1.0 The Statement

Jesus’ Sixth Statement on the Cross: “It is Finished” (John 19:30) – John 19:30 “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said. It is finished: and He bowed His head and gave up the spirit.” – Most Christians have lost the understanding of the price that our Lord Jesus Christ paid for our sin, on the Cross. In the days of Christ, crucifixion meant shame, torture, and slow and agonizing death. Our Lord Jesus was “obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross.” (Philippians 2:8). The Sixth Statement of Jesus made on the Cross was: “It is Finished” (John 19:30). When we compared the Gospel Records, we discovered that Jesus shouted this Statement. With a loud voice He cried, “It is Finished Then He bowed His head, and He gave up His spirit.” (John 19:30).

Our Lord Jesus was able, at the end of His Ministry, to shout in Great Victory: “It is Finished.” (John 19:30); because of His (Christ’s) Sacrificial Redemptive Work on the Cross, we have the assurance of Eternal Salvation.

A. The Servant

“It is Finished” (John 19:30), “Telelestai,” is a familiar Greek Word used in the time of Christ. In that culture, when the Servant or Slave finished his work, he would come back and say to the Master: “Telelestai – I have finished the work that you gave me to do.” Jesus Christ, who is God’s Servant, has accomplished the Work of Salvation on the Cross and cried out: “It is Finished” (Gk: “telelestai” – John 19:30).

• Philippians 2:6-8 “Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond Servant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a Man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”
• Hebrews 5:8 “Though He was the Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.

The Lord Jesus Christ came with a Special Mission on behalf of His Father – John 17:4 “I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do.” – “It is Finished” (John 19:30).

B. The Priest

“It is Finished” (John 19:30). The Priest also used this Statement: “It is Finished.” (John 19:30). The Jewish people had to bring their sacrifices to the Priest to be examined because it was against the Law to offer imperfect sacrifice at God’s Altar. After the Priest had examined the sacrifice, he would declare: “It is Perfect.” The use of the Hebrew or the Aramaic word would be equivalent to “telelstai

Our Lord Jesus Christ, dying on the Cross, was God’s Perfect, faultless Sacrifice – “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29, 36), as attested by His Father – “This is My Beloved Son, in whom I and well-pleased” (Matthew 3:17). God the Father put His Seal of Approval upon the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Son (Matthew 3:17). The Holy Spirit came down as a Dove and rested on Jesus (Matthew 3:16-17). Thus, the Priest used the word “telelestai” to declare that the “sacrifice was perfect.” Jesus Christ dying on the Cross was God’s Perfect, Faultless Sacrifice – The Lamb of God,” as declared; (John 1:29, 36).

C. Artist

“It is Finished” (John 19:30) – (1) The Servant when the task is completed would declared to his Master: “Telelestai” (“It is Finished”); (2) The Priest, after examine the sacrifice, would declared: “Telelestai” (It is Finished); (3) The Artist, when he has completed his work, would declare: “Telelestai” – “It is Finished” of his (Artist’s) Master-Piece.

D. Merchant

It is Finished” (John 19:30). The term “It is Finished” (GK: “telelestai”) was also a common term used by the Merchant. To the Merchant, it means that “the debt has been paid in full,” (GK: “telelestai”).

E. Christ

“It is Finished” (John 19:30) – Christ, God’s Faithful Servant, came to do the Father’s Will – John 4:34 “Jesus said, ‘My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work.” (Also, Philippians 2:6-8; Hebrews 5:8) – Christ Priestly Prayer – John 17:4 “I have glorified Thee on the earth: I Have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do.” – Christ completed His Father’s Work and declared on the Cross, with the declaration: “It is Finished (Telelestai).” (John 19:30).

1.1 Prophecies Fulfilled

When Jesus cried out “It is Finished” (John 19:30), He (Christ) brought about the completion and fulfilment of ALL the O.T. Prophecies, symbols, and foreshadowing about Himself. From Genesis to Malachi, there are about 300 detailed Prophecies His (Christ’s) First Coming and the Atoning Work of Redemption:

• The Seed of the Woman – Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed (Christ); and He (Christ) shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heed (the crucifixion).” Also, Isaiah7:14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His Name Immanuel.” 
•  Tabernacle & Offerings – All the Structures in the Tabernacle, the Priesthood, the Five-Offerings, the Furnishing – all foreshadowed Christ and His Works on Earth – Colossians 2:14 “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross.”
• The Veil (Christ’s Body) – When Christ completed the Sacrificial Redemptive Work on the Cross and declared: “It is Finished” (John 19:30, the Veil (Christ’s Body), in the Temple was torn in two – Matthew 27:51a “Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” – Opening the direct access of God to us (Hebrews 10:19-20).
• The Law – The Righteousness of the Law was fulfilled through the Finished Work of the Lord Jesus Christ – Romans 10:4 “Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”
• God’s Wrath Appeased – God the Father uphold His own Holiness and yet fulfilled His own demands when Jesus died on the Cross, on our behalf – “It is Finished” (John 19:30). Thus, there is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).
• The Types and Prophecies in the Law were fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ’s Sacrificial Redemptive Work on the Cross – “It is Finished” (John 19:30), as in Hebrews 9:26-28; 10:4, 12 “Once in the end of the world (age) hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself! And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many….It is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sin….But this Man (Jesus), after He had offered one Sacrifice for sin forever, sat down on the right hand of God.”

The Work of Salvation is completed – “It is Finished,” (John 19:30); Our Lord Jesus was buried, and He arose from the dead. He ascended to Heaven and sat down on God the Father’s Right-hand (Acts 2:22-36). Thus, Salvation established in Christ’s Death, Burial and Resurrection (1Corinthians 15:1-4), is completed; therefore, nothing should be added or taken away or substituted for the Salvation. Salvation is the Finished Work of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 19:30). – Jesus cried: “It is Finished” (Gk: “telelestai” – John 19:30)!

1.0 The Statement

Jesus’ Fifth Statement on the Cross: “I Thirst.” (John 19:28). “After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to His mouth, when Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is Finished: and He bowed His head, and gave up the spirit.” (John 19:28-30). The first Three Statements of Jesus, on the Cross were centred on Others:

• First Statement to His (Christ’s) Enemies – “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” (Luke 23:33-34).
• Second Statement to the Repentant Thief – “Today, you shall be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:42-43).
• Third Statement to Mary, the mother of Jesus and to John, His (Christ’s) Disciple – “When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the Disciples standing by, whom He loved, He saith unto His mother, “Woman, behold thy Son! Then saith He to the Disciple, Behold your mother! And from that hour that Disciples took her unto his own home.” (John 19:26-27).

1. Jesus’ Fourth Statement, “My God, My God, why has You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46; Psalm 22:1), was made when the transaction between His Father and Himself (Jesus) took place, in the 3 hours of “deep-darkness that covered the whole earth,” from 12pm (Noon) to 3pm (Matthew 27:45; Amos 8:9) – God the Father laid “the Sin of the Whole Human-Race,” upon His Son (Jesus), and He (the Father) has to turn His Face from our Lord Jesus, and there was a temporarily broken relationship between the Father and the Son, because the Sin of the Whole Human Race was laid upon Jesus –2Corinthians 5:21 “For He (Father) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (Jesus).”

2. Last Three Statements – But Jesus’ last three Statements focused on Himself – First, His body – “I thirst” (John 19:28); Second, His Soul: “It is Finished” (John 19:30; Isaiah 53:10); Third, His Spirit – “Father into Thy hands I commend My spirit.” (Luke 23:46). Christ’s Body, Soul and Spirit – all were offered by our Lord Jesus Christ in Perfect Obedience to His Father (Hebrews 5:8; Philippians 2:6-8).

1.1 Fifth Statement

Jesus’ Fifth Statement on the Cross, is the shortest “I thirst” (John 19:28b, 29) – This was in fulfilment of the Prophecy in Psalm 69:21b:

• Psalm 69:21b “In my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
• John 19:28b-29 “I thirst! Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His (Jesus’s) mouth.”

In the Greek N.T. it is one word of four letters. It is the only Statement in which Jesus referred to His physical need – “I thirst,” – which is part of His physical suffering. Crucifixion is an agonising form of death; as Jesus hung on the Cross, all His physical fluid was drained right out of Him, through His wounds.

Psalm 69 speaks about this when it describes His (Christ’s) Suffering: “Reproach hath broken My heart; I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none” (Psalm 69:20). “My throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for My God” (Psalm 69:3). Psalm 69 sketches the portrait of our Suffering Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.  This simple Statement “I thirst” (John 19:28), reveals to us the heart of the Lord Jesus, and see His love in deeper way, due to His mental, physical, and spiritual sufferings showing forth the three Portraits of Christ:

1. The Obedience Son of God. Jesus submitted Himself, completely to His Father’s Will – Hebrew 5:8 “Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.” (Philippians 2:6-8).
2. The Suffering Son of Man – His physical torture, under the Romans; His rejection by the Nation of Israel; His torments under the Roman Soldiers, the Jewish Religious Leaders, and the People (Luke 23:35-39; Psalm 22:7-8); abandonment by His Father (Matthew 27:46; Psalm 22:1). When Jesus was on the Cross, He was offered the same narcotic (anaesthesia) that the two thieves were offered. Jesus refused to drink the wine that was mingled with myrrh because He did not want His senses to be stupefied; thus, He experienced the full-level-of-pains – Matthew 27:34 “They gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He has tasted it, He would not drink.” (Mark 15:23).   
3. The Loving Saviour of Sinners (Luke 23:42-43; 2Corinthians 5:21). When Jesus completed that Great Transaction for our Salvation, in the three hours of “Deep-Darkness,” when He cried out: “My God, My God, why has You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46; Psalm 22:1). There were several Cups of Calvary:
   • Cup of Charity – they offered Him wine mingled with myrrh, an opiate to deaden His (Christ’s) pain, but He rejected it (Matthew 27:34; Mark 15:23).
   • The Cup of Mockery – the Soldiers offered Him sour wine, in mockery – Luke 23:36-37 “The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, and saying, ‘If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.”
   • Cup of Sympathy – somebody put some vinegar on a sponge and lifted it to His (Christ’s) dry lips (John 19:29).
   • Cup of Iniquity (Sin), on our behalf – Jesus said in the Garden, “The Cup which My Father hath given Me, shall I not drink of it?” (John 18:11b).
4. Jesus is the “Living-Water,” of God, when we received Him as our Lord and Saviour, our spiritual thirst is fully quenched – John 7:37b-39 “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me (Jesus) and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow Rivers of Living Water. But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”