April 19 - John 18, 19 - "It is Finished"

MPC 19th April 2019.

Phil Campbell

If you've been here at MPC the last few weeks, and I know this morning lots of you haven't, we've been working our way through a teaching series we've called nine of the best things Jesus ever said.

Because you're maybe aware Jesus is famous; as a master of the zingy one liner.

For Easter, we've narrowed it down to two. Two of the best things Jesus ever said.

And this morning in an interesting twist we come to Good Friday for a look at the famous last words of Jesus, before he dies.

Although significantly, at least from the point of view of a convinced Christian, not actually his last words at all. Because if you come back on Sunday morning, there's more.

So famous dying words. That in his case, uniquely, aren't his last words at all.

Unlike Marie Antoinette. Who stepped on her executioner's foot on her way to the guillotine. Her famous last words: "pardon me sir." And has never been heard from since.

Or Sir Winston Churchill; whose last words were, "I'm bored with it all." And didn't speak again.

The dying words of Jesus. But not his last words. The dying words of Jesus are the words, "It is finished." Which is in fact, in the original Greek just one word: Tetelestia.

It's an extended form of the word telos. Which means end or goal. And in the way Greek works, you add a prefix to show how extended it is in its tense. So if you want to really emphasise it, you repeat the first syllable. Te-telos. Te-telestia.

The goal is completely reached. The end. Has been completely achieved. It's a sentence in one word. It has been, and completely remains. finished. It's really, extensively, long lastingly, finished. It's so finished that it's forever going to stay finished. It's finished. Once and for all.

That's his final word. Before Jesus bows his head. And gives up his spirit.

But the question is, what does he mean? What's he actually talking about, that's finished?

Not so much his life. He's not saying I am finished. It's more than just saying it's all over.

In fact, if you back up a bit to verse 28, a couple of lines before. It's clear there's something bigger on his mind. As he asks for the drink.

Take a look again at the words on your sheet, John 19:28. "Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty."

And so the soldiers there, to make fun of him, give him bitter vinegar to drink.

Which is somehow; fulfilling scripture. Partly, if you're a bible scholar, Psalm 69. You can read it later.

But I want to step back with you to the night before. As Jesus is arrested in the garden. And Simon Peter pulls out his sword to fight back. Because Jesus says there's a drink that he's ready to drink.

Reading number 1. It's John 18, verse 11; Jesus says to Peter,

"Put your sword away. Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?" He says, let them arrest me. Let them take me. He says, "It's going to be a bitter cup. But it's all in the father's plan. And so I'm willing to drink it. "

And takes us back to words of the prophet Jeremiah. About a cup. And a sword.

And yet the way Jesus is going to complete Jeremiah's words is by in a way subverting them. Reversing them. Inserting himself in Jeremiah's words. In the place you'd least expect.

We've had some of our grand-kids staying the last few days. And I've noticed an interesting thing.

If you've got kids or grand-kids, you'll be familiar with the Bluey phenomenon. Finally, a kids cartoon that adults can watch.

But the thing I've noticed; and this is Rosie, aged 6. The big thing when Bluey comes on, and in the opening song, all the main characters come up, and there's mum and there's dad; and there's Bluey- they're a dog family - and little sister Bingo. The big thing is, all the kids are arguing now over which character they're going to be in the show. And Rosie is saying, I'm the mum. And mum, you can be the dad.

Which is kind of confusing I know.

But it's all about identification. Identifying with characters in the narrative.

Which I think all good literature invites you to do. So Jeremiah chapter 25. Here's the surprise. It's all about the cup of God's wrath. The cup of judgement. That's why it's bitter.

And God says to the prophet Jeremiah; it's talking in symbols. But the Lord, the God of Israel says to Jeremiah,

Take from my hand this cup filled with the wine of my wrath and make all the nations I send you to drink it.

And when they drink it, he says, they'll stagger and go mad because of the sword I will send among them.

And so Jeremiah takes the cup; and he makes all the nations drink it.

God's judgement. On the sins of the world. God's anger. On all the nations of the earth.

Battles. War. The sword. As they tear one another apart.

Egypt. Uz. Gaza. The kings of the north.

Nowhere to hide. Because God's thundering judgement is about to be let loose like a lion.

That's the prophet Jeremiah. A cup of Judgment. A sword.

On all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. On every person near and far. They're the ones. Who are meant to be drinking it.

So let me ask you. As Jesus fulfils and finishes the words of scripture. The words of Jeremiah. Where does he see himself. In the picture?

Which character? Whose part. Is he going to play?

Angry prophet of judgement? The one pouring out the cup on everyone else? The one with the sword? You might think so.

But Jesus has just said to Peter, put your sword away.

Jesus has just said to Peter, the cup of God's judgement... the Father's given it to me. And I'm going to drink it. Myself.

And I'm going to step in; and I'm going to take up and absorb and drink down to the very dregs; the judgement that's due to everyone else.

And instead of them being made a ruin and an object of horror and a scorn and a curse; and instead of them facing the fierce anger of the righteous judgement of God. I'll be ruined. And scorned. Instead.

In other words, instead of us. Instead of me. Instead of you.

And so. Having been unjustly accused; having been flogged and wrongly convicted by Pontius Pilate, governor of Judea; having been rejected and mocked by the leaders of Israel; having been crowned with thorns. Having been spread-eagled and pinned with railway spike nails on a rough-cut wooden gantry and put up on public display. So that scripture will be fulfilled, Jesus says, "I'm thirsty." Where fulfilled, by the way, is again the same Greek root word as the word finished, completed, that's about to be his final word.

And they soak a sponge in sour wine vinegar. And put it on a stalk from a hyssop plant. And they push it to his lips. And Jesus says the word.

I reckon the best thing he ever said. "It is finished."

In the late 1890s, Bernard Grenfell and Arthur Hunt were digging through an ancient Egyptian rubbish pile; they were archaeologists. And they came on a pile of ancient papyrus documents. Not so much fine literature like the dead sea scrolls. But the sort of ordinary papers you keep in the kitchen cupboard for tax time. And throw out every seven years.

Papers from everyday life. Like private letters. And accounts. And Receipts.

And it turned out very commonly on receipts when the account's been paid, there's a Greek word they scribble across the top. Tetelestai. The last word Jesus says from the cross. It is finished. Fully. Finished.

Your account with God; your debt. Paid in full.

Which means when you turn to Jesus; and when you call on Jesus; and when you say to him, take me under your wing. When you stand in the shadow of the cross. There's nothing more you need to do.

Because you've been paid for.

And when you're thinking I hope I'm good enough.

Or I hope I've done enough.

Or I hope I've been pious enough.

Or I hope I've prayed enough.

Or I hope I've given enough.

The answer is always no I haven't. But Jesus has. And he's paid in full. For you.

Which of course is why Good Friday is called Good Friday. And why the news of that has always been called the good news. Gospel.

I want to put it to you this morning. With respect. That if to this point you haven't taken any notice of that. Maybe today's the day you should. That if to this point you've been holding off responding to that. Maybe today's the day you should relent. Repent. I mean, why hold out any longer on an offer like that? Why not make today the day that you say to the Lord Jesus, thank you. For paying everything for me. So from this point on, I'm yours.

That's the sort of prayer you need to pray. Maybe for you as we share in the Lord's Supper together in a few minutes, even if that's something you've never done before, that this morning, for the first time, you take and eat. You take and drink. And for the first time, think back to that first Good Friday and remember. In a whole new way. That he did that for you.

And for the first time maybe really understand... why. it is finished... is one of the best things Jesus ever said.

If you've come to that point this morning, or if you'd like to know more about it, if you'd love to get to the point where you're free from anxiety about where you stand with God; why not let me know that afterwards. And I'll hook you up with someone who'd love to help.