Save, Lord, and I shall be
saved!"
Before this stupendous truth, let all creature merit sink, let all human
glory pale, let all man's boasting vanish, and let Jesus be all in all.
Perish, forms and ceremonies; perish, rites and rituals; perish, creeds
and churches; perish, utterly and forever perish, whatever would be a
substitute for the finished work of Jesus, whatever would tend to
neutralize the finished work of Jesus, whatever would obscure with a
cloud, or dim with a vapor; the beauty, the luster, and the glory of the
finished work of Jesus!
It was "Jesus only" in the councils of eternity; it was "Jesus only" in
the everlasting covenant of grace; it was "Jesus only" in the manger of
Bethlehem; it was "Jesus only" in the garden of Gethsemane; it was "Jesus
only" upon the cross of Calvary; it was "Jesus only" in the tomb of
Joseph; it was "Jesus only" who, "when He had by Himself purged our sins,
sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high." And it shall be "Jesus
only"; the joy of our hearts, the object of our glory, the theme of our
song, the Beloved of our adoration, our service, and our praise, through
the endless ages of eternity. Oh, stand fast, in life and in death, by the
finished work of Jesus.
><>><>><>
John Flavel on John 19:30...
Has Christ perfected and completely
finished all His work for us? How sweet a relief is this to against all
the defects and imperfections of all the works which are wrought by us.
There is nothing finished that we do. All our duties are imperfect duties;
they come off lamely and defectively from our hands. O there is much sin
and vanity in the best of our duties. But Jesus Christ has finished all
His work, though we can finish none of ours. And so, even though we are
defective, poor, imperfect creatures in ourselves, yet we are complete in
Christ. His complete obedience being imputed to us, makes us complete, and
without fault before God. (See the full discourse by Flavel on
The Fountain of Life)
AND HE BOWED HIS HEAD AND GAVE
UP HIS SPIRIT: kai klinas (AAPMSN) ten
kephalen paredoken (3SAAI) to pneuma: (Jn 10:11,18 Mt 20:28 27:50 Mk 15:37 Lk 23:46 Php 2:8
Heb 2:14,15
)
Bernard
notes that...
This detail is given only by John,
and suggests that the account depends on the testimony of an
eye-witness. (A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel
according to St. John)
Luke
records the purportedly the very last words of Jesus on the Cross...
And Jesus, crying out with a loud
voice, said, "Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT (paratithemi
[word study] = a banking term = deposit as a trust or for
protection or safe keeping! The = to initiate the action and
participate in the carrying out the action. Reflexive sense = "I
myself commit...") MY SPIRIT." Having said this, He breathed His last.
(Lk 23:46)
S Lewis Johnson...comments
that...
when Jesus said, "Father, into
Thy hands I commit My spirit," this is only a milestone in his
uninterrupted life. It is what someone has called, "The hymn of his
continuation." "Father into Thy hands I commit my spirit." The
activity is primary. The dying is secondary. This, after all, is the
one who will say according to the Book of Revelation to the Apostle
John, "Fear not, I'm the first and the last. I am he that liveth and
was dead." (Rev 1:17-note,
Rev 1:18-note)
That is, at a point in time I was dead, yes, but I am alive
forevermore. So, "Father into Thy hands I commit my spirit." I
expect to live through this experience.
When Jesus began his ministry one
of the first things he said, the first recorded utterance is, "I
must be about my Father's business." (Lk 2:49KJV) Well that is
still primary. No wonder the Cross is the converging point of ancient
history and the origin of modern history. Because it has to do with
the foundation upon which all ultimate spiritual life is built.
May God in his marvelous grace illumine our minds to understand what
Christ has done. (AMEN!)
(The
Messiah Dying)
Bowed His head - Same Greek
words (klinas ten kephalen) in a different context in Mt 8:20 (ten
kephalen klino) and Lk 9:58 (ten kephalen klino). No place
to lay His head in life, but finally a resting place for His head on
the Cross! His word was done.
Vine comments this does not
refer to
the helpless dropping of the head
after death, but the deliberate putting of His head into a position of
rest.
Spurgeon...
It is not that he died, and that
then his head fell forward; but while he yet lived, having before
maintained an erect, noble bearing even in the pangs of death, he now,
to show his perfect resignation to his Father’s will bows his head,
and yields up that saved spirit of his which dwelt within his body.
He said,
It is finished - What
“it” was it that was finished? I will not attempt to expound it. It
is the biggest “it” that ever was. Turn it over and you will see
that it will grow, and grow, and grow, and grow, till it fills the
whole earth: “It is finished.”
And he lowered his head, and gave
up the ghost. - He did not give up the ghost, and then bow his head,
because he was dead; but he bowed his head as though in the act of
worship, or as leaning it down upon his Father’s bosom, and then gave
up the ghost.
Thus have we had two gospel
pictures of our dying Lord. May we remember them, and learn the
lessons they are intended to teach.
Bow (2827)(klino)
means literally to slant, slope, incline, bend. It was used
figuratively of the day "declining" (Lk 9:12, 24:29).
Klino is the root of ekklino
(ek = out + klino = to lean) which literally means to lean out and thus to turn aside
or deviate from the right (righteous) way (as in Ro 3:12-note).
The Greek word for bed is kline which is derived from
klino (to recline). Wavering (in He 10:23-note)
is the Greek aklines derived from "a" (when prefixed to
a word a makes it mean the opposite to what it meant
originally) plus klino “to lean towards”.
In the OT (Septuagint),
klino is often used of a prayer to God to "Incline His ear". It
is used figuratively of inclining one's heart (Ps 119:36, 112 - see below for
Spurgeon's exposition) and for God turning the hearts of kings (Pr
21:1).
Thayer's
Greek-English Lexicon...
1. transitive,
a. “to incline, bow”: of one
dying, John 19:30; of the terrified, Luke 24:5.
b. equivalent to “to cause to
fall back”: i.e. to turn to flight, Hebrews 11:34
c. “to recline”: the head, in a
place for repose (AV “lay one’s head”), Mt 8:20; Lk 9:58.
2. intransitive, “to incline
oneself”: of the declining day (AV “wear away, be far spent”), Lk
9:12; 24:29; Jer 6:4
Klino is
used 7x in 7v -
Mt 8:20 the Son of Man has nowhere
to lay His head.
Luke 9:12 And the day began to decline,
Luke 9:58 the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.
Luke 24:5 the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the
ground,
Luke 24:29 the day is now nearly over."
John 19:30 He bowed His head,
Heb 11:34 put foreign armies to flight
Klino - 45x
in the non-apocryphal
Septuagint (LXX)
- Judg 7:5, 6; 9:3; 19:8; 1 Sam 4:2; 14:32; 2 Sam 19:14; 22:10; 1 Kgs
2:28; 2 Kgs 19:16; 20:10; Ezra 7:28; 9:5, 9; Job 38:37; Ps 17:6; 18:9;
21:11; 31:2; 45:10; 46:6; 49:4; 62:3; 71:2; 75:8; 78:1; 86:1; 88:2;
102:2, 11; 104:5; 116:2; 119:36, 112; 144:5; Prov 21:1; Isa 24:20;
33:23; Jer 6:4; 17:22; 34:14; 35:15; 44:5; 48:12; Zech 14:4.
Here are a few
uses of klino in the Septuagint...
Ps 17:6 I have called upon You, for
You will answer me, O God;
Incline (Imperative.
Heb = natah; Lxx = klino) Your ear to me, hear my speech.
Spurgeon: Incline
thine ear unto me, and hear my speech. Stoop out of heaven and put
thine ear to my mouth; give me thine ear all to myself, as men do when
they lean over to catch every word from their friend. The Psalmist
here comes back to his first prayer, and thus sets us an example of
pressing our suit again and again, until we have a full assurance that
we have succeeded.
Ps 18:9 He bowed (Heb =
natah; Lxx = klino) the heavens also, and came down With thick
darkness under His feet.
NET Bible Note: The Hebrew
verb natah can carry the sense "[cause to] bend, bow down." For
example Ge 49:15 pictures Issachar as a donkey that "bends" its
shoulder or back under a burden. Here the LORD causes the sky,
pictured as a dome or vault, to sink down as He descends in the storm.
Spurgeon: He bowed
the heavens also, and came down. He came in haste, and spurned
everything which impeded His rapidity. The thickest gloom concealed
His splendour, and darkness was under His feet; He fought within the
dense vapours, as a warrior in clouds of smoke and dust, and found out
the hearts of His enemies with the sharp falchion of his vengeance.
Darkness is no impediment to God; its densest gloom He makes His tent
and secret pavilion. See how prayer moves earth and heaven, and raises
storms to overthrow in a moment the foes of God's Israel. Things were
bad for David before he prayed, but they were much worse for his foes
so soon as the petition had gone up to heaven. A trustful heart, by
enlisting the divine aid, turns the tables on its enemies.
If I must have an enemy let him
not be a man of prayer, or he will soon get the better of me by
calling in his God into the quarrel.
Psalm 78:1 A Maskil of Asaph.
Listen, O My people, to My instruction;
Incline
(Imperative. Heb = natah; Lxx = klino) your ears to the words of My
mouth. 2 I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings
of old, (Note: A number of the uses of klino in Lxx of the Psalms
refer to a call for God to incline His ear.
The repetition suggests that
this would be a good prayer for modern saints to utter!
And see especially Ps 119:36 below)
Spurgeon: Incline
your ears to the words of my mouth. Give earnest attention, bow your
stiff necks, lean forward to catch every syllable. We are at this day,
as readers of the sacred records, bound to study them deeply,
exploring their meaning, and laboring to practice their teaching. As
the officer of an army commences his drill by calling for "Attention,"
even so every trained soldier of Christ is called upon to give ear to
His words. Men lend their ears to music, how much more then should
they listen to the harmonies of the gospel; they sit enthralled in the
presence of an orator, how much rather should they yield to the
eloquence of Heaven.
Incline your ears. Lay them close
to my lips, that no parcel of this sacred language fall to the ground
by your default. John Trapp.
Psalm 86:1 A Prayer of David.
Incline
(Imperative. Heb = natah; Lxx = klino) Your ear, O LORD, and answer
me; For I am afflicted and needy.
Spurgeon: Bow down thine
ear, O Lord, hear me. In condescension to my littleness,
and in pity to my weakness, "bow down thine ear, O Lord." When our
prayers are lowly by reason of our humility, or feeble by reason of
our sickness, or without wing by reason of our despondency, the Lord
will bow down to them, the infinitely exalted Jehovah will have
respect unto them. Faith, when she has the loftiest name of God on her
tongue, and calls him Jehovah, yet dares to ask from him the most
tender and condescending acts of love. Great as he is he loves his
children to be bold with him.
For I am poor and needy -- doubly a son of poverty, because, first,
poor and without supply for my needs, and next needy, and so full of
wants, though unable to supply them. Our distress is a forcible reason
for our being heard by the Lord God, merciful, and gracious, for
misery is ever the master argument with mercy. Such reasoning as this
would never be adopted by a proud man, and when we hear it repeated in
the public congregation by those great ones of the earth who count the
peasantry to be little better than the earth they tread upon, it
sounds like a mockery of the Most High. Of all despicable sinners
those are the worst who use the language of spiritual poverty while
they think themselves to be rich and increased in goods.
Psalm 119:36
Incline
(Imperative. Heb = natah; Lxx = klino) my heart to Your testimonies
(Hebrew = "turn my heart to your rules.") And not to dishonest gain.
Spurgeon: Incline my
heart unto thy testimonies. Does not this prayer appear to be
superfluous, since it is evident that the Psalmist's heart was set
upon obedience? We are sure that there is never a word to spare in
Scripture. After asking for active virtue it was meet that the man of
God should beg that his heart might be in all that he did. What would
his goings be if his heart did not go? It may be that David felt a
wandering desire, an inordinate leaning of his soul to worldly gain (Ed:
Can we not identify dear
reader? And do we not oft times need to utter this prayer?),
-- possibly it even intruded into his most devout meditations, and at
once he cried out for more grace.
The only way to cure a wrong
leaning
is to have the soul bent in the opposite direction.
Holiness of heart is the cure for
covetousness. What a blessing it is that we may ask the Lord even for
an inclination. Our wills are free, and yet without violating their
liberty, grace can incline us in the right direction. This can
be done by enlightening the understanding as to the excellence of
obedience, by strengthening our habits of virtue, by giving us an
experience of the sweetness of piety, and by many other ways.
If any one duty is irksome to us it
behooves us to offer this prayer with special reference thereto: we
are to love all the Lord's testimonies, and if we fail in any one
point we must pay double attention to it.
The learning of the heart
is the way in which the life will lean:
hence the force of the petition,
"Incline my heart." Happy shall we be when we feel habitually inclined
to all that is good. This is not the way in which a carnal heart ever
leans; all its inclinations are in opposition to the divine
testimonies.
And not to covetousness. This is the inclination of nature, and
grace must put a negative upon it. This vice is as injurious as it is
common; it is as mean as it is miserable. It is idolatry, and so it
dethrones God; it is selfishness, and so it is cruel to all in its
power; it is sordid greed, and so it would sell the Lord himself for
pieces of silver. It is a degrading, grovelling, hardening, deadening
sin, which withers everything around it that is lovely and Christlike.
He who is covetous is of the race of Judas, and will in all
probability turn out to be himself a son of perdition. The crime of
covetousness is common, but very few will confess it; for when a man
heaps up gold in his heart, the dust of it blows into his eyes, and he
cannot see his own fault. Our hearts must have some object of desire,
and the only way to keep out worldly gain is to put in its place the
testimonies of the Lord. If we are inclined or bent one way, we shall
be turned from the other: the negative virtue is most surely attained
by making sure of the positive grace which inevitably produces it.
Psalm 119:112 I have inclined
my heart to perform Your statutes Forever, even to the end. Samekh.
Spurgeon: I have
inclined mine heart to perform Thy statutes alway, even unto the end.
He was not half inclined to virtue, but heartily inclined to it. His
whole heart was bent on practical, persevering godliness. He was
resolved to keep the statutes of the Lord with all his heart,
throughout all his time, without erring or ending. He made it his end
to keep the law unto the end, and that without end. He had by prayer,
and meditation, and resolution made his whole being lean towards God's
commands; or as we should say in other words -- the grace of God had
inclined him to incline his heart in a sanctified direction. Many are
inclined to preach, but the Psalmist was inclined to practise; many
are inclined to perform ceremonies, but he was inclined to perform
statutes; many are inclined to obey occasionally, but David would obey
alway; and, alas, many are inclined for temporary religion, but this
godly man was bound for eternity, he would perform the statutes of his
Lord and King even unto the end. Lord, send us such a heavenly
inclination of heart as this: then shall we show chat thou hast
quickened and taught us. To this end create in us a clean heart, and
daily renew a right spirit within us, for only so shall we incline in
the right direction.
Pr 21:1 The king's heart is like
channels of water in the hand (speaks of power) of the LORD; He
turns (Heb = natah; Lxx = klino) it wherever He wishes.
NET Bible Note: The farmer
channels irrigation ditches where he wants them, where they will do
the most good; so does the LORD with the king. No king is supreme; the
LORD rules.
Bowed His
head and gave up His Spirit - When? When the work the
Father had given Him to accomplish had been accomplished. His life was
not taken from Him, but He made a volitional choice to give it up,
just as He had predicted (notice the repetition) earlier declaring...
I am the good shepherd, and I know
My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the
Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other
sheep (Gentiles), which are not of this fold; I must bring them also,
and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one
shepherd (Allusion to the birth of the church in Acts 2, Ep 2:14, 15,
16). For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My
life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it
away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I
have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it
up again. This commandment I received from My Father. (Jn 10:14,
15, 16, 17, 18)
Gave up His spirit - The
synoptic gospels say...
And Jesus cried out again with a
loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. (Mt 27:50)
And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and
breathed His last. (Mk 15:37)
And Jesus, crying out with a loud
voice, said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” Having
said this, He breathed His last. (Lk 23:46)
Warren Wiersbe emphasizes
the point that...
His death was voluntary: He
willingly dismissed His spirit (John 19:30; and Jn 10:17, 18). He
"gave Himself" (Gal 2:20). He offered Himself as a ransom (Mk 10:45),
as a sacrifice to God (Ep 5:2), and as a propitiation for sin (1Jn
2:2). In Lk 9:31, His death is called a "decease," which in the Greek
is "exodus," suggesting the Passover lamb and the deliverance from
bondage. It will take eternity to reveal all that happened when
Jesus Christ died on the cross.
(Wiersbe,
W: Bible Exposition Commentary. 1989. Victor
or
Logos)
Henry Morris
has an interesting comment on "bowed his head" observing that
The first of the eighty times Jesus
called Himself "the Son of man" was when He said,
The Son of man has no where to
lay (klino) his head (Mt 8:20).
In the Old Testament (but see also
Lk 24:5), the term "bow the head" is equivalent to "worship,"
that is, to "bow down to the will of God" (see Ge 22:5). During His
earthly ministry, we never read of Jesus worshipping God, though He
taught others to do so. He had nowhere to "bow[ed] his head," to
"worship." He had come to do the will of God and to finish His work
and that was still unfinished until He went to the cross. But now the
work was accomplished; He had perfectly finished the will of God so at
last He could "bow(ed) his head;" He finally had a place to worship
the Father.
(Morris,
Henry: Defenders Study Bible. World Publishing)
William MacDonald...
That He gave up His spirit
emphasizes the fact that His death was voluntary. He determined the
time of His death. In full control of His faculties, He dismissed His
spirit—an act no mere man could accomplish.
Gave up (Delivered,
committed, entrusted, handed over)
(3860)(paradidomi
from para = alongside,
beside, to the side of, over to + didomi = to give) conveys
the basic meaning of to give over from one's hand to someone or
something, especially to give over to the power of another.
Constable notes that
normally
victims of crucifixion
experienced
the gradual ebbing away of life, and then their heads would slump
forward. All the evangelists presented Jesus as laying down His life
of His own accord. (John)
Paul uses paradidomi in
describing Jesus' sacrificial death in his place...
Galatians 2:20 (note)
"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live,
but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I
live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered (paradidomi
in the
active
voice
= His choice) Himself up (into the power of the Romans) for me. (Compare
Ro 4:25-note,
Ro 8:32-note,
Eph 5:2-note,
Ep 5:25-note)
William
Harris has a somewhat unusual interpretation commenting that
Gave up His spirit...
suggests also the giving of the
Holy Spirit [cf. Jn 7:39], although it
does not take place at
this very moment. The reference is proleptic, looking ahead to Jn
20:22, which in turn looks ahead to Pentecost. (Exegetical
Commentary on John 19) (For a more expanded explanation of
this view see R A Culpepper's note below)
Ray Stedman...
Then, as John records, "He
dismissed his spirit." Jesus once said that it was not required that
he die. "I have power to lay down my life and I have power to take it
again" {John 10:18 RSV}, he declared. Paul tells us he "became
obedient unto death," {Phil 2:8}. That could never be said
of any of us as we have no choice in the matter. When our time
comes we have to die. But Jesus did not. He became obedient unto death
and surrendered his spirit, "dismissed it," and fell into death. (He
Endured the Cross)
A W Pink...
And he bowed his head, and gave
up the spirit The order of these two actions strikingly evidences
the Savior’s uniqueness: with us the spirit departs, and then the head
is bowed; with Him it was the opposite! So, too, each of these actions
manifested His Deity. First, He "bowed his head"; the plain intimation
is that, up to this point, His head had been held erect. It was no
impotent sufferer who hung there in a swoon. Had that been the case,
His head had lolled helplessly on His chest, and He would have had no
occasion to "bow" it. Weigh well the verb here: it is not that His
head "fell forward," but He consciously, calmly, reverently, bowed His
head. How sublime was His carriage even on the "tree!" What superb
composure did He evidence! Was it not His majestic bearing on the
cross that, among other things, caused the centurion to cry,
"Truly this was the Son of God"
(Matthew 27:54)!
And gave up (delivered up) the
spirit - None else ever did this or died thus. How remarkably do
these words exemplify His own declaration in Jn 10:17, 18:
I lay down my life, that I might
take it again. No man takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I
have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again!
The uniqueness of Christ’s action
here may also be seen by comparing His words with those of Stephen’s.
As the first Christian martyr was dying, he prayed,
Lord Jesus receive my spirit (Acts
7:59).
In sharp contrast from Stephen,
Christ "gave up the spirit"; Stephen’s was taken from him, not so the
Savior’s. (John
19:25-42 Christ Laying Down His Life)
R A Culpepper
(in Faith and Mission, Spring, 1988 -
The Death Of Jesus: An Exegesis
of Jn 19:28-37 [$
but this gives access to 1000's of conservative journal articles
online]) explains John's
words "gave up His spirit" this way...
After Jesus had tasted the vinegar,
he said, "It is finished." Then he "gave up his spirit" (Jn
19:30). This may well be a simple statement regarding how Jesus died,
but some interpreters see in the reference to "handing over" the
spirit the suggestion that Jesus' death was essential for the
fulfillment of his promise to send the Holy Spirit to his followers.
That is more than John 19:30 affirms, but the Gospel of John often
implies more than it says.
Remember that in the passage in John 7, the evangelist explained that
"the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus was not yet
glorified" (Jn 7:39). Only through his death could Jesus bring the
final revelation of the Father and thereby redeem his own for full
fellowship with God through the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit had descended on Jesus at his baptism, fulfilling the
promise to John the Baptist: "The man on whom you see the Spirit come
down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit" (Jn
1:33NIV). Others, like Nicodemus, would be able to enter the kingdom
of God only if they too were born of "water and the Spirit" (Jn 3:3),
for "the Spirit gives birth to spirit" (Jn 3:6). "'God gives the
Spirit without limit" (Jn 3:34), and as with the wind "you cannot tell
where it comes from or where it is going" (Jn 3:8). Who would guess
that the Spirit would lead Jesus to the cross? Nevertheless, because
God is Spirit, God seeks true worshipers who will "worship in spirit
and truth" (Jn 4:23, 24).
Jesus' words are "spirit and life" (Jn 6:63), and the Spirit gives
life. But the Spirit could only be given when Jesus had been glorified
(Jn 7:39). Those who denied that Jesus' death had any saving
significance failed to see that his death was a vital part of his
revelatory and redemptive mission. The ultimate irony of the gospel is
that the giving of life came only through the apparent triumph of
death.
Jesus' death released the power of the Spirit in a new way. The world
would neither see him nor know him, but the Spirit lives in Jesus'
disciples (14:17). The Holy Spirit is experienced as a Comforter or a
Counselor who teaches us and reminds us of all that Jesus said (Jn
14:26). The Spirit testifies about Jesus (15:26) and guides us into
all truth (Jn 16:13). God communicates with us by means of the Spirit,
for he speaks "only what he hears" (Jn 16:13, 15).
When the risen Lord appeared to the disciples, his first act was to
comfort them with the words "Peace be with you"; consecrate them by
the giving of the Holy Spirit; and commission them: "So send I you"
(Jn 20:21, 22). The conferring of the Spirit--one might even say the
"Johannine Pentecost"--is reminiscent of the creation of man and
woman.
"Then the Lord God formed man of
dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of
life; and he became a living being" (Ge. 2:7).
"And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them,
receive the Holy Spirit" (Jn 20:22).
God had formed a new creature with
life "from above," eternal life. The mission of the Logos was
complete. Through His death on the Cross Jesus had been glorified. He
had revealed the suffering Father, the Giver of all life. The Logos
had effected a new creation (Ed: Do not misunderstand -
He is not speaking of Jesus but of men who partake of the New Covenant
and become "new creations" in Christ - see 2Co 5:17-note
Jesus was not a created being as taught by some cults - see Col 1:15-Discussion).
The last breath, whispering behind the Word, blowing where God willed,
marked a new beginning. And even greater things lay ahead. The
response to such a gift can only be renewed commitment:
Breath on me,
Breath of God,
Fill me with life anew,
That I may love what Thou dost love,
And do what Thou wouldst do.
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