April 15 – Good Friday – Finished for Us

 “Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.” John  19:30 (NASB)

The entire work of redemption had been brought to completion when Jesus said the words “It is finished.” The verb “finished” here carries the idea of fulfilling one’s task and, in this context, has the idea of Christ fulfilling the religious obligations which He did for us.  These last words He spoke mean very much to all of us who have believed in Him. Earlier in verse 28 we learn that Jesus knew that it was done. He said, “knowing that everything had now been finished.” Jesus knew that His death was accomplishing His Father's purpose in sending Him to this earth.  He came to pay the price for bringing us into God's family.  He paid the penalty for our sins when He died for us. So after hanging on the cross for about six hours, enduring the separation from His Father which our sins had caused, He knew that God's purpose was accomplished and so He declared it accomplished. The way was open for you and for me to come to God to have our sins forgiven. When Jesus said, “It is finished,” he was declaring a promise for us. Through His sacrifice and death, we are forgiven.

199

April 19 – Finished for Eternity

“Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”  John 19:30 (NASB)

These are the last words spoken by Jesus while he hung on the cross just before He died.  Most of us understand and have heard this verse and understand how very meaningful they are.  Jesus had come from Heaven, lived a perfect life as a man and was accomplishing what He had come to do.  He came to fulfill God's plan for our salvation – making a way for all people to believe and receive forgiveness and eternal life.  Although Jesus had not sinned, He died to pay the price for all the sins we would commit.  He was dying in our place.  We can be so grateful to Jesus, the Son of God for going all the way for us.  When he declared “it is finished” it was for each of us.  We do well to be thankful and praise Him for what He has done for us.  By faith believing, what He finished becomes finished for us as well.  Let's be sure to give ourselves to Him in complete submission to His will today and every day.

# # #

March 30 – Good Friday – Finished for Us

“Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.” John  19:30 (NASB)

All the words which Jesus spoke while he was suffering and dying on the cross are important, but the last words He spoke mean very much to all of us who have believed in Him.  Earlier than these words recorded in the Gospel of John, we learn that Jesus knew that it was done. He said, “knowing that everything had now been finished.” Jesus knew that His death was accomplishing His Father's purpose in sending Him to this earth.  He came to pay the price for bringing us into God's family.  He paid the penalty for our sins when He died for us. So after hanging on the cross for about six hours, enduring the separation from His Father which our sins had caused, He knew that God's purpose was accomplished and so He declared it accomplished.  The way was open for you and for me to come to God to have our sins forgiven. When Jesus said, “It is finished,” he was declaring a promise for us. Through His sacrifice and death, we are forgiven.

April 14 – The Final Cross Words

“When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” John 19:30 (NIV)

The account of Christ’s crucifixion is recorded by each of the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They record different details about the six hours on the cross and different words spoken by our Lord. All the words that Jesus spoke during the hours that he was hanging in pain and suffering on the cross are all important. However, for you and me were any of them more important than these three finale words? He said, “It is finished.” He knew that what he had done by dying on the cross was opening the way for us to become forgiven and become children of God. Jesus had come to Earth for this very purpose – to bring a lost world back to God. As we consider this and think of Jesus dying for us, paying the penalty for our sins, let’s thank Him for finishing what He came to do. 

March 25 - Good Friday

“And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.  At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.”  Matthew 27:50-51 (NIV)

The death of Jesus on the cross was a part of God’s great plan for you and me. As we read the record of the crucifixion we find that one of the events that occurred gave a sign of what his death has done for us. We read in John’s record that the last words of Jesus were “It is finished.”  Then he died and at that very moment the curtain in the temple in Jerusalem was torn from top to bottom. Do you remember what that curtain was for? It was to show that people did not have access into God’s presence. His death opened the way for us to come to God. Let’s take advantage of this.