John 19:30 ...it is finished...

riverm,

bmerr here. I have pondered this question myself. I believe "it" was the work of providing a way of salvation for mankind. The price of redemption was paid. That part of salvation's plan that could only be accomplished by God.

Some verses that I think shed light on what "it" was are:

John 4:34 - Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

John 5:36 - But I have a greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.

John 9:4 - I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

John 10:25 - Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.

John 17:4-5 - I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me do do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

That's my take on it. Hope it helps.

In Christ,

bmerr

 

The phrase Jesus used was often used as an accounting term, meaning "debt paid." This is exactly line with the biblical teaching that all our sins were paid for on the Cross. This is why no one goes to hell for sinning. They go to hell for refusing Jesus.

 

Greetings

Welcome to one part of the Reformed motto: by grace - alone! So the word alone does not contradict the other "alone's!"

Lloyd

 

Denominationalism is mostly an argument over specifying nouns for pronouns. The NT writers were particularly or intentionally sloppy over their use of personal pronouns.

 

Greetings

Stupdendous statement! There is no double jeopardy in God's heavenly courtroom. Rom 6:7 shows that sinners who believe in Jesus are permanently freed (justified) from their sin.

Where have you been? With Biblical perspecuity like this, we need to hear far more from you!

Lloyd

 

In 1John 2:2 we are told that God gave Christ to be the "Atoning Sacrifice for OUR sins and NOT for OUR sins only but for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD". Surely that atoning sacrifice (central to the Gospel truth regarding atonement God specified in Lev 16) was "Finished" at the cross.

However as Matt 18 shows in its teaching on "forgiveness revoked" -- each debt of sin forgiven can be "revoked" so that the one forgiven must pay the exact amount formerly owed.

In Christ,

Bob

 

How sloppy can YOU get in your study of the Scriptures! The text has no pronoun (besides the point there is no "personal pronoun" involved). The Greek is one word meaning: "FINISHED". This "finished" has tremendous meaning in the New Testament (and also where used in the LXX). It means, "perfected", even "sealed" with an exclamation mark!
At that moment, remember - is it Matthew who says, the devil was cast out of heaven like lightning! This was "VICTORY", "TRIUMPH" - spoken of in Colossians 2:15. This was the proleptic ANNOUNCEMENT of "the EXCEEDING GREATNESS OF HIS POWER WHICH HE WORKED WHEN HE RAISED CHRIST FROM THE DEAD" - Ephesians 1:19. This is all those "works of the Father" given Christ "finished", Christ in FAITH tretching across death and grave to the day and moment of His being raised by the "POWER" given Him to "take up my life again". This, is "Jesus ... He that is ENTERED INTO HIS REST" - Christ, who "hath ceased from His own works as God".
Jesus' victory in death is inseparable from His victory in resurrection from death. The word, "Finished!" spells "THE DEATH OF DEATH IN THE DEATH OF CHRIST" - John Owen.

 

"FINISHED!" is the grand theme of the Gospel. "FINISHED!" spells Jesus' resurrection - the taking up of His life again. Eschatology is it! - eschatology the essence of every bit of true Christianity - as Karl Barth (again) has said: Christianity that is not totally and unreservedly eschatology totally and unreservedly has nothing to do with Christ! CHRIST IS THE ESCHATOS; HE, IS THE TELOS: "FINISHED!"
No wander Hebrews 4:9 says that's why the Sabbath's keeping remains valid for God's People. The Gospel is about celebrating God's finished works in, through, and for reason and the sake of Jesus Christ and HE, in resurrection from the dead - that's all!

 

Is it not significant that just after this word "FINISHED!", it is said in verse 31, "And it was the PREPARATION OF THE PASSOVER"! God's Passover CLIMAXED "the third day according to the Scriptures" on the Day of the "First Sheaf Wave Offer Before the LORD". God's Passover - REDEMPTION - was "FINISHED" with THIS day, NOW in Christ, guaranteed, in that He would rise again and be exalted to the right hand of the power of God in heavenly places.

 

To riverm, who said, "...The author also states that the Mass is a prophecy fulfilled from Malachi 1:11 where there will be a pure offering offered among the Gentiles. Any thoughts on this…"

Sjoe friend! Stay in tuned on to BaptistBoard; It might just provide some cure for this.

 

I have completed my work and your sin debt is paid in full.

 

"It is finished" There is nothing more that can be done. The atoning work of Christ is finished. There is nothing that man can add to it: not baptism, not confirmation, not church membership, not any kind of religious rite; nothing. Christ paid the full penalty of our sins. His work on the cross is finished, completely. No need for purgatory, no need for baptism! The only thing left to do is to accept the finished work of Christ by faith and faith alone.
DHK

 

Amen! (I even subscribe to your remark concerning water-baptism.) "FINISHED" is an inclusive concept: It includes "ALL the works of God", so that it includes Jesus' resurrection first and foremost; and then as well the baptism of Jesus: the baptism of regeneration - the work and gift of the Holy Spirit, the gift of grace, namely faith that believes in Christ and in HIS finished work, "to-us-ward", as Tyndale put it in Eph.1:19f.