“IT IS FINISHED”

"Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." John 19:28-30, NIV.

"When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, it is finished: and he gave up the ghost." - John 19:30

From all eternity, God willed to make man to the image of His eternal son. After having painted the heavens with blue and the earth was green, God then made a garden, beautiful as only God then made a garden beautiful and it he placed man to conform to the image of God’s Son? In some mysterious way the revolt of Lucifer echoed to earth, and the image of God in man was blurred and ruined.

The Heavenly Father in His divine mercy willed to restore man to his pristine glory. In order that the portrait might once be true to the Original, God willed to send to earth His Divine Son according to whose image man was made, that the earth might see once more the manner of man God wanted us to be. In the accomplishment of this task, only Divine Omnipotence could use the elements of defeat as the element of victory.

The artist had put the last touch on His masterpiece and with the joy of the strong, He uttered the song of triumph: “It is finished”

The sixth cry from the cross consists of three words. The three words “it is finished” are the equivalent of the one Greek word, Tetelestai- Tetelestai.

Dr F.W. Boreham in his charming and illuminating way points out that it is a

1. farmers word

2. Artist’s word

3. Priestly word

And when in the fullness of time the lamb of God offered Himself a stainless perfect sacrifice, He cried with a loud voice, “ Tetelestai_ it is finished” and gave up the ghost.

"It is finished." What was "finished?

ü The need for sinners to repent? No indeed.

ü The need for turning to God from idols? No indeed.

ü The need for mortifying my members which are upon earth? No indeed.

ü The need for being sanctified wholly, in spirit, and soul, and body? No indeed.

ü Christ died not to make my sorrow for, hatred of, and striving against sin, useless. Christ died not to absolve me from the full discharge of my responsibilities unto God.

ü Christ died not so that I might go on retaining the friendship and fellowship of the world. How passing strange that any should think that He did. Yet the actions of many show that this is their idea.

"It is finished." What was "finished?"

The sacrificial types were accomplished, the prophecies, of His sufferings were fulfilled, the work given Him by the Father had been perfectly done, a sure foundation had been laid on which a righteous God could pardon the vilest transgressor of the law who threw down the weapons of his warfare against Him. Christ had now performed all that was necessary in order for the Holy Spirit to come and work in the hearts of His people; convincing them of their rebellion, slaying their enmity against God, and producing in them a loving and obedient heart.

A SUFFERING WAS ENDED. The cup of suffering was indeed full for Him! As MAclaren beautifully says, “Having drained the cup, he held it up inverted when He said ‘it is finished!’ and not a drop tricked down the edge. He drank it all that we might never need to drink it.”

A REVELATION WAS FINALIZED. What was the purpose of our Lord’s advent? Was it not that He might reveal the Father? John 1:18

A SACRIFICES WERE CONSUMMATED. The animal sacrifice did not atone the sins but it covered the sin. But in the death of Christ the centuries of sacrifice found their culmination.

Heb 10:11 ¶ Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins;

Heb 10:12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD,

He had at length offered up the perfect sacrifice, wrote Bishop Ryle, “of which every Mosaic sacrifice was a type and symbol, and there remained no more need of offering for sin. The Old Covenant is finished’

A THE FATHER’S WILL WAS FULFILLED: John 4:34 Jesus *said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work. “ I HAVE FINISHED THE WORK WHICH THOU GAVEST ME TO DO”, was His complacent verdict at the end of life. He could review the whole approvingly, conscious that in every detail His Father’s will had been faithfully carried out, even though, it involved a shameful cross for Him. He alone, of all mankind, could look back upon a finished work.

A SATAN WAS DEFEATED. The unifying theme of the scriptures is the conflict between God and Satan and its triumphant issue. On the cross he launched his final blitzkrieg against the Seed of the woman, which was to bruise his head, and it looked as though he had achieved a victory: but instead

He hell in hell laid low

He death by dying slew

“HE VANQUISHED SATAN” wrote the lat R.L. Moyer; “He broke open the grave; he led death captive; He closed the gated of hell, and opened the gates of heaven for the redeemed. The prince of this world has his conflict with righteousness, and righteousness won the fight. The moment of Satan triumph was the moment of his defeat. The victim on the cross became the Victor through the cross.”

A REDEMPTION WAS ACCOMPLISHED: To Him had been entrusted the most stupendous task of the ages- the redemption of a world of lost and enslaved men. What irrepressible joy surged through Him as He triumphantly cried, “It is finished”. Every obstacle between God and man removed. Every demand of the law satisfied. Nothing to be added, for the redemption He had secured was perfect and complete. The way to God was open to every son of Adam, and henceforth they could know Him as a God of love. The joy set before Him was already in sight, and now he could gladly summon His servant death, and dismiss His spirit.

CONCLUSION: His work is finished, but is ours? It belongs to God to use that word, but not to us. The work of acquiring Divine life for human kind is finished, but not the distribution.

He hath done this! It is finshed! Let us learn now to rest on the fact that He has done all, finshed all things necessary for our eternal salvation. Nothing remains for us to do but rest in faith on the finshed work of the cross which God has been pleased to accept.

Are we not satisfied when God is satisfied?

There was war between the goodness of Jesus and the evil one.
But, Jesus endured all things for us. It is finished. It is done.

He fasted forty days and nights, Satan tempting Him with things.
But, Jesus said not to tempt the Lord God, lest evil it brings.

He is the Son of God. He was here for our souls to save.
But, Satan was fighting to the end, Till all were in their grave.

I'm so glad I had Jesus on my side. Truth and goodness won.
It is finished. We shall go now to the Father, through the Son.

All who believe in His Holy Name and accept, with the mouth and heart,
This Son of the Father will never from your side part.

He said it was finished as He gave up the ghost, on that old hill;
Just as it will be finished for us, if we go to the Father, through the Son, His will.

He was on the old cross, upon a hill that day, praying - possibly again.
I do so thank Him. As He said, "It is finished, He paid for my sin."

I can, now, safely go through life; knowing I am hid in He,
Who said, "It is finished," when, on that old Cross-, He died for me.

While He was in the world, all, the, Father gave Him, He did keep.
None lost but Satan. Jesus was safely keeping His sheep.

He was the Blessed Shepherd, going against the mighty foe;
even, to the bottomless pit, for it to be finished, our Lord did go.

©Pearlie Duncan Walker