All things had already been accomplished. IT IS FINISHED!

John 19:23-42 (NASB) from the daily reading in the One Year Bible (link on links page)

²³ Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. ²⁴ So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be”; this was to fulfill the Scripture: “They divided My outer garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” ²⁵ 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. ²⁶ When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He *said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” ²⁷ Then He *said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.

²⁸ After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, *said, “I am thirsty.” ²⁹ 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. ³⁰ Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

Care of the Body of Jesus

³¹ 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. ³² So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him; ³³ but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. ³⁴ But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. ³⁵ And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. ³⁶ For these things came to pass to fulfill the Scripture, “Not a bone of Him shall be broken.” ³⁷ And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”

³⁸ After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. ³⁹ Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. ⁴⁰ So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. ⁴¹ Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. ⁴² Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

So many of the details about Jesus life and now His death had been prophesied in the Old Testament writings. There is simply no way that coincidence could cause details like the ones mentioned in the text  to happen. Any one who will look with an open mind at the Messianic prophesies fulfilled by Jesus will come away convinced that it was accurately foretold that Christ would come and Jesus is the Christ.

We see in today's text, in Jesus final moments on the cross, something that might seem to be at odds with other scriptures in the gospel accounts. Jesus had taught about prioritizing the kingdom over family. In Luke 14:26 He said:     "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.   And in Matthew 12:46-50:     While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him. ⁴⁷ Someone said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You.” ⁴⁸ But Jesus answered the one who was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” ⁴⁹ And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers! ⁵⁰ For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.”      Here though, as Jesus is near death on the cross, He makes provision for His mother to be cared for and looked after. God doesn't want us to neglect our families to serve Him. He wants us to in all things,  seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.(Matthew 6:33)     We are to prioritize the will of God in our lives, but just as God will never leave us or forsake us, we should not neglect the care and love of our families.Though we may have to leave them as prodigals for a time.  When we walk with God we don't lose our family we gain and become part of a larger family. Jesus says: "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name's sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life."(Matthew 19:20)

The text continues:    After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, *said, “I am thirsty.” ²⁹ 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. ³⁰ Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. Psalm 69:21 is the scripture verse we see fulfillled in this part of the text. They also gave me gall for my food And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.     The text says,   Jesus knowing that all things had already been accomplished.    Jesus knew, their on the cross that His mission was complete. He had already spoken of His resurrection and His returning to the heavenly realm with the Father. Being eternal, Jesus was not locked into that finite moment in time. All things had already been accomplished. The redemption of man had been accomplished. The price for all sin was paid. Christ died once for all. 

 The redemption of sin was not all that was accomplished though.  Jesus said "It is finished". Jesus didn't just whisper those words.  Matthew 27:50-53 says:    And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. ⁵¹ And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. ⁵² The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; ⁵³ and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.     Jesus cried out    "IT IS FINISHED", in a LOUD VOICE, a voice that shook the very foundations of the earth, a voice that carried beyond that present time and space, through all creation and all eternity, time past, present and future. It is finished, all that Jesus came to do was accomplished at that time, forever. Resurrection power was released. Death no longer had or has power over those who are in Christ. The veil of the temple was torn in two. There was and is no longer a need to separate man from God.

Through the finished work of the cross, we are not only redeemed from our sinful state, but we are restored to the fullness of fellowship with the Father we were created to have. In the account of creation, in the beginning, God created man in His own image. He created us to be like Him, to walk with Him, to talk with Him. He created us to have dominion over creation. In the end, when Jesus returns and establishes His eternal kingdom, we will again walk with Him. We will talk with Him and we will rule with Him.

God is eternal, not locked into finite time. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. What Jesus knew had been accomplished, what was finished when Jesus spoke those words, was true for all time past and future. IT IS FINISHED is also true for us today. We are called to walk in the fullness of the finished work of the cross, fulfilling here and now, the realities of the eternal kingdom of God. We are to have dominion, authority over creation. As it was intended in the beginning and as it will be in Christ's eternal kingdom. We are, redeemed and restored, by Him and to Him and to His likeness. 

All things have been accomplished. IT IS FINISHED. All that is left is for us to believe it and walk in it's fullness.

Thank You Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit. You are the same yesterday, today and forever. Thank You, all things have been accomplished. Through the finished work of the cross, what was and what will be are mine now. Continue to give me the fullness of the revelation of all that is finished in, for and through me.    Amen