It Is Finished - The Message of the Cross

John 19:30 KJV: When Jesus … said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

What an awesome testimony concerning the life and work of our Savior, Jesus Christ!  Jesus, on Calvary’s Cross, with pain unimaginable, a burden unthinkable, and a purpose undeterrable says these words and brings a conclusion to His life of sacrifice for our sins.  Greater love (agape love) could no one have than to lay His life down for His friends!

I remember the movie, The Passion.  Many critics say this film is anti-Semitic in that it supposedly portrays the Jews as the crucifiers of Christ.  They are!  Other critics say, “No, it is the Romans that crucify Him!”  They are right, too!  The fact is the whole world crucifies Him!  We all in essence attempt to take His life through our sin.  This is what makes sin so horrible! 

However, the Bible says, “He gave up the ghost!”  He dismisses His own Spirit; He willingly lays down His own life.  As He breathes, He is a living sacrifice; in His death, He is the Lamb of God slain from the foundations of the world.  Furthermore, that work is finished!

I remember my father before He comes to Christ.  He is a carpenter, a hard working construction artisan whose religion is, “A day’s work for a day’s pay!”  All week long he slaverously toils, but when Friday comes ‘it is finished’, and he is ready for payday.  He leaves the construction site with check in hand; he stops at a local pub, drinks a beer and plays a game of pinball.  On Saturday, he and I go fishing, and on Sunday he rests.  Of course, on the glad day he comes to know the Lord as Savior, his heart and life change.  However, my greater point in this message is, that although my dad works hard, there is a time to say, “It is finished!”

The Greek word here in John for ‘finished’ is very interesting. It is the word, ‘teleō’. It occurs 31 times in the King James Version of the Bible, and it is translated with 13 different English words by the KJV translators. I like to dichotomize it into five variants; (the Scripture references are but examples of how the word has been translated in the KJV.)

1. To finish a work: see Matthew 13:53 : Jesus earthly work is finished and all that remains is His “payday!” We are His inheritance!
2. To expire or bring to an end. See Revelation 20: 7: Jesus earthly life is over; He willingly lays His life down for us!
3. To fill up completely or to fulfill: See Acts 13:28-29: Jesus fulfills all the requirements and prophecies necessary for the Messiah!
4. To Perform See Luke 2:39: I see Christ before the stage of heaven and playing His part to perfection as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
5. To Pay a debt completely. See Matthew 17:24: Jesus says on the Cross, “It is paid in full!” Wow!

His day is ended; His earthly life is expired; His prophetic purpose is completely fulfilled; His necessary earthly work is performed; His mission to pay for my sins is over! It is “At the Cross, at the Cross is where I first saw the Light and the burden of my heart rolls away!” It is finished.

I have a prayer that I might be able to say this at the end of my life! I can reflect on nothing more tragic than an unfinished life. Although the mercy of Christ can reach to the deathbed repentant, I run from that as if I were a deer in a forest fire! I crave to say, “It is finished,” with as few regrets as possible. There is only one way to accomplish this. As I see it, we must receive Christ as early as possible, and we must serve Him as diligently and determinately and devoutly as long as we live. However, this is not ‘hard’ when we consider what he does to help us! He says, “My burden is light!”

Each day has its darg (as the frontier farmer used to say as he met his daily reap of hay) and its dread (as we complain today ), but it also comes with a dream. The day is begun as if it were a blank canvas; the events of circumstance provide the outline; and our responses give the color. The evening time brings its reward, and the picture of the day is finished. So it is with our life! With these words, “It is finished,” Jesus brings all people of all time to behold the Cross. Looking on the Cross is difficult! It is a dreaded place of pain and death, but the Easter message does not end there! He is risen and so shall we rise! Because He lives, I can face every tomorrow. Before the Cross I am lost; on the Cross is my substitute; beyond the Cross is my redemption. It is finished.