John 14:15-17 English Standard Version

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

¹⁵ “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, ¹⁷ even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

While there may be more obvious things to discuss in His comment “It is finished”, this next issue is important because of the significance that only God has the power to give of Himself in life as never before.

Only God can tell us the thoughts of God and share with us His plans and His will for us and others. This is made possible in the third person of God, the Holy Spirit. If we cannot accept the Trinity of God, then we cannot accept the presence of God in us in the person of the Spirit of Truth. Jesus’ words confirm this by saying “the world cannot receive”.

Hebrews 10:31 English Standard Version (ESV) It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

While this comment is true, we should understand that fearful here is a respectful reverence for the third person of God in us that will only serve in accordance with the purpose for which He was given. He has no agenda of His own.

John 14:25-27 English Standard Version

²⁵ “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. ²⁶ But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. ²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

We need not be afraid of the Holy Spirit because Jesus said not to be afraid in our hearts.

John 19:28-30 English Standard Version

The Death of Jesus

²⁸ After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” ²⁹ A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. ³⁰ When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

What did Jesus know that allowed Him to say “It is finished”?

Knowing all was finished implies there is more than just one thing that is finished. There is the obvious of course but are we missing something by accepting only the obvious? Let us address what is obvious.

He died.

Was that any surprise to any of us, to say the obvious is that Jesus died? It is so obvious that the significance of His death might be glossed over as if it were no big deal. It is a big deal, a very big deal.

What other god, little g, has sacrificed himself for anyone for any reason? I cannot think of one and a quick search by Google says false gods required the sacrifices of other humans and not themselves. In some rare cases humans have committed suicide in order to have their legacy elevated to worship status without any benefit being obtain to anyone by their loss.

The issue here is the benefits obtained by the sacrificial loss of not just the man Jesus but also that part of Him that was fully God. We do not see gods, little g, sacrificing themselves for the benefit of anyone anywhere in history except for the death of our Messiah on the Cross of Christ.

No other death had the power to give the benefits obtained by His death, the forgiveness of sins forever. All sins, past, present and future sins are covered. Only the blood of God Himself has that kind of power.