28 Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
31 Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32 The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. 35 The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe.36 These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” 37 and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”
Jesus is omniscient (He knows everything) and omnipotent (He controls everything) and both of those are demonstrated in this passage, as another confirmation of His deity.
knowing that all was now completed
He knew everything was completed, except one more prophecy.
Psalm 69:21 They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.
And knowing that everything but that scripture had been fulfilled, He says "I am thirsty" and they gave him the vinegar that was there. The vinegar that Jesus knew would be there.
They had previously offered it to Him, but He had refused so that He could suffer the total pain of the cross, but now He takes it, in order to fulfill scripture. The soldiers didn't have to respond to Jesus' declaration of thirst - but of course, they did - they acted in response to total control by God.
And it was no coincidence either, that hyssop was used to give Jesus the vinegar. In Exodus 12:23 when the angel of death was going to pass over Israel, God told them to take hyssop and sprinkle the blood on their doorframes. Any time hyssop appears it is a reminder to the Jewish people of the Passover lamb sparing them from death. How incredibly fitting that hyssop would now be used to administer the vinegar to this final and greatest Passover Lamb!
So, they gave it to them and with that Jesus fulfilled every single prophecy left to fulfill before His death. With that full knowledge and full control, Jesus triumphantly declared "It is finished" and He purposefully decided it was time for Him to die and He did. He controlled even His own death - that is omniscience!
And even after death He was in full control. He died at the right time (confirmed when they pierced His side) so that they would not need to break his legs to speed up His death which fulfilled two more scriptures.
And truly, it was finished. Everything required for redemption was done. Jesus did it all. We can add nothing to it. We need to accept this gift of salvation and then exalt Him with our lives, with our discipleship.
Tomorrow's scripture focus: John 19:38-42
1 comment:
I'm loving all this fulfilled prophecy info.
I also really like what you said in the last paragraph about Jesus doing it all and we being unable to add to it... but that accepting the gift means living out his example, not just sitting back and saying "Whew! I'm covered."
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