“IT IS FINISHED”
John 19:30: When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
The final words that Jesus Christ spoke on the cross were not words of defeat; however, they were words of victory. He said, “It is finished!” He knew that his time was drawing near. So, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.” And it was finished.
The chosen one of God had laid down his life for us. No one had taken it from him rather he laid it down himself. Jesus Christ was a man on a mission. He had a job to get done. Now, that he was upon the cross, now that the task was complete, he gave his final proclamation of victory. And it was finished.
Lucifer had tricked Adam & Eve into sinning. Likewise, this sin put mankind on a downward spiral toward hell. Nothing that man tried could stop the fall. The priest offered daily prayers. Nevertheless, they could not pray away the sins of the people. The priest offered daily sacrifices. Nevertheless, they could only cover the sins of the people with the blood of bulls and goats and yet their sins would return. Therefore, God had to come up with a plan. He had to find away to redeem his people back unto him. He had to find a way to undo the harm that had been done by our fall into iniquity.
Therefore, God created a living, moving, and breathing human being. He created someone that had no sin to take the sins of the world upon his shoulder. He created someone who would stay the job until his work was finished.
Through out the three decades of his life, His touch had healed many people. Through out the three decades of his life, His touch had given strength to the lame and sight to the blind. His voice was used to speak countless words of grace and love to his followers. The Son of God came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life as a ransom for many…and he did this until at last it was finished.
Jesus life was at the end of its journey. He died willingly out of love for us. Only the precious blood of Jesus could bring us back to God. Since, justice demanded that we die: ‘for the wages of sin is death’, only the death of Jesus could pay the final price for our sins. And it was finished.
The bible says God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. “It is finished, said our Lord. He did everything that was needed to be done to redeem us from our sins. There is nothing more we can do. There is nothing more we can say in order to redeem ourselves. The Father sent Jesus to seek and save that, which was lost. We were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ. He was a lamb without a spot or blemish. He was the perfect sacrifice. And now it was finished.
No one could do what Jesus did. Jesus offered the final sacrifice for our sins. Jesus had an awesome task before him and our Father God knew he would do it. At last, the job was complete because it was finished. Man could boldly approach the throne of God because it was finished. The blood had been shed. The lamb had been slain. The final sacrifice had been placed on the altar before God. For only by the shedding of blood could man’s sin ever be forgiven. And now it was finished.
Today, God places upon us tasks that seem too hard for us to bare. Today, we may find ourselves in the mist of impossible situations that only a miracle from God can solve. But we must always remember that God is not looking for people just to do the job. He is looking for the one who holds out until the job is finished. For the race is not given to the strong or to the swift, but to the one that endures to the end. We may want to give up, because our burdens seem too hard to bare. However, we must always remember that Jesus took all of our burdens on the cross. And it is finished.
Now that Jesus has done everything that God had assigned to him to do, it was time for another work to begin. Jesus lifted his eyes to heaven and declared for all to hear that it was finished. This proclamation was a signal to the Holy Spirit of God that it was time for his job to begin. For Jesus came only to seek and save that which was lost. And that job was now finished.
So now, we, the redeemed children of God have been given the same powerful Spirit of God. So now, we, the redeemed children of God have been assigned our task. We can lay hands on the sick. We can raise the dead. We too can seek and save those that are lost. However, we were saved for greater task than these were. Some of us have been called to teach, and some have been called to preach. However, we all have been called to build up the kingdom of God.
The question now is will we fulfill our duty. The question now is will we even attempt to start, or will we simply set on the sidelines of life and proclaim to God that our job is just to hard. However, we have to remember that the road has been paved before us with the shed blood of Jesus. However, we have to remember that God has empowered us to do these tasks. Now it is up to us do our job so that when this life of ours ends, we will hear our savior say,’ well done my good and faithful servant. Enter now into thy rest.’ And then it will be finished.
In thy kingdom
Grant me, O lord
The strength to complete the tasks that you have placed before me.
Let me continue to toil yet one more day doing thy work.
Give me the courage to walk this path of righteousness.
Allow me to stay on it for thine sake and thine alone.
Fill me with the wisdom to understand the magnitude of your love.
It extends deeper than any pit of despair,
It reaches higher than any pinnacle of success I may be on.
Please, let me never forget you.
Without you, success is in vain.
Failure is imminent.
Life is empty.
However, with you
I can achieve anything I set my mind to,
As long as it is within your will.
For my hope and joy shall always be rooted and ground
In the revelation that as soon as this life ends
I will begin anew in thy kingdom.
