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April 21, 2025

"IT IS FINISHED!"

     One of the many spring-time projects on our property is pruning the fruit trees. We have five down and four to go. But when we conquer the last one, we are only "finished" for this spring. Next year we will have to do it all over again. Whether it is cleaning or painting the house, rototilling or weeding the garden, washing the car, mowing the grass, etc., we are never really "finished," for it has to be repeated over and over again.

     But, when it comes to Christ's work on the cross, after the three supernatural hours of darkness from noon to three p.m., Jesus cried out with a loud voice, " 'It is finished,' and yielded up His spirit" (Mt. 27:50; Jn. 19:30).  He had completed the work that He came to earth to accomplish. He revealed God to us (Jn. 1:14,18; 14:8,9) and He lay down His life to pay the penalty for our sins (Jn. 1:29; II Cor. 5:21; I Pet. 2:24). Repeatedly during His ministry, He said, "My hour/time has not come," (Jn. 2:4; 7:6), but when He came into Jerusalem to celebrate His final Passover on earth with His disciples, He said, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified...Now my soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour? But for this purpose I came to this hour' " (Jn. 12:23,27). The defining moment of Jesus' first coming had arrived--to offer His life as "The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (Jn. 1:29). 

     As Jesus hung there on the cross, His body mutilated from the scourging, the beating and the crown of thorns, His blood pouring out upon the ground, He suffered separation from His Father and bore God's wrath on our sins for those three hours of unnatural darkness.  He literally suffered hell for each one of us so that He could offer us forgiveness and eternal life, for "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished upon us" (Eph. 1:7,8a). 

       Before He yielded up His spirit, He cried out "It is finished!" Throughout the Old Testament and up until the time of Jesus death, thousands upon thousands of animal sacrifices took place in the Temple to make atonement for sin, but the job of the priests was never "finished."  And when one priest died, another had to take his place to continue offering sacrifices for sin. Then came Jesus our High Priest to give His life a ransom for sin. The author of Hebrews put it this way: "By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time sat down at the right hand of God...for by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified" (Heb. 10:10-14),  Note that having offered His life, He "sat down" indicating His work was done. There was no chair in the Temple because the priests' work was never done!

     Jesus paid it all. There remains now no need for sacrifices. We simply put our complete trust in the work Christ did on our behalf, and His righteousness is credited to our account.

     And as proof that it was "finished," God raised Jesus from the dead (Acts 2:23,24; Heb. 13:20),  The resurrection indicated that God was "propitiated" (satisfied) with Jesus' sacrifice for sin (Ro. 3:24-26; I Jn. 2:2).  Jesus was "delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification" (Ro. 4:25).  Because God the Father was satisfied with Jesus' work on the Cross to justify us (make us right with God), He raised Him from the dead. So, as the lyrics of Don Francisco's song relate: "He's alive and I'm forgiven, heaven's gates are opened wide!"  PTL!!

     So, If you have been working hard to make it to heaven. Stop it! The work has already been done! Trust in the "finished" work of Christ. He paid the price for you. Just put your trust in Him--in His death, burial and resurrection. Salvation is a gift, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life" (Jn. 3:16). It is all by the grace of God (Eph. 2:8,9). 

Forever His,
Pastor Dave N