It is Finished

So he then delivered Him over to them to be crucified. They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. There they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between. 

And Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It was written, “JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” Therefore many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and in Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews;’ but that He said, ‘I am King of the Jews.’” Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.” Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, a part to each soldier and also His tunic; now that tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be;” this was in order that the Scripture would be fulfilled: “They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.”

Therefore the soldiers did these things. 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 then 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!” From that hour the disciple took her into his home.

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been finished, in order to finish the Scripture, said, “I am thirsty.” A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth.

Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Then the Jews, because it was the day of Preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him; but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.

And he who has seen has borne witness, and his witness is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. For these things came to pass in order that the Scripture would be fulfilled, “Not a bone of Him shall be broken.” And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”

John 19:16-37, Legacy Standard Bible

Christ's Willingness to Die and Experience Disgrace

Behold, my servant shall act wisely;
he shall be high and lifted up,
and shall be exalted.
As many were astonished at you—
his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,
and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—
so shall he sprinkle many nations.
Kings shall shut their mouths because of him,
for that which has not been told them they see,
and that which they have not heard they understand.

Who has believed what he has heard from us?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
and as for his generation, who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people?
And they made his grave with the wicked
and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.

Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.

(Isaiah 52:13-53:12)

Sometimes called the “fifth Gospel” (cf. Psalm 22), this fourth “Servant Song” beautifully and movingly portrays a remnant vicariously suffering on behalf of others. Yet this remnant is narrowed down to one (see also notes on Isa. 42:1–17). He is an individual who is exalted through humiliation: his glory comes not through attractive physical appearance (52:14; 53:2–3), but by his willingness to experience the disgrace and judgment due to others (53:4–12). It was not for his sin, but for “our transgressions . . . our iniquities” that he suffered. He has “brought us peace” and by his pain “we are healed” (53:5). In a unique way, this coming servant would be “crushed” and would face “anguish” (53:10–11) in the process of offering himself as an atoning sacrifice, bearing the sins of others and making “intercession for the transgressors” (53:12; cf. Heb. 7:22–25).

Few passages in the Old Testament so clearly anticipate and give texture to the person and work of Jesus. These verses helped the apostles make sense of the significance of Jesus’ death: he was condemned with sinners so that we might be pardoned (cf. Isa. 53:12; Luke 22:37). God providentially used this passage (Isa. 53:7–8) to allow Philip to explain the gospel to the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26–40) and encourage his baptism (cf. Isa. 52:15). Peter appears to apply the passage (53:5, 9) to Christ hanging on a tree: “by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Pet. 2:22–24).

For both Isaiah and Peter, such grace transforms the receiver, so that having been healed, believers are called to “die to sin and live to righteousness” (1 Pet. 2:24).

Adapted from the Gospel Transformation Bible

Around The Web-March 21, 2018

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The Lost Sermons of C. H. Spurgeon Volume 1 and Volume 2 are now available at WTS Books

Doctrine and Devotion on Baby Dedications

Stephen Hawking, the End of the World, and the Bible by Sam Storms

It Was Your Sin that Murdered Christ! by Tim Challies

A Guide to the Music of Andrew Peterson by Trevin Wax

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Check out the new Open Book Podcast with Stephen Nichols

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H.B. Charles, Jr. on what it means to examine oneself as you partake of the Lord's Supper

Around The Web-April 14, 2017

The Crucifixion and Old Testament Prophecy by R.C. Sproul

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Get John Piper's new book and an ESV Thinline Bible for $19 till April 20

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For the busy moms out there, here is Gloria Furman on how you can become a better theologian.



Why are Bibles printed in two columns rather than one?

Who Crucified Jesus?

Kevin DeYoung:

Jesus Was Our Sin Bearer

Suffering is a part of the Christian’s calling (2 Tim. 3:12) because it was first part of Christ’s (John 15:18–20). Christians are united with Christ in His sufferings as well as His resurrection (2 Cor. 1:5; 4:10; Phil. 3:10, 11), and the example of Christ provides a pattern by which Christians are to understand their own lives.

Christ is more than an example; He is the sin-bearer. As the perfect sacrifice (1:19; 2:24), Christ suffered the curse of sin, accepting the punishment our sins deserved and providing forgiveness and freedom.

Study notes on 1 Peter 2:21 & 24 from The Reformation Study Bible

Jesus Bore Our Sins So We Don't Have To

For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls (1 Peter 2:19-25).

Why is it a “gracious thing” to suffer unjustly (vv. 19–20)? ? Because, when we refuse to react to suffering in sinful ways, it makes us like Jesus and testifies to our confidence in him. Peter helpfully reminds us that God will not ask of us anything his Son was not willing to undergo himself. By his redemptive suffering, we know that any injustice we suffer in this world is merely temporary. Our vindication is sure, promised by our God, to whom vengeance belongs.

We also must keep God’s gracious purposes in mind when we suffer so that we do not despair over our suffering as if it were God’s punishment. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree” (1 Pet. 2:24) so that we do not have to. The punishment for our sin was taken by Christ in his crucifixion. It is profound consolation in our suffering to know that it is not a sign of God’s wrath on us. As Paul reminds us, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). As we suffer the wrath of those who revile us for our faith, our hearts can remain calm, for God has satisfied his own wrath in his own Son’s death.

Gospel Transformation Bible

Around The Web-March 7, 2014

5 Questions to Ask Before You Join The Ministry by Jeff Medders

Avoiding Short Lived Ministry by Kevin DeYoung

The Savior Who Suffers With Us by Trevin Wax

The 4 Pillars of Pastoral Work by Dave Bruskas

Five Truths About The Death of Jesus by Joseph Scheumann

This is another sermon from Liberate 2014, which about 40 minutes long and worth your time. The sermon is preached by Steve Brown and is called "Grace for Everyday."

Christ Became A Curse

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree” (Galatians 3:13)

God Did Not Withheld His Son

In Genesis 22, Abraham was commanded by God to offer his only son, Issac, whom was born to him at age 100, as a sacrifice. God promised his offspring would be as numerous as the stars in the sky so I can imagine the shock of Abraham when God asked him to do this. After leaving their companions and going up the mountain, Abraham tied Issac down and was ready to kill his son because God told him. That is when an angel stopped him and said "I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me" (Genesis 22:12). God later provided a ram that had its horns stuck in a thicket as used that as the sacrifice.

The story of what Abraham went through echos the gospel. However, there are a few differences between God allowing his Son, Jesus, to die than stopping Abraham from killing Issac. While God withheld Abraham from sacrificing his son, God did not stop His Son from being killed. The Apostle Paul wrote, "He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things" (Romans 8:32).

This is good news from God that He did not withheld His Only Son, but allowed Him to die in our place for our sins so that we can be forgiven of our sins and live our for the glory of God.

Jesus Died for the Weak

Tomorrow is Good Friday which means for some people it's a day from work which makes it to them a good Friday. Good Friday for Christians means we take time to celebrate and mourn the death of Jesus. We celebrate His death because He took upon Himself the chastisement that brought us peace with God. We mourn His death because it was a death He did not deserve because He was without sin.

However, I am thankful Jesus took my place. Why, you may ask. Because He is stronger than I am. Romans 5:6 says, "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." We were unable to help ourselves in making us justified before a holy God who demands absolute obedience because He has creator rights over us. The popular expression, "God helps those who help themselves" is a lie because we are unable to help ourselves because we are full of ourselves and will boast in our accomplishments of getting right with God if we could do it ourselves.

Jesus was able to take our place for our sin because we were still weak but He is stronger than we are. He is greater than us and more perfect (because He never sinned) than us. Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3). We are poor in spirit because we depend on Jesus to say us from our sins because we are weak, powerless, and unable to help ourselves.

The Cross Redeemed Us

How then did the cross actually redeem us, through Jesus' death? By reconciling us to God, ending the alienation and estrangement that were previously there, linking God and us together in new harmony, replacing enmity between us with friendship and peace, by means of the putting away of our sins. (See Rom. 5:11; Col. 1:19-22)

So how did the cross actually reconcile us to God, and God to us? by being a propitiation, ending God's judicial wrath against us. (See Rom. 3:24)

And how did the cross actually propitiate God? By being an event of substitution, whereby at the Father's will the sinless Son bore the retribution due to us guilty ones. (See 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13; Col. 2:14)

J.I. Packer, In My Place Condemned He Stood

Jesus Had To Be Divine and Man

In order for Jesus Christ to qualify as the atonement for the sins of the redeemed, he must be personally perfect-that is, holy, having lived a sinless life. In order to be perfect, Christ must be more than a mere man-he must be divine. God's chosen mediator, Jesus Christ, is himself fully God (John 1:1, 18) and thus uniquely qualified to complete the work of redemption.

However, because man sinned, man must bear the penalty of sin, so in addition to being fully God, the mediator must also be fully man in order to bear the sin of man as their representative. Also, the mediator must be a man since the mediating act of atoning for sin requires a sacrificial death (Lev. 17:11; Heb. 9:22), and it is impossible for God to die.

Jerry Bridges and Bob Bevington, The Great Exchange

Why is the Crucifixion Good News?