Good Friday - It Is Finished! • Cornerstone Fellowship Church

Order of Worship

Welcome / Call to Worship
Come, O Sinner (C)
O Sacred Head Now Wounded (Am)
Lord's Supper (Daniel)
Instrumental Interlude
The Blood Of Jesus Speaks For Me (A)
Homily (John)
Silence
How Deep The Father's Love (E)

Introduction

We have already declared together through verse and through the Lord’s Supper many of the salvation-bringing truths of Jesus’ suffering and crucifixion.

We sang:

Come O sinner come and see
Christ the Lord upon a tree
See the crown of thorns adorn the King
Who labors to breathe in agony
Come O sinner come and see
What our God became to set us free

Come O sinner come and mourn
For He calls your sin His own
Do you feel the weight of justice served
He suffers the wrath that you deserve
Come O sinner come and mourn
For He bears the curse for all you've done

Oh the wonder of this awesome scene
Where our Savior bleeds
Oh the power of the love of God
Come and stand in awe

Come O sinner come rejoice
Mercy fills this place of scorn
For He dies to save His enemies
That all who draw near may know His peace
Come O sinner come rejoice
Through the death of Christ death is destroyed

This entire song is an invitation to meditate on what Christ has done in order to accomplish our salvation. The songwriter, Jordan Kauflin, gives us three invitations: to see, to mourn, and to rejoice.

We are going to read through much of the crucifixion narrative in John’s Gospel this evening, and I would encourage you to see, mourn, and rejoice as we hear this Spirit-inspired account of what occurred in human history to bring about the hope of salvation.

I will offer a few reflections at the end of each section, with a bit more to say about the moment of Jesus’ death.

Let’s pick up the narrative in John 18:28. Jesus has already been arrested and taken before the High Priest. Now, he is being taken before Pilate, the Roman governor over Palestine.

We will observe certain sins along the way—hypocrisy, hatred, injustice, cowardice, fear of man, violence. Let’s not approach the telling of these events as if we would have been on the right side. Remember that all of Jesus’ disciples fled at the arrest in the garden, and that his leading disciple, Peter, denied him three times.

We will also hear irony, and sarcasm, and mocking, though some of the statements we will hear are actually true statements about Jesus found in unlikely places.

I. The King On Trial

John 18:28–40 (ESV)

(28) Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover.
(29) So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?”
(30) They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.”
(31) Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.”
(32) This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die.
(33) So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
(34) Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?”
(35) Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?”
(36) Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”
(37) Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”
(38) Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him.
(39) But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
(40) They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.

Reflections

From Matthew’s Gospel we know that Pilate was aware that the Jewish leaders were delivering Jesus to him out of envy. Perhaps he thought the Jewish people as a whole would speak up for Jesus.

The Jewish leaders’ actions in vs. 28 is almost more than we can take. They are concerned with ceremonial cleanliness so they don’t miss the religious festivities, while attempting to have the Messiah brutally murdered on false charges.

Let us take to heart the warning from Jesus to the Pharisees in Matthew 23.

Matthew 23:27–28 (ESV)

(27) “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.
(28) So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

We are all tempted to focus on our outward appearance of righteousness, especially when we know our heart and our motives are wicked and unseemly.

May God help us come to him as we are for cleansing, and to pursue purity of heart.

Next we see Pilate actually asking Jesus one very important question: “Are you the King of the Jews?” as well as coming to a right conclusion, “I find no guilt in him.”

However, in the end, Pilate does the politically-expedient thing instead of the just thing, which brings us to Chapter 19.

II. The King Is Mocked, Beaten, and Rejected

John 19:1–16 (ESV)

(1) Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him.
(2) And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe.
(3) They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands.
(4) Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.”
(5) So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!”
(6) When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.”
(7) The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.”
(8) When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid.
(9) He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer.
(10) So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?”
(11) Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.”
(12) From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.”
(13) So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic Gabbatha.
(14) Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”
(15) They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”
(16) So he delivered him over to them to be crucified.

Though Pilate proclaims that Jesus is actually NOT guilty, he has him beaten and mocked before he finally gives in to the pressure of the people. He also does not miss this opportunity to provoke the Jewish leaders by presenting Jesus as a beaten, weak, pathetic man to them as if to say, “Is this the man you are so afraid of?”

But in his statement, Pilate unknowingly proclaims the ironic truth, “Behold the Man!” Here is the God-man in the flesh, the Second Adam, the perfect Son of God who is also fully man.

But, again, Pilate declares Jesus’ innocence and asks another very important question, “Where are you from?” but Jesus does not give a direct answer.

Pilate makes one more public declaration to the Jews, which is also more true than he realized.

“Behold your King!”

Sadly, the Jews declare their allegiance to their Roman, political Caesar.

Pilate finally gives in totally to their demands and sends Jesus to be crucified.

III. The King Is Delivered to Be Crucified

John 19:17–27 (ESV)

So they took Jesus,
(17) and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha.
(18) There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them.
(19) Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”
(20) Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek.
(21) So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’ ”
(22) Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”
(23) When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom,
(24) so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” So the soldiers did these things,
(25) 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 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!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

One last time, Pilate says what is true, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”

We witness a very tender moment in the midst of Jesus excruciating pain where he cares for his mother.

Now, let us hear Jesus’ final words on the cross.

IV. The King Accomplishes His Mission

John 19:28–30 (ESV)

(28) After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.”
(29) A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth.
(30) When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Jesus knows his death is near. We see yet another glimpse of his real humanity—his thirst!

Earlier Jesus had refused the drugged wine that would have dulled his senses, but now, after hours of excruciating suffering and enduring the wrath of God, he is preparing for one last loud cry.

John lets us into the fact that this is one more fulfillment of prophecy. We don’t know for sure, but Psalm 69 certainly seems to be what John is referring to. Here are a few sample verses from that Psalm.

The Prophecy

Psalm 69:1–3 (ESV)

(1) Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck.
(2) I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me.
(3) I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God.

Psalm 69:9–12 (ESV)

(9) For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.
(10) When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting, it became my reproach.
(11) When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them.
(12) I am the talk of those who sit in the gate, and the drunkards make songs about me.

Psalm 69:19–21 (ESV)

(19) You know my reproach, and my shame and my dishonor; my foes are all known to you.
(20) Reproaches have broken my heart, so that I am in despair. I looked for pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none.
(21) They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.

The Cry

The soldiers then use a hyssop branch to give Jesus sour wine. This would likely have been there for the soldiers, but they give some to Jesus.

Jesus cries out, “It is finished,” which is one word in Greek, tetelestai. It’s in the perfect tense, having been completed in the past with ongoing effects into the future.

Jesus has completed what the Father sent him to do. He has fulfilled all righteousness. Jesus’ statement does not mean that his death and resurrection were not necessary parts of his salvific work. He is simply saying that his has fully submitted to God’s work and will for him to do. tetelestai includes the idea of accomplishing what he set out to do.

John 4:34 (ESV)

(34) Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

John 17:4 (ESV)

(4) I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.

Mark 10:45 (ESV)

(45) For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The Death

Notice that Jesus, in the end, gave up his own life. No one took it from him. He offered it up.

John 19:30 (ESV)

(30) When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

This is the good news of the Gospel

The good news in this last cry of Jesus is that there is nothing left to do to accomplish our salvation. He has done it all. He has satisfied the wrath of God. He has purchased our redemption. He has fulfilled all that is required in the law. He has reconciled us to God. He has opened the way. He has torn the curtain. He invites us into his family.

We note the achievement Jesus claimed just before he died. It is not men who have finished their brutal deed; it is he who has accomplished what he came into the world to do. He has borne the sins of the world. Deliberately, freely and in perfect love he has endured the judgment in our place. He has procured salvation for us, established a new covenant between God and humankind, and made available the chief covenant blessing, the forgiveness of sins. At once the curtain of the Temple, which for centuries had symbolized the alienation of sinners from God, was torn in two from top to bottom, in order to demonstrate that the sin-barrier had been thrown down by God, and the way into his presence opened.

John Stott, The Cross of Christ, p. 82.

V. The King Is Buried

After I read John’s account of Jesus’ burial, we will have a time of silence to personally reflect on what Christ has done for us. During that silence, I encourage you to reflect on where we started tonight.

Come O sinner come and see
Come O sinner come and mourn
Come O sinner come rejoice

In this final reading, you’ll hear John tell you why he is telling you all of these things about Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and burial—“That you may believe.”

John 3:16 (ESV)

(16) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Reading

John 19:31–42 (ESV)

(31) Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews 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, and of the other who had been crucified with him.
(33) But when they came to Jesus and 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 at once there came out blood and water.
(35) He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe.
(36) For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.”
(37) And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.”
(38) After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body.
(39) Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight.
(40) So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths 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) So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.

Silence

90 seconds to reflect

How Deep The Father's Love

How deep the Father’s love for us,
how vast beyond all measure,
That He should give His only Son,
to make a wretch His treasure.
How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away,
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory.

Behold the man upon a cross,
my sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice,
call out among the scoffers.
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished.