"I Thirst." "It Is Finished."

There are no sayings or utterances of the Lord Jesus in John 19., made up of five words (we refer to our English Bible), so in continuing the references to each chapter of the Gospel, it seems desirable to take the two utterances "I thirst" and "It is finished "(verses 28 to 30). These words are outstanding ones, because they were spoken by the dying Saviour during His agonies while hanging on Golgotha's Cross (John 19. 28-30); and in listening to them our thoughts become solemnized as we remember He was there on account of our sins, "and not for ours only, but also for the whole world."

Those who have studied the Gospels with reference to the order of the eight utterances of the Lord Jesus on the Cross, place these two as sixth and seventh; and that one follows the other is apparent from John 19.

"I thirst." This is more than just an expression from parched lips, telling of what the Lord was in need during His sufferings. It is connected with the words of Psalm 69. 21, "And in My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink." These words the Psalmist David had written prophetically of his Lord; they must needs be fulfilled, and hence, amidst the sufferings of the cross, the integrity of God's Word was vindicated by Him who came to fulfil it to the very letter-" The Scriptures cannot be broken."

"It is finished." In the Lord's prayer of John 17., He says, "I glorified Thee on the earth, having accomplished the work which Thou hast given Me to do" (see verse 4). This, in view of the Cross and triumphantly saying, "It is finished," and at John 19. 28 that time had arrived. Wherefore He said, "I thirst," and a sponge full of vinegar being put on hyssop and brought to His mouth-" When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished: and He bowed His head, and gave up His spirit." In such circumstances, and at the very time Scripture is being fulfilled by His spoken word, He proclaims the great work of redemption to be finished.

These two vital utterances of the Lord on Golgotha are words of truth bearing testimony to the veracity of the Old Testament Scriptures, and words of grace in regard to the work of salvation.

unknown | Feb 1933
General