Expiration

As John (35) recalls the final moments of Jesus’ life, several memories clamor for his attention. He recalls the humanity of Jesus. It was a real human being who endured this cruel execution. He was thirsty (28) and given a coarse wine to drink. When the soldier confirmed his death, by spearing his chest cavity, blood and water flowed out, a sign of a pierced pericardium (34). The human Jesus had not been substituted, as some teach, by a less-than-human spirit. Here was a real human dying for other humans.

John recalls the sacrifice of Jesus. Several details lodged in his mind. The wine-soaked sponge he was given was skewered on a hyssop plant (29). Then, unlike the other victims, whose legs were broken to prevent them from supporting themselves and to speed their deaths, “they did not break his legs” for Jesus was already dead (33). John stresses it took place on “the day of Preparation” (31,42), and these details link to the Passover story (Exod. 12:22,46). John tells us that in surrendering to death, Jesus was offering the perfect Passover sacrifice, which would secure the liberty of all believers from the oppression of sin, the Law, Satan and death itself.

He recalls the triumph of Jesus. Jesus died not with a quiet whisper but a shout of defiance on his lips (Mark 15:37). His final word, tetelestai (“It is finished” or “paid in full”; 30), was unforgettable. It meant more than that his suffering was over. It meant that the battle was won. Throughout John’s Gospel, Jesus had been battling with the forces of darkness, ignorance, falsehood, prejudice, sin and Satan. Now the battle was behind him and, while the representatives of those forces no doubt thought they had triumphed, the truth was quite otherwise. His cry, “It is finished,” meant the victory was his.

Jesus spoke seven sayings from the cross (Mark 15:34; Luke 23:34,43,46; John 19:26,27). Use them this Good Friday to meditate on his sacrifice.