When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, “It is finished:” and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost.
John 19:30
In this series we are taking a brief look at each of the seven statements Jesus made while suffering on the cross.
The series began on April 11th, with a look at Jesus desire to see His enemies be forgiven.
Last Monday we noticed Jesus’ words of care for His mother.
Tuesday allowed us to admire the willingness of Jesus to minister even while in the midst of utter pain.
On Wednesday we examined His question “Why?” while on Thursday we noticed the power behind the words “I thirst.”
Friday brought us to the sixth statement He made, declaring “it is finished.”
It was at that point that Jesus was able to speak, not from a heart of anxiety or nervousness or fear or anguish, but from a heart that is at peace and ready. That takes us to His final words on the cross, where He quoted from Psalm 31:5.
Did you know that in Jesus day, young Jewish boys were taught to pray by their mothers, not their fathers? Children being taught were given the text of Psalm 31:5 as the template for what to say before pillowing their heads at night.
In other words, the last words of Jesus before He lowered His head and died was a bedtime prayer taught to Him by His mama. Is that not a comforting thought? How innocent. How tender. How simple.
He said a little prayer, and then, He died.
And because He died, He made it so that anyone can close their eyes on their death’s bed and whisper the same prayer with the confidence that when their eyes open, they will behold the face of their Master.
Aren’t you thankful for the death of Christ? Aren’t you thankful that you can put your soul into His hands?
I hope so, because if you don’t do anything about it, you make His death meaningless.
Think about that,
and have a great day!
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