“And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.” (Matthew 27:50 (ESV)
“And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last.” (Mark 15:37 (ESV)
“When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” (John 19:30 ESV)
Thomas Manton (1620–1677) was an English Puritan clergyman. He was a clerk to the Westminster Assembly and a chaplain to Oliver Cromwell. The following excerpt is from his message entitled It is Finished – John 19:30.
When Christ stood in our stead, no comfort was granted to him but what was devised to augment his grief. When his strength was dried up like a potsherd, and his tongue cleaved to his jaws, ‘They gave him vinegar to drink,’ when he was providing for us a cup of blessings, a torrent and a river of pleasure, of which we might drink: ver. 30, ‘When he had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished; and he bowed the head, and gave up the ghost.’ When he had received it, that is, tasted it, for they put it into his mouth with a sponge on the top of a reed, then he said, ‘It is finished;’ that is, as much as was necessary for his humiliation, God’s glory, and man’s salvation; as much as was decreed, as much as was foretold.
And he said, ‘It is finished,’ because he was now upon the last work, death, which was coming upon him; and therefore folded it in the expression with what is past, ‘It is finished,’ because the last act was at hand: Matt. 26:28, ‘This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed;’ that is, which is about to be shed: John 17:4, ‘I have finished the work thou gave me to do.’ All the sufferings were now completed at death, which he was to suffer for our sins. In what sense it is said, ‘It is finished”?
All the scripture prophecies which spoke of Christ’s death and sufferings were now fulfilled and accomplished.
That the substance of the types were accomplished in him, as that of the brazen serpent, the paschal lamb, the daily and yearly sacrifices, the offering of Isaac; all which prefigured that Christ should die for the sins of the world.
All was finished that was necessary to make him a fit pattern of patience to us; for he had borne the extremity of his enemies’ malice, all that man or devils could by the permission of God execute upon him; for he said, Luke 22:53, ‘This is your hour, and the power of darkness.’ Yea, he had drunk up the cup which the Father had put into his hands, to the very dregs. One end of Christ’s death was to give us an example: 1 Peter 2:21, ‘Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps.’ Now here is a full copy and pattern of the right way of suffering for all his own to imitate.
All was fulfilled which God determined to be done for the expiation of sin; so that no more ransom is to be paid; our debt is satisfied; divine justice hath no more demand to us; sin, Satan, and death are spoiled and disarmed, and way is made for our salvation to be owned, as coming from Christ alone,
In regard of Christ himself, all the necessary acts of his mediation were now past. Death was just at hand, and was comprised in the expression; his lying in the grave was but the continuation of his abasement, till the time of his exaltation should come. But in the way of satisfying justice he had no more to do; whatever was done afterwards was by way of reward, not to satisfy justice, but to satisfy the world of the dignity of his person. He was to rise from the dead, and ascend into glory; that is, for our more abundant comfort. His resurrection was his solemn acquittance; our surety was let out of prison:
From the greatness of the punishment imposed upon Christ; for if he suffered all the punishments due to us, it cannot be that anything more should be done to pacify God; all is finished. Now Christ omitted none of those things which divine justice required: he ‘fulfilled all righteousness,’ Mat. 3:15; ‘Was obedient to death, even the death of the cross,’ Phil. 2:8. Yea, and suffered all those things which the law did put upon sinners, either as to loss or sense, as to desertion or as to the curse; and therefore he is said, ‘To bear our griefs, and carry our sorrows, and to be wounded for our transgressions, and to be bruised for our iniquities,’ Isa. 53:4, 5; ‘To be made a curse for us,’ Gal. 3:15; ‘To be made sin for us,’ 2 Cor. 5:21. God spared him not, but put him to grief, not out of hatred to his Son, but love to our salvation. Hence those agonies of Christ, and prayers, and tears, and strong cries.
Soli deo Gloria!
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