It Is Finished…
I just heard the seven last words of Christ expounded upon. Each person who expressed their sentiment spoke with passion. Yet, none of us can ever fully comprehend the way that Jesus felt when He spoke, “It is finished”:
28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.
29 Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth.
30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. John 19:28-30 (KJV).
I am saying no one could comprehend the feeling that Jesus had when He gave the words, “it is finished” because none of us were there when He was with the Father speaking the world and all its’ inhabitants into existence.
Imagine yourself when you begin a project. As you engage with this project all kinds of things hinder you from completion. You may run out of resources, you may run out of materials, you may be handicapped by unexpected calamities – sickness, trauma, loss. You know that you have to complete the project, but time after time you find something preventing you from finishing it. Finally, one day, everything comes together – your project is finished. You may be weary; you may have exhausted all of your resources to complete it; you may have even gotten maimed in the process. Whatever the case, you can feel such a feeling of completion, even joy.
I imagine that even with the taste of sour vinegar on HIs lips, the final breath of our Lord was exhaled with peace. He had fully completed what He came to earth to do. He did not leave one task unfinished. Even though He had to go to the dark recesses of the earth before His resurrection, He knew that He had finished the hardest part – He had faced an horrific death – not at the hand of Roman soldiers, for He concluded His life by His own will – “He gave up the ghost”.
Jesus showed us in this that satan has no real power over us; neither do evil men. When we submit ourselves fully and completely to the Father – we don’t give power to men, we yield ourselves to God. In His time, in HIs way – he helps us through any and all situations. And when we give our lives to Christ and accept the finished work at Calvary – our death experience is finished as well – we begin a new life in Christ. We might have to go from this world to the next – but we will go with angels’ wings.
In the words of the old hymn, “I Serve a Risen Savior”
...Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, Lift up your voice and sing
Eternal hallelujahs
To Jesus Christ the King!
The Hope of all who seek Him, The Help of all who find,
None other is so loving, So good and kind.
Have a Blessed Resurrection Week-end!
Maria