It Is Finished!

It Is Finished!

John 19:28-30

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.

The crucifixion is an extraordinary scene of darkness and despair! The events around the death of Christ portray a picture of evil:

The agony of Jesus in the garden The fleeing disciples

The tragic loss of Judas The unfair trial

Peter’s 3 denials The scourging of Jesus

The crown of thorns

The mockery of the soldiers and the cries of “Crucify Him, Crucify Him!”

The darkness that covered the land from noon to 3 PM,

The earthquake, even the cry of Jesus “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”- in the despair of these moments however, another cry comes from Christ. Right at the moment of death Jesus makes another pronouncement that some may have perceived as the cry of defeat, but in reality it was the great cry of Victory! “IT IS FINISHED!”

When He said “It is finished,” He wasn’t saying that His suffering was ended or His life was over. He was saying that He had accomplished everything that His father assigned for Him to do. I want to talk about some of those things He accomplished.

“It is finished” is not a cry of defeat but the shout of Victory.

How are you at completing projects?

My life and house are littered with my half-completed projects- books that I need to finish, messes to clean and on and on.

Our “to-do” list are more like “never-do” list.

Mt. Rushmore – supposed to have been portrayed to the waist.

Michelangelo – more uncompleted works than completed.

Ever think about how much more, certain historical figures could have accomplished had they lived longer –JFK, Alexander the Great – lived to age 33.

Jesus died at 33, but His list of tasks, were different. For you see all the things He came to do, He accomplished. Thank God.

What were His accomplishments?

1.SALVATION

Heb 10:1-7

10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.

3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.

4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should

take away sins.

5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.

7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

1 Peter 1:18-19

18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

John 17:4-6

4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

6 I have manifested thy name unto the men

2. DELIVERANCE

Rom 7:21-25

21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God-through Jesus Christ our Lord!

NIV

2 Tim 4:18

18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

John 8:36

36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

3. HEALING

Isa 53:5

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.