Bible Study Notes: The Three Most Important Words Ever Spoken in the History of Mankind !

God’s Plan of Redemption is Completed: “It is Finished !”
Overview:. The New Testament began a new covenant with God and ended the Old Testament. The blood sacrifices of animals was replaced by the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ’s shed blood on the cross for the sins of the world. (Hebrews 9:15) “For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant” . As John the Baptist proclaimed when he first saw Jesus, (John 1:29-30) “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’” God originally revealed Himself to Abraham and the Jewish nation carried the message of a future king who would redeem the entire world. (See Notes 2: God’s Promise Made to Redeem Mankind) As Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus, the entire Gentile nation including us, were without hope and without God in the world. Ephesians 2:11-13 “Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”
(See Notes 3: Jesus’s Agony and Death Foretold 1,000 Years Before His Birth)

The three most important words in the history of mankind were spoken of for you and for me. “It is Finished !” Rest, rejoice and meditate on these three simple words.

Key Verse: John 19:30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. (See Notes 1: “It is Finished!”)

Notes 1: “It is Finished!”
John 19:17-24 And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, 18 where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. 19 Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.21 Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘He said, “I am the King of the Jews.”’” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.” 23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. 24 They said therefore among themselves, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says: “ They divided My garments among them,And for My clothing they cast lots.” (Psalm 22:18)
Therefore the soldiers did these things.
John 19:25-30 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home. 28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” 29 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. 30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Notes 2: God’s Promise Made to Redeem Mankind
Genesis 3:14-16 So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." 16 To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you."
Matthew 1:20-23 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” (Isaiah 7:14) which is translated, “God with us.”

Notes 3: Jesus’s Agony and Death Foretold 1,000 Years Before His Birth
Psalm 22:1, 6-8, 12-18 My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning? 6 But I am a worm, and no man;A reproach of men, and despised by the people.7 All those who see Me ridicule Me;They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,8 “He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him;Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!” 12 Many bulls have surrounded Me;Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me.13 They gape at Me with their mouths,Like a raging and roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water,And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me.15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death. 16 For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet;17 I can count all My bones.They look and stare at Me.18 They divide My garments among them,And for My clothing they cast lots.
Isaiah 53:3-7 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
Zechariah 12:10-11 "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. 11 On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be great, like the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.

Notes 4: The Significance of the Blood Sacrifice and the Power of the Blood of Jesus Christ
Exodus 12:12-14,23 ‘For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. 13 Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. 14 ‘So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance. 22And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. 23 For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you.
Exodus 30:8-11 And when Aaron lights the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense on it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations. 9 You shall not offer strange incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering; nor shall you pour a drink offering on it. 10 And Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonement; once a year he shall make atonement upon it throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD.”
Hebrews 9:11-15 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
Matthew 26:26–29 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” 27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

Practical Application: The power of the blood of Jesus Christ is transformational, not only for eternal life but for us to be able to live a life that is holy and pleasing to God. I Peter 1:18-19 “Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (See Notes 4: The Significance of the Blood Sacrifice and the Power of the Blood of Jesus Christ) God requires us to be aware and to claim what God has provided for us. (I John 1:7) “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” Lastly, the key to remember is that our victory has been provided for us by and through the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 12:11) And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

Our Prayer: Dear Father, help us to understand the power of the blood of Jesus Christ in our lives today, not just for salvation but for protection, power and courage to share the greatest story ever told. We ask this in Jesus name. Amen.