The Crucifixion

 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. (John 19:28-30, New King James Version)

You’ve heard this account before – Jesus found guilty in a mock trial, beaten and whipped, then paraded through the streets to a hill called the place of the skull, where he was hung on a cross, between two criminals, until He breathed His last. But you should note, from these verses, that He didn’t die until He had accomplished everything He had come to do.

After you’ve worked on a long, arduous project, you announce, “I’m done, it’s finished”. You feel a little bit of pride and you maybe want to show people what you’ve achieved. But you also know that you will go on to take on other tasks.

Jesus? His task was truly finished. He had lived an unblemished life on this earth and carried all of our sins to the cross. Yes, He rose again on the first Easter morning, but on that first Good Friday afternoon, He had accomplished the goal He came here to complete. 

The altar over the Rock of Calvary in Jerusalem - photo courtesy of Denise Dorsey. 

Someone at work yesterday mentioned the irony that the death toll from corona expected to reach its highest on Good Friday. I can’t fathom what that possibly means, except that a sadness has covered the land which is maybe equal to what the followers felt at the foot of the cross.

The only other comparison I can make is that just like Jesus’ work being finished, corona will be finished someday. And we will be victors over it just like we are victors over sin and death by our belief in what happened on the cross.