It Is Finished! Some people have a way with words! They just have such a grasp of language -- & an eloquence of speech -- that they are always saying things that are deeply profound. I believe Jesus Christ was a Person like that! All through the years of His recorded ministry -- one thing about Him kept the people spellbound -- & that thing was His ability to say things in such a manner in which they had never been said before. Just a brief glimpse into the Gospels proves this beyond question. The Bible says that people were astonished at His doctrine -- because He taught with power & authority (Matt. 7:28-29). The people who heard Him speak were amazed at the power of His spoken word (Luke 4:22). Even His enemies were astounded at the words which fell from the golden tongue of the Son of Man (John 7:46). When we take a few minutes to consider some of the things Jesus said -- we can see why the people were astonished. Jesus made some truly great statements! For example: -- Jesus said -- "Before Abraham was I am..." (John 8:58). He said -- "I & my father are one." (John 10:30). He said -- "...he that has seen me has seen the father..." (John 14:9). He said -- "...I will come again, & receive you unto myself..." (John 14:1-3). He said --"Verily, Verily, I say unto you, he that believes on me has ever lasting life" (John 6:47). Oh, the power of His Words! Every single one of those statement is a gold mine of theological truth -- & is absolutely necessary in our understanding of just who Jesus Christ really is. However -- there is one statement that the Lord Jesus made -- that may just be the single greatest thing He ever uttered. Where & when He said it makes it even more amazing! John’s Gospel -- chapter 19 -- records the events of the crucifixion of Jesus in graphic detail. It was from the Cross -- that Jesus spoke the single greatest thing He ever uttered. Look with me in John 19 -- beginning with verse 28 -- After this -- (that is, after Jesus had spoken to His mother & to His beloved disciple, John)Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished,that the scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirsts.”A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, & lifted it to Jesus’ lips.When He had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.”With that, He bowed His head & gave up His spirit (John 19:28-30). Many wonderful words fell from the lips of our Lord & Savior -- things we ought to study & understand -- but I believe His most important utterance was: -- “It is finished” (John 19:30). I know that is a big statement -- but everything else He said & did -- either stands or falls on the truth of the statement that He made from the Cross when He said: -- “It is finished.” As Jesus was preparing to give His life as a ransom for Sin -- He made this simple -- but powerful statement: -- “It is finished.” Oh, how we must understand this expression -- “It is finished” -- because to misunderstand what Jesus meant by these words -- could mean eternal ruin! Some unbelieving people have declared that this cry of Jesus from the cross is a cry of defeat. They say that it is the word of a man who has lost everything. However -- they are a million miles from the truth of the matter. The utterance is not one of defeat -- but one of victory! There are some people even in the church today -- who think the death of our Lord at Calvary made only a down payment on their salvation -- & that we must keep up the installments with our good works -- by good living & good deeds. But the expression -- “It is finished” -- could properly be translated: -- “It stands finished.” If you wanted to use only one English word you would translate it -- “Done.” That is why the songwriter wrote the words: -- “Tis done, the great transaction’s done. -- I am my Lord’s -- & He is mine.” When Jesus said -- “It is finished” -- it means that everything necessary to get you to Heaven was done & completed on that Cross. He died on the cross; -- He paid your sin debt; -- He suffered your Hell! Now you can go to Heaven by trusting Him as your personal Savior! Salvation is a free gift! -- Jesus paid it all! Trying to add to the finished work of Jesus Christ is like trying to paint a lily! Trying to add to the finished work of Christ -- is like trying to perfume a rose -- or trying to add another hue to the rainbow. -- It is absolutely foolish! Provision for our salvation is completed & done -- through the finished work of Christ at Calvary! Three very ordinary words -- but they burst forth with eternal brightness when we consider their significance. This is not the cry of a defeated man; -- it is instead the shout of victory! When Jesus Christ said -- “It is finished” -- He was telling the world that something great has been accomplished. In fact -- there were three great matters that were forever settled that day when Jesus died on the cross. 1. When Jesus said -- “It is finished” -- it meant that the Pain for our Salvation was Finished! The death Christ died on the cross was one of absolute torture. You & I cannot even begin to imagine all the pain that Jesus was forced to endure for our sakes. Think about the terrible price Jesus paid for you as He suffered for sin that day. He was scourged -- beaten -- spit upon -- mocked -- stripped naked -- nailed to the Cross -- & hung out to die! This doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of what Jesus suffered for you & me. 700 years before the event -- the Prophet Isaiah described it by saying: -- “Many were amazed when they saw Him -- beaten & bloodied, so disfigured one would scarcely know He was a person” (Isa. 52:14). -- His was a bitter cup, but one that He drank of willingly so that we might be saved. Not only was there pain which the Savior endured for you & me -- but there was also shame. The Hebrew writer said -- “He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy He knew would be His afterwards” (Heb. 12:2). Think of it -- the Son of God was stripped naked before the world & nailed to the cross. -- He endured the most shameful death that anyone could ever know. There was severe pain, & cruel shame -- but perhaps the greatest agony Jesus suffered while on the cross was the judgment that came from His Father. Why do you think He cried out with a loud voice from the cross: -- “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46). It was because -- when Jesus was on that cross -- He literally became the sins of the world. Then -- the Father -- unable to tolerate sin in His presence -- judged the Lord Jesus -- as if Jesus were every sinner that ever lived! This was the greatest agony that Jesus was forced to endure -- because while He was on that cross -- for the first time ever -- there was a gulf between Him & the Father. Jesus literally experienced every man's death & every man's Hell while He was on that cross. Why did He suffer these things? -- Why did the Lamb of God willingly offer up His life as an atonement for our sins? There are two very profound reasons: -- #1. Because He loved us; -- & #2. Because He wanted to prove His love for us. That is what inspired the Apostle Paul to write -- “God demonstrated His great love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). 2. When Jesus said -- “It is finished” -- it meant that the Plan for our Salvation was Finished! When Jesus reached the end of His ministry on the cross -- He was finishing a work that had begun before the world was ever formed. From the beginning of time -- God had always planned to send His Son to die for sinners. This was His promise to Adam & Eve in Genesis 3:15. This was portrayed in the offerings & sacrifices of the Tabernacle & the Temple. Everything God did pointed to this day when Jesus would lay down His life on the cross. Had we the time -- we could go through all the Old Testament -- spending hours -- looking at the types & prophecies of Jesus -- Who was to come & die for the sins of the whole world. Type after type -- prophecy after prophecy -- was fulfilled when Jesus said -- “It is finished.” -- To Jesus, it meant the completion of all prophetic Scripture. Even when Jesus said -- “I thirst” -- it was the fulfillment of the prophecy found in Psalm 69:21 -- that says -- “they offer me sour wine to satisfy my thirst.” The Old Testament sacrifices did nothing to remove the sins of the people; -- they only pointed to the Cross that was yet to come. But the death of Jesus on the cross did everything to deal with the sin issue forever! This great plan for our Salvation was formulated in the ivory palaces of glory long before this old world was ever formed. It was perfectly, completely & forever finished when the Lamb of God died there on that old rugged cross! Now -- everything God requires to make you & me righteous -- & to take away our sins -- is found in the Blood of Jesus Christ! There is just one means of salvation! -- My friends -- regardless of who you are -- you must be washed in the Blood of Jesus if you expect to see Heaven. What can wash away my sins? -- Nothing but the blood of Jesus!What can make me whole again? -- Nothing but the blood of Jesus!For my pardon this I see -- Nothing but the blood of Jesus!For my cleansing this my plea -- Nothing but the blood of Jesus!Nothing can for sin atone -- Nothing but the blood of Jesus!Naught of good that I have done -- Nothing but the blood of Jesus!This is all my hope & peace -- Nothing but the blood of Jesus!This is all my righteousness -- Nothing but the blood of Jesus! 3. When Jesus said -- “It is finished” -- it meant that the Payment for our Salvation was Finished! When Jesus said, "It is finished" -- it meant that God the Father in Heaven was satisfied with what Jesus the Son had done on the cross. God accepted the Son's death & shed blood as the perfect payment for our sins. That is good news for people like you & me! After all -- we could never be good enough to get to God. The Bible plainly tells us that the best we can do is like filthy rags in the sight of God. The Bible goes so far as to remind us that in ourselves -- we are "no good" (Rom. 3:12). At our best we are only sinners in need of salvation. However -- since Jesus has satisfied the Father -- then I do not have too! If I am in Christ -- then the Father accepts Jesus’ atoning death for me also. What does this mean? -- It means that we do not have to work for our salvation. It means that our salvation comes to us on the basis of pure, simple faith. It means that while God would never accept me as I really am -- He will receive me in His Son, Jesus Christ. My friends -- because of Jesus -- the payment for your salvation is truly finished. God asks no more of you than for you to place your faith in the finished work of Jesus on the Cross. If you can accept the truth that He died on the cross -- that He rose from the dead the third day -- & that His shed blood will wash away your sins -- then you too can be saved! The Bible says -- “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord -- & believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead -- you will be saved. -- For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God -- & it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved” (Rom. 10:9-10). Conclusion: -- From the Cross -- Jesus said: -- “It is finished!”