It Is Finished
“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.” John 19:30
Folks, it is finished, it really is finished, because Hebrews 12:2 tells us that Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. And then Philippians 1:6 says: “being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ”. Jesus initiated the work of salvation in us, and He will bring this labor to fruition. It is His work, from beginning to end. At no point in the process do we ever step in and “lend” Him a hand in our justification, sanctification or blessing, because on the cross, He said: “it is finished”. In His anguish and torment on the cross, abandoned by God and rejected by men, Jesus said what He meant, and meant what He said. “It is finished.” These were not the flippant words of a man who was trying to escape the wrath of God, but rather, the words of the Lamb who became the end of the Law for righteousness to all who believe. By the power of these beautiful words, Jesus secured the mercy and grace of God for every transgressor of the Law who simply calls upon His name in faith.
Would we expect any less from the One who is full of grace and truth? Is His sacrifice for our sins incomplete? Does Jesus ask us to supplement His once-for-all sacrifice with our works of righteousness? I think not. He is a capable Redeemer. Jesu knows the mind and will of the Lord, and as such He administers grace to the hearers, and sanctifica tion to the receivers. Jesus’ glory is such that, in ev erything we are enriched by Him, so that we com behind in no gift, waiting for His coming, who wil confirm us unto the end, that we may be blameles in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. The best thin about this is what Titus 3:5 says: “not by works o righteousness which we have done, but accordin to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regen eration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost”. The only thing God requires of us is that we boldly rest by faith in…
…it is finished!