The Last Seven Words on the Cross (6) "It Is Finished"
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February 08, 2026 |
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"Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, 'It is finished!' And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit."
John 19:30
According to John 19:30, Jesus tasted the sour wine and said, "It is finished," before bowing His head and giving up His spirit. Jesus accepted the sponge soaked with sour wine not merely to quench His physical thirst. A profound spiritual meaning is also found here.
Jesus receiving the sour wine signifies that He had completed the Law of the Old Testament through love and had taken upon Himself the curses and sins of all mankind. In the Old Testament era, before Jesus came to this earth, people had to sacrifice animals and offer their blood to God whenever they sinned.
However, because Jesus Himself was nailed to the cross and shed His blood, offering a once-for-all, eternal sacrifice (Hebrews 10:11?12), anyone who receives Jesus Christ through faith can now be forgiven for their sins. The grace of redemption through Jesus Christ is the "new wine," and Jesus Himself drank the "sour wine" to give that grace to us.
The Spiritual Meaning of "It Is Finished"
Then, why did Jesus say, "It is finished," after the sponge soaked with sour wine touched His lips?
The reason Jesus came to this earth was to open the way of salvation for all humanity by dying on the cross. He could confess "It is finished" because He had perfectly fulfilled this divine providence for human salvation.
Jesus is the Word who became flesh. Coming to this earth, He not only preached the gospel of heaven and healed every disease and sickness, but He also followed God's will and bore the cross, opening the way of salvation for all mankind who were headed toward death.
By sacrificing Himself unto death, He fulfilled the Law through love and gained a complete victory by breaking the stronghold of the enemy devil. Without love, how could He have endured the immense pain of the cross? As Jesus completely fulfilled the Law through His death on the cross, He declared, "It is finished."
Since the Bible is a message given to all children of God, we must recognize that Jesus' word, “It is finished,” is also a message for us. Then, what does this word mean spiritually? Just as Jesus completely fulfilled the providence of salvation by obeying God's will and providence even unto death, we, as children of God, must also become people who fulfill everything by living according to God's will.
By fighting against sin even to the point of shedding blood and casting it off, we must cultivate spiritual love (1 Corinthians 13:4?7), the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22?23), and the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3?10), thereby growing to resemble the heart of the Lord. We must also faithfully carry out our calling, praying earnestly, evangelizing, and serving faithfully so that we can lead many souls into the Lord’s embrace.
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