(REFLECTIONS ON John 19:1-37)

And so Jesus was crucified. Pilate feared the truth, and found no guilt in Him, but the people were adamant saying, “crucify Him!” The chief priests also made a proclamation that was a tragic confession of self-condemnation saying, “We have no king but Caesar.”

Case closed, the Jewish leaders and those that cried out, “crucify Him!” were blind to the truth, yet the Truth stood strong until the end, and more important through the end. After Jesus was crucified, and victory seemingly was for those that sought to kill Him, it is Jesus that said, “It is finished!“

Jesus bowed His head and gave up His spirit, signifying that “It is finished!” meant that victory was not in the hands of His accusers, but in the hands of Truth, and the will of God. Throughout the Gospel of John we see a stark contrast between religious institutions, governments, and God’s kingdom.

The Jews and Rome were functioning on the plane of the religious institutions and world governments, but Jesus time and time again tried to help those that heard Him, saw Him, and followed Him to cross over from the earthly kingdom to God’s kingdom.

“It is finished!” reminds us to reflect on our own life, our faith, and whether we have put our life of faith in the hands of the Creator, the Word, the way, the truth and the life, or in the hands of the world, as the chief priests said, “We have no king but Caesar.”

Today’s Scripture also requires us to consider if we like the Roman soldiers have also twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on Jesus’ head, and put a purple robe on Him; and say, “Hail, King of the Jews!” but rather than worship Him as the Lord of our lives and of the kingdom of God, mock Him as they did.

“It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. Jesus is the Lord not just of life, but over death and the resurrection.

Pastor Michael Lu
Enduring Word Bible Commentary: John 19