When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
John 19:30 NIV
Notice the way John describes the death of Jesus. He is not dying from weakness. John portrays Jesus as still being in control - even after the horrendous torture he had received from the Roman soldiers and previously from the temple guard. He is still the Son of God - even though he has suffered the agonies of crucifixion.
Jesus is the subject of the two sentences at the end of verse 30. I am not sure that children are still taught grammar at school but my old fashioned schooling sometimes comes in useful. So today we are having a lesson in grammar to help us understand the significance of the statements in the verse.
He bowed his head. There is a subject in this sentence - the subject is the person who is doing the action. The subject is 'he' referring to Jesus, the Son of God. The word 'bowed' is a doing word or a verb which is active. The object or the thing which is affected by the action is 'his head.' John could have said, 'his head was bowed' but then the head becomes the subject and the verb is passive - something is happening to this head. The way John puts the sentence together is deliberate - he is showing that Jesus is still in control of his actions. He is not dying out of weakness. He is not dying because he can't help it. He is choosing to die. Pilate expresses surprise that Jesus has died so quickly (Mark 15:44) because victims of crucifixion were not given a quick death - it was designed to be a long torturous experience which was totally degrading. Because of the Jews scruples about keeping the Passover, the Jews want to hasten the death to prevent the bodies from hanging as a public spectacle on that special Sabbath day. The soldiers are instructed to break the legs of the three 'criminals' to hasten their end. But they do not break Jesus legs - because he was already dead.
If you have not switched off at this old teacher trying to teach a grammar lesson, look at the second statement and it is the same pattern. He gave up his spirit. Jesus is the subject of this sentence too. He is choosing to die. I have been present several times when loved ones were passing away and they died out of weakness. Their body could no longer continue the struggle to breathe and their gasps of breath became weaker and weaker. Not so with our Saviour. The word John uses is different from the other gospels writers. This word translated here as 'gave up' is a Greek word paradomi and in the King James Version this word is translated as 'delivered' and 19 times it is translated as 'betrayed.' It seems to be the idea of handing over something to someone else - the word was used for arresting and imprisoning John the Baptist (Matthew 4:12; Mark 1:14) and that is because Herod had committed John to a jailer to keep him locked up securely. In this verse, Jesus is committing his spirit to the Father.
This helps to explain what Jesus was meaning when he said, "I lay down my life for the sheep" (John 10:15). He came to die a deliberate death and he came willingly. Of course, I know that the soldiers played a part in his death. But there is always the other side of the coin - Jesus, the Son of God came to die and he deliberately gave up his spirit in surrender to God's will. Two verses further down in chapter 10, we find a clear statement of what happened at the cross and also in the grave.
The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. [John 10: 17 NIV] This helps us to understand what Jesus was meaning when he said that no one takes (his life) from him. Here is the full quotation from John's Gospel. Here are the words of the Son of God:
No one takes it (my life) from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father. [John 10:18 NIV]
He was able to choose to die and also to come back to life. He was fulfilling God's will both in his death and his resurrection. This death is unique - in the true sense of a word which is overused in today's conversations. It is anathema to suggest that this was suicide or that he had not really died. Jesus allowed himself to be taken and subjected to a catalogue of tortures and sufferings. But the account in the fourth Gospel presents the Son of God as being the one who decided when his life was ended. He bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Matthew's account is even more forceful - he adds that Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. [Matthew 27:50 ESV] Mark says that 'Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last' [Mark 15:37 ESV] Luke uses a similar expression to Mark - he speaks about Jesus 'breathing his last'
Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, "Father into your hands I commit my spirit!" And having said this, he breathed his last. [Luke 23:46 ESV]
John uses an expression to suggest that the task which His Father had given Him was completely accomplished. Notice that John begins by saying that Jesus, knowing that all was now finished [John 19:28 ESV] he then cried, "I thirst.' Jesus was aware that the hidden work was now done. John does not mention the three hours of darkness but this is implied in our understanding of this reference to 'all being finished.' If we were reading this in Latin, it would be simply one word - 'perfectus' which is very helpful. We get our word perfect from the Latin and it means that nothing can be added or taken away because it is complete and finished. I often complete a DIY task but I am still dissatisfied with some aspects of the job. Maybe the mitre could have been better or some other detail. But when Jesus said, "It is finished," the work of salvation was completed perfectly to the satisfaction of a holy God in heaven. I am relying on this finished work to cleanse me from my sins and make me fit for God's presence. This is not about me - it is completely about the work which God's Son accomplished on the cross.
"Man of Sorrows!", what a name
For the Son of God who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim!
Hallelujah! What a Saviour!
"Lifted up" was He to die
"It is finished," was His cry;
Now in heaven exalted high:
Hallelujah! What a Saviour!
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