Three Things

John 19:^28&30 “Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.” …When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (emphasis added).

Three things stand out from this scripture. Number one is Jesus said, “It is finished!”. Jesus did not say I am finished. In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, everyone that says you are finished will be in for a shocker because you are just about to begin. Amen! Jesus Christ finished so that you can finish. Jesus did not say I am finished, He said it is finished. When Jesus said it is finished, Pilate could say, that troublesome man that almost put me in trouble with my bosses is finished. When the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the religious leaders heard Jesus say it is finished, they must have thought that their competition was finished.

When satan heard Jesus say it is finished, satan thought he had won. Even when the disciples heard Jesus say it is finished, they thought that was the end of the mission, mission aborted. But the mistake they made was that they thought Jesus said I am finished. But Jesus did not say I am finished, Jesus said it is finished. So, on the third day when Jesus rose from the dead, everyone was shocked. Pilate was shocked. The religious leaders were shocked, so they fabricated a lie. And satan was confused and devastated. Even the disciples were shocked, they did not believe it. But Jesus did not say I am finished. He said it is finished. So, the first thing that jumps out at us is that Jesus did not say I am finished.

He said it is finished. You are not finished, you are just about to get started, in the Name of Jesus. John 19:³⁰ “When Jesus had taken it, he cried, “It is finished!…” (Phillip, emphasis added). The second thing that jumps at us from that scripture, is Jesus cried meaning Jesus shouted, it is finished. It is a shout of victory, not a whimper of defeat. Jesus did not say, ‘Oh, it is finished’. No, He shouted, ‘Victory! Done! Finished!’ Imagine have you ever finished something that took a toll on you? When you were done, maybe you finished building your house, when you say it is finished, is it a shout of confusion or a shout of defeat? No. It is a shout of victory. I am done with my assignment.

The third thing that jumped out at us was that Jesus died voluntarily. Jesus is not a martyr. Jesus is the Saviour. What is the difference? A martyr dies for what he or she believes. However, the Bible says Jesus bowed His head and give up His spirit. He said no one takes My life, I lay it down and I am able to pick it back up. Jesus was not martyred; He technically was not killed.

Prayer: Father, in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, just as my Lord Jesus finished, I too will finish all that You have led me to start, in Jesus Mighty Name. Amen!