Day 1210: It is finished - John 19 vs 23 - 30

23-24 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfil the Scripture which says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” So the soldiers did these things.

25-27 But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

28-29 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfil the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished”, and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. John 19:23-30 English Standard Version.

The Holy Spirit led John to apply words spoken by David to what happened at Calvary. Psalm 22:18 says “they divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” The tunic (Greek: Chiton) was a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin. The implication is that Jesus was naked as He hung upon the cross. It added to His humiliation. When Adam and Eve first sinned, their eyes were opened to their nakedness. How well the old hymn puts this and says: “Bearing shame and scoffing rude, in my place condemned He stood. Guilty, helpless, lost were we; blameless Lamb of God was He.” Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

Psalm 22 tells of many other things that took place at Calvary. Verse 1 gives the words that Jesus cried out, saying “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Verses 8-9 record that “All who see me mock me. They make mouths at me. They wag their heads - 'He trusts in the Lord, let Him deliver him, let Him rescue him, for he delights in Him!” And though not quoted in the New Testament as fulfilled prophecy, Psalm 22:9-10 touch on what happened next. It says: “Yet you are He who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother's breasts. On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother's womb you have been my God.” So vs 25-27 tell of the touching moment when Jesus saw His mother Mary near the cross, and tenderly put her into the care of the disciple whom He loved – i.e. John.

Two things struck me. Firstly, Jesus refers to her as 'Woman', rather than mother. That may seem a small thing, but it suggests that the Lord never intended for people to worship Mary as 'mother of God'. She was indeed highly favoured - but still only a woman. Secondly, the disciple John had a home to take her to! Being a Christian didn't mean giving everything away. Rather, we are to use our homes and possessions in serving the Lord. And John gladly did this.

John then refers to a fulfilled scripture that wasn't as obvious as those from Psalm 22. Once again, however, it shows something of the reality of Jesus’ sufferings on the cross. He said “I thirst.” He who had once said “whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst”, was now thirsting. Psalm 22:15 had said “My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.” But John quotes something that comes from Psalm 69:21 where it says: “They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.” And he puts this statement when Jesus knew the end had come. The GotQuestions website suggests that Jesus “wanted His lips and throat moistened to utter one final victorious shout before He died.”

And that final cry of victory was “it is finished”. And then He bowed His head, and gave up His spirit. And what was really finished was His perfect, once for ever, sacrifice of atonement. His thirst had been physical, but the water Jesus has to give to those who believe on Him will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life. Hallelujah! What a Saviour.