JESUS' LAST WORDS

6^th WORD FROM THE CROSS

‘It is finished’   -   John 19:30

·          Last words of people usually mean a lot – it usually reveals that person’s deepest values & beliefs (or) something which is close to their heart.    

It is believed that Mother Teresa, kept saying:  “Jesus, I love you – Jesus, I love you”, as she breathed her last.

In my younger days, I used to think that this was when Jesus succumbed to His death – after the immense torture He went through.

-  The movie PASSION OF CHRIST .. and our understanding of Jesus’ struggles suggests that this is an end to Jesus’ suffering … In one way, YES!  But the meaning is much broader.

It doesn’t mean: I AM FINISHED!  This was not a cry of defeat, but one of victory / not a victim, but one of a VICTOR!

The MESSAGE Bible puts it nicely as:  IT’S DONE .. [IT’S] COMPLETE

WHAT IS FINISHED?

We can only say it’s finished, when we set out to do something.

Jesus’ last words take us back to His first few words, when He was just 12 years old.

What Jesus said and did is not recorded for us in the Holy Scriptures, up until this time.

Luke 2:48, 49      Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. ⁴² When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom.  

⁴³ After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 

 ⁴⁴ Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day ..

48  When they saw Him, they were astonished; and His mother said to Him, "Son, why have You treated us this way? Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You."

49  And He said to them, "Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father's house?"

At that age, He knew what His business was … It's believed that being in Father's house, meant He was about His business.  

A little further on in John 4:34,35 - 34 "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35 Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest."

Half way through, He had kept His focus, as He claims in John 9:4 (KJV) - ^“I must do the works of him that sent me…”

God’s work of salvation which He initiated at the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden – Jesus came to do that – and that work was now finished, at the Cross.

-          Salvation is what God initiates & it’s not a RELIGION or about any religious ritual.

-          We don’t need to do anything to earn our salvation, to be reconciled back with God.

In the Temple, there was a place called the ‘Holy of Holies’ and there was this curtain which prevented people from entering the presence of God – becoz of sin.

Once a year, the High Priest was permitted by Jewish law to enter this place to make the sacrifice on behalf of people’s sins. (cf. Heb.9:7)

This was known as the ‘Day of Atonement’ - ghtg; ghpfhu ehs; (Lev. 23:27)

Matt.27:51 – After Jesus had spoken the Sixth Word The veil of the temple was torn in 2 – no ref. in Scriptures to the thickness of that curtain; but Josephus (a church historian / Jewish scholar) describes it being 4 inches thick .. and horses tied to either end could not pull it apart.

Now, this curtain was no longer necessary.  Jesus Christ would now be our only mediator between God and His people. Now, it’s thrown open for all to enter.

Hebrews 4:14-16 [KJV] (*14,16)   

¹⁴ Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

¹⁵ For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

-         And having accomplished His Mission, Jesus was now ready to go home!  

J

      Jesus knew exactly what it was to be in His Father's business.

      Some of us need an assurance of what we are called to do!

      Only when we know, we can go all-out for it. 

      And for those of us who know our call and vocation, let's be faithful, rather than trying to do something else or doing some other job, for which we are not called.