Jump Start # 3723

John 19:30 “Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”

Our verse today shows the death of Jesus. He breathed His last. I have seen many people take their last breath. It’s not like the movies. No music plays. No buildup or huge moment. Quietly. Silently. The last breath is taken and they are no longer among the living.

One of the final words of Jesus was, “It is finished.” Job completed. Everything accomplished. The sacrifice had been given. The price had been paid for redemption. Jesus fulfilled what He came to do.

There are moments in our lives when we can declare, Finished. When one completes all the schooling they were going to do, they are finished. Done with school. Some, when they retire, are finished with work. No more getting up and driving to the office. No more co-workers. No more punching the clock. Finished. As we head to the holidays, a parent may declare, “I’m finished with wrapping all the gifts,” or, “I’m finished making all the cookies.”

The Lord’s declaration was on a much grander scale. Divine. Prophetic. Heaven sent. And, to finish all that He came to do, Jesus was single-minded. He remained focused. He did not get distracted or side tracked.

Our verse then states that Jesus bowed His head. It doesn’t read, Jesus’ head drooped or his muscles reflexed and His head fell. Jesus bowed His head. It’s the same language as ’The foxes have holes and the birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Laying His head. Bowing His head.

As you and I bow our heads in prayer, the Lord seems to be bowing His head in honor to His Father. Respect. Devoted. Submissive. And, the next line in our verse substantiates this. Jesus gave up His spirit. Jesus didn’t just die. He gave up His life. Earlier Jesus said, “I lay down my life that I might take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord.”

The concept of the sacrifice is that something is offered. It’s not taken. It’s not stolen. It is a gift. It is an offering. It is a present. It is a choice. And, Jesus, the greatest sacrifice of all, gave up His spirit. This shows that Jesus was in charge. He was always in charge. The time table was His. The focus was His. The sacrifice was His.

From this we ought to see three things:

First, no one loves you as much as the Lord does. Sure many of our parents worked hard, sacrificed and did things for us, but no sacrifice compares to the Lord’s. No sacrifice equals what Jesus gave. He gave His life. No sacrifice has done as much as Jesus’ sacrifice. Our parents may have put us through college, got us a car, helped us to have a decent childhood, but nothing they could do would take away our sins. And, not just our sins, but the sins of the world. No sacrifice has had the scoop of effect as Jesus’. The sins of the first century to the sins of this century, forgiven by the sacrifice of Jesus.

The holidays can be lonely and hard for some people. Some miss others. Some are not welcome. Some do not have good relationships with their families. This may be one reason why suicide rates escalate during the holidays. Unloved and unwanted, some just give up. He bowed His head and He gave up His spirit. He did that for you. He loves you. When maybe you feel that no one else cares, Jesus does. When you believe that no one loves you, Jesus does. His sacrifice shows it. His sacrifice proves it.

Second, no one has done so much for you as the Lord has. I’ve received many wonderful gifts through the years. Knowing I have a fascination with church history, I’ve been given old Bibles that belonged to well know preachers. I have collected original sermons from many preachers that meant so much to me. The Psalms tells us that children are a gift of the Lord—I have four wonderful gifts that know me as “Dad.” That means so much to me. I’ve had so many blessings and help through the years. I could not have done any of this without so many wonderful people who believed in me. But, no one has done as much as the Lord has. His word has shaped and changed my heart. He has forgiven me more times than I remember. I wonder if I would even be alive today had it not been for the Lord. I wonder if I would have been divorced multiple times and even had spent time in prison had it not been for the Lord. The Lord has surrounded me with the greatest people on the face of the earth. He has opened so many doors for me to teach His word.

He bowed His head and He gave up His spirit.

Third, no one believes in you more than the Lord does. The Lord could have said, ’This sacrifice is for those that I name.’ He didn’t. He could have excluded you. He didn’t. The Lord wants you to be saved. The Lord wants you to have a relationship with His Father. The Lord wants you to embrace His word and busy yourself in His kingdom. The Lord knows the good that you can do. The Lord knows you can do it.

He bowed His head and He gave up His spirit.

Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord for doing that. The least I can do is to give You my best.

Roger