Finished Forever!

The 6th word: "When Jesus received the vinegar, He said, 'IT IS FINISHED.'" (John 19:30) F.W. Krummacher writes that "At these words, you hear fetters burst and prison walls falling down, barriers as high as heaven are overthrown, and gates which had been closed for thousands of years again move on their hinges." Jesus' cry of final victory resounds through the ages--all has been done to secure our salvation, every last sin has been atoned for, and Jesus has completely and fully fulfilled His Father's will down to the very last jot and tittle. As MacLaren put it, Jesus took the full cup of suffering and "having drained the cup, He held it up inverted when He said 'It is finished!' and not a drop trickled down the edge. he drank it all that we might never need to drink it."

I cannot begin to imagine the joy, mingled with exhaustion and agony, that the Lord Jesus must have felt at that moment. I have to believe that He thought of you and me--it was finished and we would now be able to enjoy the wonders of heaven forever. Satan had done his worst but it was finished and death and satan's hosts were defeated. "The moment of Satan's triumph was the moment of his defeat. The Victim on the cross became the Victor through the cross." The betrayal, the pain, the sorrow, the humiliation, the abandonment--all were finished forever! The separation from His heavenly Father and the unimaginable weight of bearing the world's sin were finished forever!

It is finished--these glorious three words are expressed as a single Greek word, "tetelastai." Finished, perfect, paid in full and complete. The perfect sinless Son of God completes and finishes the work of redemption once and for all time, and in His cry of "It is finished" we can shout, "We are saved!"

I sing my Saviour's wondrous death

He conquered when He fell.

'Tis finished!' said His dying breath,

And shook the gates of hell. (Author Unknown)

I can never seem to finish anything. Everyday I am frustrated that I can never get even halfway down my to-do list. But how thankful I am that my Saviour finished every single bit of the Father's will. He could truly declare "It is finished" and it was and it is. I may never get all the clutter cleaned out of my house. I may never become a great cook or write a book or get organized or be the fun but wise mom I long to be. There is so much I long to be able to finish, and my inability drives me crazy! But praise the Lord--He finished it all and for all time! He will take all my inabilities and failures and incompletes and will one day say, "It is finished!" For in the words of Paul, "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, and He will do it." I Thess.5:23-24 To Him be the glory forever and ever!