John 19:30 Commentary and Bible Study

The makes this tremendous exclamation: ‘It is finished.’ What does it mean? It is variously translated in the New Testament by our translators and the sense of the Greek word is this – ‘it is paid,’ or ‘the debt is discharged’ or ‘the mission is accomplished.’ It is a word that relates to something being discharged, fulfilled, paid, something along those lines. So what does it mean? It is as though he cries to the Father, ‘Accomplished; my mission is complete. The work we determined – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – before the foundation of the world, the work I agreed to do and was sent to do, it is accomplished. My mission is over. The work is done. I’m coming home.’ The great deed is performed, the atoning death of Christ and his offering up his perfect righteousness to God on our behalf – it is done. Every ounce of punishment that the children of God should have borne for all eternity has been suffered and paid for. It is finished. It is accomplished. The debt is discharged. The rule of Satan and death is over. The apparent loss of the human race – it is rescued, it is finished, it is all achieved. The types and the shadows, all the prophecies of the Old Testament, they have all been fulfilled – it is finished, accomplished, discharged; every one.Life will go on, living and dying will continue, the great spiritual battle for souls will continue but the atonement on which salvation depends is complete. It is a triumphant term. Did you think Christ expired in terrible sorrow and agony? Well he suffered terrible sorrow and agony but right at the very end when that last ounce of punishment was dealt with and paid comes the final cry with a loud voice of triumph: ‘It is finished.’ That is a great victory shout, it is a cry of success, it is over! He was crushed humanly by the terrible weight of punishment but he knew exactly when all was accomplished and he then determined (because he is God) the moment of his death. He gave up the spirit. He had taught the disciples, ‘I have power over my life to lay it down, I have power to take it up again.’ He truly died from the punishment and his body truly lay dead in the grave, but because he was God he assents to the moment when his spirit will take flight and be with the Father and his soul will be in paradise.