Those who have read thus far will be aware that the Fourth Evangelist (John) has carefully crafted a progression of three sayings. First, Jesus gives his mother to the Beloved Disciple, creating the new community that will bear his Spirit into the world after he has returned to the Father. Next, John seems to be saying that this final action completes the Lord’s work, for the verse after that reads, “Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfil the scripture), ‘I thirst.’ ” The soldiers