“It is finished.”
Today we hear John’s account of Jesus’ passion. As usual he weaves in many, many details. I always feel that if John were writing today he would have produced a screenplay.
Given there is such richness in John’s telling of the story it’s easy to overlook what isn’t there. His description of the final moments of Jesus’ life are very brief, and there is a total lack of any drama. There is no eclipse, no tearing of the veil in the temple, no discussion with others crucified with him, no commentary from the centurion, no crying out. After a final, very tender, and most practical concern for his mother, there is just a request for something to drink, which feels almost like an afterthought, but is the last detail. Jesus completes every part of the plan to perfection. ‘“When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, “It is finished.” And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.‘
It’s over, finished.
There is no drama for John in these final minutes because he doesn’t see Jesus life as some sort of dramatic saga, sweeping to a climax. So maybe John would actually be a terrible film writer. For John, Jesus’ life was all of one piece, like his cloak. All the pieces were knitted together. There doesn’t need to be a dramatic climax because the whole thing is dramatic, from the beginning, from the beginning of time, until the end of time. The part that Jesus plays out during his life on earth is just the part we need to see. There is plenty of drama, and plenty of explanation, as we go along with John. In the end it is simply finished, nothing more is needed.
There is nothing uniquely awful about Jesus’ death. Countless other people have died deaths just as horrible. What is unique about Jesus is the totality of what he did and what he was. He understood perfectly well where he would end up, he explained it many times to his disciples – who never quite seemed to get it, until after it happened. Then, as they realized he was still with them, they did get it.
God’s time on earth, in human form, was finished. But that wasn’t the end, just as Jesus’ birth wasn’t his beginning. We too, at some time, in some way, will finish our time on earth. But it will not be an end. We are woven into the story of Jesus, God without beginning or end. Because we have seen Jesus we have seen the Father, we know we will live forever. It is finished, but it is not over.