IT IS FINISHED-INTO THY HANDS
TEXT- John 19:30 & Luke 23:44-49
Introduction
The date was may 10th, 1869. That was the day the first Intercontinental Railroad in the world was finished; and it here in the USA. About 6 years earlier, the Central Pacific RR set toward the east-from Sacramento, California. Some time a little later, the Union Pacific RR began to build west from Omaha, Nebraska. They were going to meet somewhere in the middle and tie this nation-east and west-together
They had unbelievable difficulties as they build through rough terrain-crossing the Sierra Nevada and the Rocky Mountains. They had to work through every kind of weather, but, in about 6 years the 2 RR’s met in northern Utah..
The officials of both Errs were present for the driving of the last spike, which happened to be a golden spike. The newspaper headlines across this country read: “IT IS FINISHED, EAST AND WEST TIED TOGETHER!”
It was a far greater day when Jesus Christ said- from the cross on Calvary-“IT IS FINISHED.”
Sermon
During His crucifixion on a roman Cross between two thieves, Jesus made 7 statements. As He looked down upon the people responsible for putting Him to death, He made His 1st statement as a Prayer, “FATHER, FORGIVE THEM FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO.”
His 2nd statement involved one of the thieves being crucified with Him, and Jesus said to Him, “TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”
Then Jesus looked upon His Mother standing near the cross and gave her into the care of John, “saying, “WOMEN, BEHOLD YOUR SON.” And to John, He said, “BEHOLD YOUR MOTHER.”
Darkness fail on the face of the Earth from noon until 3:oo on the afternoon Jesus was crucified. Out of the darkness His voice cried, “MY GOD,MY GOD. WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME?”
The next statement demonstrated His humanity, when our Lord said, “I THRIST.”
Then came His last two statements, “IT IS FINISHED” and, “FATHER, INTO THY HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.”
Jesus had lived in this world for about 33 years, he had done His Father’s will and had performed that will perfectly. He had finished the work that God had given Him to do. And-as He was crucified-He bowed His head upon a burdened bosom and said, “ IT IS FINISHED.”
What did He mean? What was finished?
TETELESTAI—WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
These three English words, It is Finished, are actually one Greek word. It means “it is finished-it is accomplished-it is completed-the work is done! It was not a cry of defeat, but it was a shout of victory! Tetelestai means it is finished-it stands finished-it will always be finished.
In the every day language and customs of the Greeks it meant:
1. To the Servant-when the job was completed, the servant would say to the master-TETELESTAI-meaning, “I have completed the job you gave me to do. I did it-I won-I overcame…And the master will say to the servant- “well done….”
2. To the Priest-The Jewish people would bring their sacrifice to be offered-After the High Priest had examined and accepted it, he would say-TETELESTAI-meaning “it is perfect. It is acceptable.”
3. To the Merchant-The debt has been fully paid. When you purchase something, the merchant would take your money and hand you a receipt. TETELESTAI-Paid in full.
4. To the Artist—When an Artist would complete a work, he would step back and say-TETELESTAI- it is finished. The picture is completed and it is excellent work. When Jesus came, He completed the Old Testament picture of the Christ to come. He completed the shadow and turned the light on it.
THE PROPHECY IS FULFILLED
At the cross of Christ, as He said, “It is finished.”-the prophecies of the OT that pointed to this very event were fulfilled. The cross of Jesus was in keeping with the eternal plan of God. Acts 2:23 tells us that it “was according to the determined counsel of God.”
Revelation 13:6-8 tells us that the cross of Christ showed the lamb slain-even from the very foundation of the world. Everything had moved toward this event. The OT prophets looked forward to and predicted the crucifixion of Jesus.
At the fall of man in Genesis 3;15, God spoke to the serpent-and I believe this serpent was Satan. God said, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; it will bruise your head and you will bruise his heel.”
God was saying: “The world needs a redeemer.”
God was saying, “A redeemer will come.”
And God was saying, “a redeemer that will come wail be of the human family.” It is the seed of woman.”
Finally, the promise of Genesis 3:15 says that the redeemer will be victorious.
Jesus was not defeated-Jesus was not destroyed-Rather than that being the result, Jesus instead dwelt a deathblow to Satan. Genesis 3:15 pointed directly to the cross of Christ.
The second example of prophecy being fulfilled can be found in the promise that God made to Abraham in Genesis 12;1-7, “I will make of you a great nation.”…..”In you and in your seed, all the families of the Earth will be blessed.”
In Galatians 3:16, Paul said, “To Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He sayeth not, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ.”
Genesis 12 was the finger of God pointing to the coming of Christ and His mission and ministry in this world—including His cross.
We can look at the promise of Genesis 49:10. Abraham had a son named Isaac-Isaac had a son named Jacob-Jacob had 12 sons who became the heads of the 12 tribes of Israel.
In Genesis 49:10, Jacob is about to die and he gathers his sons before him-and gives them some statements concerning their futures.
In Genesis 49;10, he said, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah until Shiloh comes.” Judah will remain a tribe until the one shall come unto the gathering of the people will be. That is the Messianic promise pointing directly to the coming of Christ.
Then there is the prophecy in Deuteronomy 18:18. Moses said, “The Lord your God will raise you up prophet from among the people, like into me. Upon Him you will hearken. It shall come to pass that whosoever does not harkens unto that prophet will be cut off from among the people.”
In Acts 3, that prophecy of Deuteronomy 18 is quoted. It’s fulfillment is stated to be in Jesus Christ. Moses was seeing Christ-the prophet like unto himself-the prophet that every person would be called upon to listen to.
Then there’s that promise of Isaiah 53, where he described the suffering and rejected servant of the Lord. He said, “He was wounded for our transgression; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way, but the Lord has laud on Him the iniquities of us all.”
Isaiah was pointing 750 years in to the future saying Jesus would bear our sins and carry our sorrows on the cross of Calvary. When Jesus said, “It is finished”-there many thing that were finished, and one of those things was that prophecy.
TYPES WERE COMPLETED
The OT “types” found their “anti-types” in the cross. In Exodus chapters 12-14 we see the “Passover lamb” of ancient Israel. As God delivered them from Egyptian bondage, they were instructed to put a lamb’s blood on their doorpost and they would be spared. In 1st Corinthians 5;7, the Apostle Paul says, “Christ is our Passover.”
When Moses led them into the wilderness they murmured and complained. God sent fiery serpents and they bit the people. When they became repentant God told Moses to make a serpent of bronze and put it on a standard in the middle of the camp. When someone was bitten, if they would turn and look at that bronze serpent they would live.
In John 3:14, Jesus said, “As Moses lifted up his serpent in the wilderness, even so shall the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. The serpent was a “type” and Christ was the “anti-type.”
Then there was the “type” of the temple. It had been dived into 2 rooms. There was the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place where God said “I will meet you there…” Only the High Priest was a allowed there once a year to offer sacrifices for the people. A veil separated the two rooms. When Jesus died on the cross, Matthew 27:51 says, “The veil in the temple was rent in twain from top to the bottom.”
The Hebrew writer says in Hebrew 10:19-21, “Now we, through a new and living way, can enter into heaven itself by the blood of Jesus which He has sanctified for us by the veil that is His flesh.” Jesus has not gone into the holy place made with hands, but into heaven itself to appear in the presence of God for us.
THE OLD COVENANT IS FINISHED
One of the covenants made in the OT was with the nation of Israel that we know as The Law of Moses. Paul said in Galatians 3:19, “…It was added because of transgression.” The Law was to show Israel a need for a redeemer. The law could reveal sinners-there was salvation offered in the Law. No, the salvation was in the Christ to whom the Law pointed .In Galatians 3:19, it tells us, “It was added because of transgression until the promised seed should come.” The seed was Christ.
Now the way was made for the Gospel of Christ, which was to be preached to the whole world. When Jesus bowed His head and said, “it is finished” He mean the Law was finished. Now we are to turn to Christ and respond to the things he said.
THE SUFFERING OF CHRIST WAS FINISHED
When Jesus died at Calvary, His suffering was ended. Jesus lived in this world as a human being-therefore, He knew what it was to suffer. He suffered because He was Mistreated-disappointed by His friends-arrested-beaten-slapped, and spat upon. He suffered in that He was crucified and crucifixion was an agonizing, painful way to die.
Before the cross, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed: ‘Ohm Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not my will but Thine be done.”
Hebrews 5:8-9 says, ‘Tho He was a son ,yet learned He obedience.” Jesus obeyed when He came into this world-even to the cross. “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all then that obey Him. In Hebrews 2:17, The writer says, “He came to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” The suffering of Christ is finished.
ATONEMENT IS MADE
At the cross-when Jesus said, “It is finished”- we’re reminded that atonement is made. What does “Atonement” mean? Just break the word down, and we will get the idea. Atonement means “at-one-ment.” Atonement makes it possible for man to be at one with God.
In Ephesians chapter 2 Paul uses three words that helps us to understand. The words were mercy-love-and grace. In verse 13, he said, “ But now in Christ Jesus ye who were sometimes afar off are made near by the blood of Christ. Verse 14 says, “For He is our peace.” He is the Prince of Peace.
In 2nd Corinthians 5;17, it says, “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.” The new humanity-made up of all those in Christ-is the Church. We’re reconciled into one body- the body of Christ- which we know of as the Church. Reconciliation takes place in one body. The Church doesn’t do the saving, but it is the saved.
ATONEMENT HAS BEEN MADE.
GOD INAUGURATED IT
CHRIST FULFILLED IT, AND WE ACCEPT IT
THE ATONEMENT WAS FINISHED AT THE CROSS
SATAN IS DEFEATED
TETELESTAI-It is finished
TETELESTAI- All prophecy has been fulfilled
TETELESTAI- types are completed
TETELESTAI- the old covenant is finished
TETELESTAI- the suffering of Christ is finished
TETELESTAI- propitiation and atonement has been made.
“FATHER INTO THY HANDS I COMMEND MY SPIRIT”
It is difficult to die. It’s especially difficult when you are only 33years old. Can you imagine what it would be like to be crucified on a Roman cross? The cross of Christ became an altar-ordained by God-where, by the death of His Son, God would open the way for sinful men that they might be able to draw near to God.
Wouldn’t it be a shame if after all that God had planned for us from the foundation of the world, and all the things Jesus went through offering us a free gift of salvation, and we refuse to accept it! We need to accept-today!.
INVITATION
