Victory
We are at the height of the Lenten season celebrating the great victory Christ gained on the cross. Our focus has been specifically on the words Jesus spoke as he was dying. These are words of great importance. They are words that are packed with meaning and truth and provide great insight and help by learning, understanding, and applying them to our life.
“When Jesus, therefore, has received the vinegar, he said, It is finished” —John 19:30
It is finished.... a short statement, but a very powerful one! It is the ancient Greeks who would boast of being able to say much in little. To give an ocean of truth in a drop of words was considered an art of oratory and evidence of perfecting the craft. Arthur Pink said ...” It is finished is but one word in the original, yet in that word is wrapped up the gospel of God; in that word is contained the ground of the believers' assurance; in that word is discovered the sum of all joy and the very spirit of all divine consolation.”
Make no mistake! This word is not a despairing cry of a helpless dying man. It is not the final expression of a martyr. It is the expression of satisfaction. The job is complete! My destiny is fulfilled - that for which he had left heaven. The prince of Glory who became man wrapped up his work. The bright morning star had come all the way down and brilliantly lit up the heart of man and now had revealed the plan of the Father in redeeming our souls. His suffering was complete and the goal of the incarnation had been reached.
However, when Jesus said it is finished it was only the beginning. Atonement for all had been accomplished. When he said it is finished it was the beginning of our salvation, our healing, our provision of our hope, love, peace, joy, etc. I could exhaust the English language and could never truly explain or describe all that He did on the cross, but the cry from Calvary “It is finished” sealed the deal and granted us all the promises of God in Christ Jesus. Paul said “all the promises of God are in Him YES and in Him AMEN!!
Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above the heavenly host
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.....
“It is finished”