It is finished! (April 18, 2025)

Listen here:  https://www.pastorwoman.net/podcast/episode/1b0af275/it-is-finished

This is long - it has to be - and even then, some of the detail is missing. Understand with me that there are those who read these Morning Briefings that do not know what Jesus endured so that we can have relationship with him ... in this life and forever.

Herod was greatly pleased that Jesus was finally standing before him, ragged though he looked. Herod hoped that Jesus would perform some wild miracle in his presence; he had heard how many people He had healed! Plying Jesus with many questions, Jesus did not answer, even though the Jewish leaders were vehemently accusing him. Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked Jesus--even dressing our Lord in a royal purple robe before they sent him back to Pilate. [Herod and Pilate were both in town to watch over the throngs of Passover pilgrims; before this, they had been enemies, but now they found themselves sharing common feelings.]

While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him this message: "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him."

Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. Therefore, I will punish him and release him."

Just who was Pilate? History remembers Pontius Pilate either very negatively, as a cruel man who hated the Jews, or more sympathetically as a governor who had a very difficult job ruling a province with a very unruly population, which easily took offense to his actions. Ordinarily he resided in Caesarea, but was in town to keep Jewish Passover fervor in check. When the Sanhedrin brought Jesus to him, Pilate heard their charges against him, but declared Jesus innocent three times. Pilate could not find Jesus guilty of the charges against him, and so told the people that he would punish and then release him.

'Punish Jesus?? How could they punish Jesus??!

Hoping a flogging would placate the Jews, Pilate thought there would be no further talk of execution. Indeed, the flogging 'took place, it would appear, on the platform where the trial had been held, with everyone watching. Jesus was stripped and bent over a low post, his hands tied, so that he had no means of defending himself. The instrument of torture was a sort of cat-o'-nine-tails, with bits of iron and bone attached to the ends of the thongs. Not only did the blows cut the skin and draw blood, but in these sort of floggings, the victim frequently died in the midst of the operation. Out of consideration for Jesus, Pilate may have moderated either the number or the severity of the strokes; but, he could not, as his plan of releasing him depended on his being able to show the Jews that Jesus had suffered severely.'

So Jesus was mercilessly flogged while the crowd watched?  Who could stand and watch the brutal torture of a helpless much less, innocent man? How could they bear seeing the rabbi who had taught and loved like no other violently scourged?

Instead, the people cried out, "Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas," a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection and murder. Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, but they kept shouting, "Crucify, crucify him!" A third time he said to them, "Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him." But they urgently demanded that Jesus should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. Pilate released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, and 'he delivered Jesus over to their will.' 

And so the procession toward the crucifixion, the grueling trek toward Golgotha began. Weak as he was, Jesus buckled under the weight of the cross, so the soldiers grabbed Simon of Cyrene to carry it for him, and he fell in step with the crowd, deafened by the sound of weeping, wailing women. Jesus suffered voluntarily for you and me.

Finally, the procession reaches the top of Mount Calvary--Jesus and two criminals are to be crucified.  Jesus is stripped naked, his bruised and bloodied arms outstretched on the rough wood--a five-inch long, three-eighths-inch square nail is driven through each of his hands--actually, more the wrists. Crucifixion is meant to be humiliating beyond compare, excruciating without equal, as each painful hour drags by before death by suffocation eventually occurs . . . it is horrific. The soldiers bend Jesus' knees, place his feet flat against the wood, and drive a nail through each foot. At high noon, the soldiers raise the cross, and position its base in the hole, and drop it in with a jarring thud.

From the sixth hour until the ninth hour, darkness comes over all the land. The Light of the World is about to be extinguished--the darkness is a cosmic sign--though it is midday, the sunlight is blocked, perhaps a reaction to the Son of God being put to death. About the ninth hour, Jesus cries out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani!"--which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?" My heart aches at the incredible alone-ness Jesus experiences, as God the Father has to look away from him and he becomes our sin.   

When some of those standing there hear this, they say, "He's calling Elijah." Later, knowing that all is now complete, and so that Scripture could be fulfilled, Jesus says, "I am thirsty." Immediately, one of them runs to get a sponge. He fills it with wine vinegar, puts it on a stick, and offers it to Jesus to drink.

When he has received the drink, Jesus says, "It is finished." "Tetelestai!" And then He calls out in a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."

 " Tetelestai !" Jesus utters, and then draws his last breath.

Tetelestai when used in accounting, meant "paid in full." Archaeologists have found papyrus tax receipts with the word written across them . . . interesting. With Jesus' dying breath, our sin is paid in full--our debt is cancelled. 

Jesus Christ died on the cross; and then, he was buried. A man named Joseph (of Arimathea), a member of the Sanhedrin, went to Pilate and asked to take care of the body of Jesus. He took a big risk in doing so, because he obviously 'came out' in support of Jesus by making such a request.  All of the disciples, except John, had fled the scene, concerned that their close relationships with Jesus might find them imprisoned or worse, executed. It was not a safe time to make a show of support for Jesus--too much risk, too much unknown. So it was particularly unusual that Joseph and Nicodemus (a Pharisee and Jewish ruler), requested to take Jesus. And this was no small labor; the burial spices Nicodemus brought are believed to have weighed 95 pounds.

When Joseph and Nicodemus took Jesus down from the cross, they rubbed his stiff arms to remove the rigor mortis (which kept them in a V-shape), and then carefully washed his bloody, bruised body. Then they anointed it with oil and wrapped it in one long linen cloth. They tied a separate napkin under his chin to keep his mouth from falling open after the muscles loosened. The men worked quickly to be sure that Jesus was in the tomb by nightfall; they wanted to keep the Sabbath day sacred, plus the Law required the body of someone executed be buried that same day.

Low in the grave He lay 

Jesus my Savior! 

Waiting the coming day 

Jesus my Lord.

It is Friday, but Sunday's coming.

song: Thank you Jesus for the cross: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhU-Omwg2rU

So aware - so grateful,

Christine - PastorWoman.net

Luke, 61

sources: The biblical accounts from Luke 23 and Matthew 27.

"Pontius Pilate" Julian Spriggs, julianspriggs.com

The Words and Works of Jesus Christ, Pentecost