~ "When Jesus therefore had received the sour wine, He said, 'It is finished!' And He bowed His head, and gave up His spirit." (John 19:30)
What was finished? Did he mean his long agonizing suffering? Hanging on the cross for six hours? His life of only thirty-three years? All duties assigned to him by his heavenly Father? Jesus probably had none of that in mind when he uttered those profound words. What was finished was the curse mankind had been under since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden. It must have given him great pleasure to have an end to it as God had been waiting a long time to reverse it. What was finished was the Old Covenant. When Jesus died on the cross we passed from the age of Law to the age of Grace. At the moment of Christ's death "the veil of the temple was torn in two." (Luke 23:45) The separation between God and man was removed and fellowship and intimacy were restored. What was finished was payment in full for all of the sins of the world. Like the one who makes his last mortgage payment, the deed to the property now passes into his hands with great joy. God bought us back and though the price was dear; now it was finished. Because he said, "it is finished" some things are finished for us too. If we choose his cross we are finished with sin, finished with empty living for ourselves, finished with a long distance relationship with our Creator. These three words must rank among the very best that the Lord ever uttered.
No wonder they call it GOOD Friday! ~
Enjoy your weekend while seeking to remember what Jesus did to make us right in the sight of God. Amen. ....More later.
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