Christ's work finished.
John xix. 30. It is finished.
THESE, with the exception of the words with which our blessed Lord commended his spirit into his Father's hands, were the last words which he spake, previous to his dissolution. In the original, they are comprehended in one word3 : and since the founda- tion of the world there never was a single word uttered, in which such diversified and important mat- ter was contained. Every word indeed that proceeded from our Saviour's lips deserves the most attentive
a TlTlXlffTUt.
1726.1 Christ's work finished. 18.')
consideration : but this eclipses all. To do justice to it, is beyond the ability of men or angels : its height, and depth, and length, and breadth, are absolutely unsearchable. But that its import may be somewhat more clearly seen, we propose to shew, I. The truths contained in it —
Our blessed Lord not having expressly stated what he alluded to as finished, we are left to gather his meaning from a general view of that work which he came to accomplish. We understand then, that when he uttered this word, the following things were finished :
1. The fulfilment of prophecy —
[Prophecy was of two kinds, one consisting of typical institutions, the other of positive declarations. Now both these kinds of prophecy received their accomplishment in the death of Christ.
The brazen serpent, the daily sacrifice, the burning of the flesh of the sin-offerings ivithout the camp, with various other ordinances, shadowed forth the death of Christ by crucifixion without the walls of Jerusalem ; and at that moment, when our Lord was about to resign his spirit, were all fulfilled : for he was then " suffering without the gate15;" and was " lifted up, that all who believed in him might be healed" of their wounds0; and was " the Lamb of God taking away the sin of the world d."
The declarations of the prophets were so numerous and minute, that a history of our Lord might be compiled from them, fuller, in many respects, than is contained in any one of the Evangelists. The person that betrayed him, the manner in which his trial should be conducted, the sufferings he should undergo previous to the final execution of his sentence, the death to which he should be doomed, the persons in whose company he should suffer, the manner in which his clothes should be disposed of, the very taunts with which he should be insulted in his dying hour, were all fulfilled as exactly, as if the agents in this bloody tragedy had designed to accomplish the predictions concerning him. There remained only one single prophecy to be fulfilled : and who would have conceived that ever that should be fulfilled ? It was customary for the friends of the persons who were executed to give them " wine mingled with myrrh," in order to blunt the edge of their suf- ferings : and the friends of our Lord had offered him such a potion ; but he would not drink of it, because he would do
b Heb. xiii. 11, 12. e John iii. 14, 15. d John i. 29.