“So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” John 19:30
Since Jesus was on a mission, He had his eye on the finish line. Much like the ultimate marathoner who runs for dozens of miles and for hours at a time, eventually and after much endurance, the finish line comes into sight. At this point in the last week of Jesus’ earthly life, His eye was on that finish line. He was staring at death.
Did He know He was going to die? Oh, yes. He knew when, how and for what purpose. He’d said that no one was going to take His life from Him, but that He was going to lay it down Himself. Jesus wasn’t a martyr. He wasn’t murdered. He voluntarily died in our place and for our sins. He finished. Paid for sin in full.
In fact, the word Jesus used here for “It is finished” is the word “tetelestai,” which is actually a business term that means “paid in full.” It carries the same idea that we have when we get a receipt for something we’ve paid for over many years and through much effort. It is like the “PAID” stamped on the title deed of your home the day you pay it off. Like the new title for your car, once you own it completely. It is like a zero balance on your credit card! But it is even better than that! It is an eternal paid in full.
On the day Jesus died, and actually before His death, He knew the sacrifice for sin was being paid in full. For thousands of years, the blood sacrificial system of the Jewish people was a reminder that innocent blood had to be shed for the guilty to satisfy a Holy God. For those many years, it was the innocent blood of a lamb or a bull, but on this day is was the “once for all” sacrifice of the Lamb of God – Jesus Christ.
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
Do you see what the finish line represented to Jesus? It represented the fact that He did all that was necessary to make us over into His righteousness, and did all that was necessary to wash away our deserved guilt, condemnation and separation. He, by His sacrifice on the cross, carried out the mission to “seek and save that which was lost.”
His part is finished. Our part is simply to place our trust in what He has done. Who helped you do that? Who explained this remarkable “finish” to you? What friend or family member helped you understand that Jesus did this for us?
As you remember, remind yourself of who God has placed in your life – someone who is waiting and desperately needs to hear about how Jesus said, “It is finished.”
Prayer:
Oh, God, thank you for providing all the sacrifice necessary for me to be brought to the place of being clean and forgiven before You. Thank you for all Jesus went through and thank you for the ones who were faithful to tell me about it. Now, help me to be a faithful follower to share with those whom You have given me to share with.
Questions:
What is the Holy Spirit saying to me today?
What am I being asked to do?
How do I need to begin obeying Him today?
Comments