Lessons from John 19: Christ’s Completed Work on the Cross
III. Christ’s Completed Work on the Cross~~~John 19:28-30
Matthew 27:45 tells us that, “From the 6th hour (which was about noon) until the 9th-hour darkness came over all the land. A darkness in the middle of the day that silenced the friends, family and even the enemies of Jesus for about three hours. And though we don’t know how this darkness occurred, it is clear that God caused it.
Then we are told in Matthew 27:46 that at, “About the 9th hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “My God, My God, why have thou forsaken me?” Jesus was not questioning God! Rather He cried out to God, His Father, in a deep expression of anguish as He took on the sins of the world, which caused Him to be separated from the Father. This was what Jesus dreaded as He prayed in the garden to take the cup from Him (Matthew 26:39).
You see, as great as Jesus physical agony was, His greatest hour of suffering and anguish came when He who had existed with His Father from eternity past, now became separated due to the cause of sin. Psalm 22 tells us that God is holy and because of His holiness, He cannot look upon sin. That is why Jesus Christ, God’s own Son became the perfect sin offering.
For He who knew no sin, bore our sin and the sins of the world that those who will place their faith in Jesus Christ, the way, the truth, and the life, might gain access to God, His Father, and their holy heaven. And so not only did Jesus die a physical death, He suffered a spiritual death or time of separation from His Father so that we would who believe would never have to experience eternal separation from God.
Well, Matthew 27:47 tells us that the bystanders misinterpreted Jesus words and thought that He was calling for Elijah. Because Elijah had ascended into heaven without dying (2 Kings 2:11) and therefore they thought he would return again to rescue them from great trouble (Malachi 4:5). In fact, at their annual Passover Feast, each family set an extra place for Elijah in expectation of his return.
Now, Matthew 27:48 says that “Immediately one of the bystanders ran to get a sponge and he filled it with wine vinegar, and put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. As others said, “Now leave Him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save Him.”
Jesus knowing that all His work was completed said in John 19:28, “I am thirsty” so that Scripture would be fulfilled, the soldiers gave Jesus wine vinegar to drink. And then in Mark 15:37 we are told that “with a loud cry, Jesus shouted for all to hear, “It is finished” and John tells us that at that moment Jesus bowed His head and gave up His Spirit (John 19:30).
Matthew 27:51: At that moment several supernatural events occurred…the curtain of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom…symbolizing that the barrier between God and humanity was removed and that now all people are free to approach God because of Christ’s sacrifice for our sins.
The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. In Matthew 27: 53 we are told that those that had been dead came out of their tombs, and after Jesus resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared too many people.
And not only that but we are told in Matthew 27:54 that, “When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely He was the Son of God!”
Jesus death, therefore, could not have gone unnoticed. Everyone knew something significant had happened.
And though Jesus could have saved Himself, He endured this suffering because of His love for us. He could have chosen not to take the pain and the humiliation; He could have killed those who mocked Him—but He suffered through it all because He loved even His enemies.
We must remember that though we have been saved by His grace we too had a significant part in the events of that day because our sins were on the cross too.
Principle: The death of Jesus was a triumph, not a tragedy.
Jesus died on that cross for us and the penalty for our sins was paid by His death.
And the only adequate response we can make is to confess our sins and freely accept the fact that Jesus paid for it so that we wouldn’t have to. We would do well not to insult God with indifference toward the greatest act of genuine love in history.
Let me ask you how will you thank the Lord Jesus for completing His work in saving you?
To use the words of Paul in Romans 12:1 I say to you, “therefore, sisters I urge you in view of God’s mercy (not giving us what we do deserve), to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.”
For those of you who have received Jesus as your Lord and Savior you have been given new life in Christ and we are not to live as we once did, but rather we are to be renewed in mind body and spirit and we are called to live a holy life…just as Jesus lived and then as we become conformed into His image and we are commissioned to go tell others about His saving grace.
This is our spiritual act of worship! Who will you go and tell about Jesus and His sacrificial death on the cross! You never know when you too might lead someone whom you consider an enemy to the Lord and see them saved from eternal destruction!
Won’t you join John and the others who lived to tell the story of Jesus and His life!
You might be surprised at who you find sitting at the feet of Jesus because you were not afraid or ashamed to share the gospel of good news!
That’s what we are here for, to be conformed into His image and then to lead others as we are on our own path!
Terri Hamman
Faith & Fitness Coach