Title: FINISH Well
Theme:
Text: John 19:28 – 30, Philippians 1:6, Hebrews 12:1 – 3
Offering: Matthew 6:19-20 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; (20) but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
Opening Scripture:
After this, Jesus, knowing [103] that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!" Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. John 19:28-30
Introduction
It was a dark day on this day. From the agonizing prayer in the garden, to the betrayal by a friend who was so close, to the scourging and beating, carrying His own cross on the journey to Golgotha, the crucifixion, the mocking and finally the preparation.
In this passage, Jesus prepares for the final fulfillment of scripture. The whole crucifixion was not something that caught God off guard but was prophesied thousands of years ago. Isaiah 53 reminds us of the suffering savior.
This was the culmination of the event. Notice what the passage says. “Jesus, knowing that all things were not accomplished, that the scripture by be fulfilled.” IOW Jesus had completed everything to fulfill the prophecies of scripture but also the final moment of redemption.
Then the last two sayings of Christ comes. First Jesus says, “I thirst”. It shows His humanity but it also shows his preparation for what happens next. They gave Him something to drink, another fulfillment of scripture from Psalms 69:21.
Then these final words, Greek: tel-eh'-o “It Is FINISHED”
Thayer’s: G5055 - Original: te?e´?
- Transliteration: Teleo - Phonetic: tel-eh'-o
- Definition:
1. to bring to a close, to finish, to end
a. passed, finished
2. to perform, execute, complete, fulfil, (so that the thing done corresponds to what has been said, the order, command etc.)
a. with special reference to the subject matter, to carry out the contents of a command
b. with reference also to the form, to do just as commanded, and generally involving the notion of time, to perform the last act which completes a process, to accomplish, fulfil
3. to pay
a. of tribute It is finished or paid Joh_19:30
It is FINISHED – YELL. Say it with me, say it loud.
Utley
Joh_19:30 "It is finished!" This is a perfect passive indicative. From the Synoptic Gospels we learned that He shouted this with a loud cry (cf. Mar_15:37; Luk_23:46; Mat_27:50). This refers to the finished work of redemption. This form of the term (telos) in the Egyptian papyri (Moulton and Milligan) was a commercial idiom for "paid in full."
What is finished?
The penalty for sin has been paid “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life” Romans 6:23
Ephesians and 1 Peter reminds us that He set the captive free.
"[He] spoiled principalities and power, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it [the cross]" (Col. 2:15. Cp. Ephes. 6:12.)
b. Peter says that on the cross and after death this happened:
"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: by which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah" (1 Peter 3:18-20. See note—• 1 Peter 3:18-22; Deeper Study #1—1 Peter 3:19-20.)
c. Paul says that after death this happened:
"Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)" (Ephes. 4:8-10. See note—• Ephes. 4:8-10.)
Next He “gave up His Spirit”. No man could take it from Him but He freely gave it up. John 10:18
2. "Gave up the ghost" means that He gave up His spirit. It must always be remembered that Jesus willingly died. He willingly came to this moment of yielding and giving up His spirit unto death. Both Paul and Peter cover the Lord's work during the three days immediately following His death until the resurrection.
Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – John.
This is something we have to learn to accept in the New Year. We have to know that we know. We can’t keep trying to repeat what God has completed. We can’t keep crucifying what God has set free.
Know that God has a FINISHED work in you.
being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; (Philippians 1:6)
Complete – from the same Greek word as FINISH. He will finish His work in you. That which God has begun He will FINISH.
So what is our part. It is to allow ourselves to be prepared for His FINISH work. This is so that we can FINISH well. We can FINISH well in the New Year. God has brought us through this season. We don’t know if this is the year the Lord will rapture His church but we do know that we want to FINISH well.
Paul said,
2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
How to Finish Well
Hebrews 12:1-3 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
I. You are not in this alone
“since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses”
The image the author gives us is a stadium full of people watching us. This is an image of life. There are people who are watching us. Some cheering and some jeering. Some giving encouragement.
Jesus is Cheering us on
But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" (Act 7:55-56)
Previous Examples as in Hebrews 11
The influence we have.
II. Remove sin – obstacles – Communion
“ let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us,”
"Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions" (Matthew 19:21-22).
"And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:57-62).
"But his wife looked back from behind him [at the world and its fate and daily events], and she became a pillar of salt" (Genesis 19:26).
III. Endure – “run with endurance in mind” the long haul - patience
Patience is active. It is not sitting back and waiting on things to come but moving forward in confidence of who God is.
Philippians_3:13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
IV. Stay Focused on Christ
looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Author – originator, beginner
Finisher – perfected, completed “we have a high priest who was in all points tempted as we are tempted”
Jesus completed His race and so can we.
V. Don’t get distracted by naysayers
For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
Know what to do with your Past
Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, Philippians 3:13
VI. Finish Well
being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; (Philippians 1:6)
5. (1:6) Power, God's— Confidence— Assurance: there is the mark of confidence in God's salvation. God will complete His good work in believers. Confidence and assurance are two of the striking traits of genuine believers. Believers know God, know Him personally. God's Spirit actually lives within the heart and body of the believer (John 14:16-17; John 14:26; 1 Cor. 6:19-20; etc.). The Spirit of God actually bears witness with the spirit of the believer, that he is going to be redeemed someday—presented perfect before God. In fact, the presence of the Holy Spirit within the believer's body is the very guarantee of the believer's salvation (cp. 2 Cor. 1:22; 2 Cor. 5:5; Ephes. 1:14).
1. The believer has absolute confidence in the work of salvation or redemption which God has begun in his life. He has confidence through the presence of God's Spirit who dwells within him.
2. The work begun by God is a good work; that is, it is a work that revolutionizes or radically changes the life of the believer. No matter what kind of life a person was living, once God converts him, the new believer begins to live a good life : a life of...
• righteousness, purity, and holiness.
• love, joy, and peace.
• faith, humility, and control.
3. The good work is incomplete as long as the believer lives on this earth. He is never perfected, not while a man. There is always work for God to do; therefore, God is always working within the life of the believer to mature him more and more. God is always working to make the man more and more pure and more and more faithful in his service to the Lord Jesus.
4. The good work is to be completed when Jesus Christ returns to this earth. At that time, the believer will be transformed into a perfect man and given a perfect body. He will become a perfect man who will live in the new heavens and earth with Christ. And he will worship and serve the Lord Jesus in perfection throughout all eternity.
"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6).
"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:7).
"...I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day" (2 Tim. 1:12).
"Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing" (2 Tim. 4:8).
"He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness [the Holy Spirit] in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son" (1 John 5:10).
"Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever" (Jude 24-25).
"Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth" (Rev. 3:10).
"And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of" (Genesis 28:15).
"O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful" (Psalm 31:23).
"For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever" (Psalm 37:28).
"The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands" (Psalm 138:8).
Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians.
Conclusion
being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; (Philippians 1:6)
