John 19:28-30 It is finished

John 19:28-30 Does the statement by Jesus that He was thirsty, followed by the sponge of sour wine, signify the last cup in the Passover Seder? The death angel would pass over those under the blood of the Lamb because the plan had been followed and completed. The blood on the door, in the shape of a cross, had been applied. When Jesus said, "It is finished," is this what He meant? He had observed the Passover with His disciples the night before, but according to many Passover ceremonies, the cup of Elijah is not drunk. Perhaps this is the prophetic fulfillment of that custom.

          When it was finished, Jesus gave up His Spirit. The cross, the loss of blood, asphyxiation did not kill Him. He gave up His Spirit. We have to turn to other passages to learn what happened next. Matthew 27:51 and Mark 15:38 record that the veil of the temple was torn in halves from top to bottom, the earth shook and rocks were split. Matthew 27:52-53 reports that tombs were opened and many bodies of the holy ones who had died were raised and came out of their tombs after the resurrection and entered Jerusalem and appeared to many people there. Matthew 27:54 and Mark 15:39 record that the Roman centurion who was guarding the crucifixion saw the earthquake and other things was frightened and made what can only be classified as an excited utterance, that truly this was the son of God.  Luke 23:47 reports that the centurion also said that certainly this man was innocent.

          Acts 2:31 and Ephesians 4:9-10 imply that Jesus' soul went to hell, as the consequence of the sins of the whole world being laid on Him, and therefore He bore the punishment for them. But since Jesus was innocent, hell could not contain Him, and in being there though innocent, He destroyed the hold the hell had on those who were identified with Him. (Identification with Christ is a separate issue, relating to salvation,) This was pictured symbolically in the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, in the scene in which Aslan explains to the children that the writing on the stone table had a deeper magic which went back to before the beginning of time. When a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backwards.