It Is Finished

It Is Finished 

These words spoken by Jesus on the cross have inspired many songs, sermons, and stories about His crucifixion. I have spent many hours looking at these three little words to try and understand what Jesus meant when He spoke them just minutes before He died.

 

Some obvious conclusions:

 

1, His life was over. 

I do not believe this to be the meaning. He knew He would rise from the dead. He had already spoken that to the disciples.

 

2. The price for sin has been paid.

This cannot be the meaning of the phrase. Jesus had not yet gone to heaven to place His blood on the real Mercy Seat in Heaven. That is when sin was remitted.

 

3. Salvation was provided for all.

One of the most important events to provide salvation was the resurrection. Until Jesus was resurrected, ascended to Heaven, and seated at the right hand of God, our salvation was not yet complete.

 

4. All prophecy had been fulfilled regarding the life of Jesus.

Again, all prophecy had not yet been fulfilled. Jesus rose on the third day.

 

5. Jesus had fulfilled the Law by living a sinless life.

This is true. However, I feel there is more to it than just fulfilling the Law.

 

6. Jesus had fulfilled all righteousness.

 

Romans 8:1-4 (ESV) There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 

 

This is also the reason Jesus was baptized by John.

 

Matthew 3:13-15 (ESV) Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 

 

Everything Jesus did in his life on earth was done to fulfill righteousness. If He was not righteous, He could not have served as the eternal sacrifice to provide for forgiveness of sin.

 

The meaning of the phrase is subjective since we were never told explicitly what Jesus meant. However, there are some clues that help us understand potentially what was meant.  The Greek word used for “finished” in the phrase uttered by Jesus on the cross only appears two times in scripture. The other time is in the previous verse in John.

 

John 19:28-30 (ESV) After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. 

 

John tells us that Jesus knew all was finished (same word used here as in verse 30). He then asked for something to drink in order to fulfill a prophetic word. If “It Is Finished” was in regard to fulfillment of prophecy He would not have spoken the first “finished” before the prophetic word was fulfilled.

 

Everything we have recorded of Jesus’ life tells us He was on mission. From the early years, the trip to Jerusalem, He told Mary and Joseph that “He must be about His Father’s business.” His baptism by John was “to fulfill righteousness.” This was the first primary objective of His life, and the only one for which Jesus was directly responsible.

 

Once His death was accomplished, the next step would be that of Father God, to raise Him from the dead. More things would be accomplished after the resurrection, but “It Is Finished” ended thirty-three years of a man, Jesus, living a life totally surrendered to God, empowered by the Holy Spirit. He fulfilled His mission of preserving His flesh, and blood from ever experiencing sin, and thus became the spotless Lamb offered for the forgiveness of the sin of mankind.

The Road Back from Nowhere

 

My latest writing project is a book with the working title, “The Road Back from Nowhere.” None of us ever intend to get to Nowhere, but unfortunately, many have found themselves there before. And for some, it is often. You can find yourself in Nowhere and still be in the middle of your everyday routine.

 

It is similar to a sailing term known as the “doldrums”. Occasionally, a sail boat will hit a patch of water where the winds just stop blowing. Without wind in the sails, there is no way for the vessel to continue on the journey. It can last a short time, or in some cases, a very long time. Those onboard the boat have no recourse except to wait it out. Hopefully, they have enough supplies of food and fresh drinking water to make it.

 

As Christians, we have a clear directive from scripture, given to us by our Creator, as to how to escape the drifting in the doldrums, or how to navigate our way home from Nowhere. It’s called prayer. It’s the lifeline we have, 24/7, to reconnect to the very One who gives us life.

 

The parable Jesus shared that has become known as “The Prodigal Son,” even though Jesus never called it that, gives us some clear insight as to what we need to do if, or when, we find ourselves in Nowhere: return back home to Father!

 

One of my favorite songs from one of my favorite groups from the ‘70s and ‘80s speaks to this very thing. TRUTH used to sing a song called, “All the Way Home”, written by Bill and Gloria Gaither. Read the lyrics below and then listen to the song. I hope, like the prodigal, we find ourselves heading back toward home. Father is always waiting.

 

All the Way Home

 

My rebellion I called freedom took my birthright in its hand

And I woke up in the pigpen of a distant alien land.

But I saw myself this morning, dared to see what God can see,

And admit I’m lost and lonely, so tomorrow, tomorrow I will be

 

On the road back home to Father, I’ll not stop along the way; 

I was born for higher purpose. I’ll not waste another day.

Won’t be camping on the border just inside of what I’ve known;

It is all the way or nothing, all the way back home!

 

Never been a halfway person, all or nothing is for me;

When my footsteps lost direction. I was lost as lost could be.

But at last I’ve learned my lesson, learned from many a troubled day;

Now that I have started homeward, I’ll be goin’ all the way

 

On the road back home to Father, I’ll not stop along the way; 

I was born for higher purpose. I’ll not waste another day.

Won’t be camping on the border just inside of what I’ve known;

It is all the way or nothing, all the way back home!

 

Words by Bill and Gloria Gaither

© 1979 by William J. Gaither (ASCAP)

Springtime

Springtime, when everything seems to come alive

It never died, just went dormant for a season

Then suddenly, life springs from death

Giving hope, when there seems to be no reason

 

With warming sun and abundant rain

The cycle begins anew

Budding trees and flowering plants

All blessed with morning dew

 

Take note, my friend, for your own life

Tho lifeless it may seem

Can quickly go from doldrums drab

To see your wildest dream

 

Like the seeds waiting patiently

Buried in soil and dormant

Burst forth to become a beautiful sight

At exactly the right moment

 

Time is still in front of you

If you only have eyes to see it

Don’t let the weariness of life

Cause to give in and quit

 

As long as the breath is in you

As long as you rise at morn

You have a chance to have the dream

Just waiting to be reborn 

Day's End

 

Day is ended, nothing really left but memories.

I pause and wonder if there was anything left unsaid, undone;

Any harm caused to others; any love left unshared.

Is anyone different because I was alive?

Am I different because of the lives I encountered?

To get lost in these thoughts can lead to passive living.

Too much evaluation and not enough celebration.

 

Touch those you can; avoid those who intend malice.

Speak a soft word of greeting, thanks, forgiveness.

In doing so you bring light into darkness.

Peace into turmoil, hope into despair.

The love of God into your world.

Never

 

Never is a very misunderstood word.

When you speak it, you mean it with everything that is in you.

Life has many choices; some intentional, some unintentional.

The outcome can be expected, or unexpected.

 

Sometimes never gives place to maybe.

It is not a planned event, but circumstances bring new perspectives.

Experiences temper resolve when unforeseen possibilities emerge.

A new decision is then required.

 

Remaining with the proclamation of never seems noble.

But what if your premise was flawed from the start?

Never, based on not knowing all the facts, can seem certain.

But certainty is only valid with all of the information.

 

Walking away from never can mean defeat.

Or reconsidering never might open up even greater opportunities.

Those which only come after never has run its course.

Now rooms for new commitment have been opened.

 

Never rarely only involves the one who uttered it.

Others can get swept into the current of the promise.

They have choices of their own which brought them into play.

But a rescinded never can hurt nonetheless.

 

Never always has an end, even though none is implied.

When you see something beyond never, hope arises.

The self-imposed sentence of never can be revoked.

You can be released to a life only imagined.

 

There is a place in every life for never.

Without certainties, life can be chaos.

But never cannot override your will to find peace; love; happiness.

For it must always bow to what is right.

Alone - a Poem

Being alone is hard, especially in a crowded room.

You wonder why no one notices, then

You see it in their eyes as well.

They simply have a better mask.

Why must we all pretend to be happy, to be well.

Our culture has pressured us into a mold

Created by the minds of a few

To build a better society.

It’s easy to see why some retreat through drugs,

Destructive behavior, and even death.

Without a beacon of hope in their midst

They become shipwrecked without a future.

If you have a reason for waking in the morning

Share it with those you encounter.

You could be a glimmer, a brief glimpse

Of a future worth living.

Thoughts and Intents of the Heart

If any of you follow me on social media you know that I enjoy humor. With all the chaos in the world we need to laugh when we can. Occasionally, I post serious things; usually personal experiences or thoughts. The other day I had an epiphany that I was a cynic. Just so we’re clear, the definition of cynic is: a person who believes that people are motivated purely by self-interest rather than acting for honorable or unselfish reasons. I do not believe this about all people, but I found myself thinking that I knew “why” someone did what they did instead of simply taking the actions at face value.

When we begin to think we know “why” people do what they do we become judgmental and condemning. Hebrews 4:12-13 tells us, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (ESV) The Word of God is the only thing that can discern the intents of the heart.

The Word, referred to elsewhere in scripture as the Sword of the Spirit, can separate motives from actions. I cannot. The only person I can truly know the motives behind actions is myself. The only way I can discern if my motives are pure is to measure them against the Word. This is not as simple as it sounds. We can talk ourselves into thinking that most any action can be justified. This is one of the reasons for the busy-ness of our society. We keep ourselves occupied so we do not have time for introspection; the time required to judge the thoughts and intents of our heart.

In one of the devotions I did during the 21 Days of Prayer, I shared on 2 Corinthians 10:4-6, which says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.” We take these thoughts captive by, first of all, spending time contemplating our own actions to determine the “why” behind our actions. If our motives are found to be impure, we must submit them to the Word of God – punish disobedience – by confessing our failure and accepting the grace from God to destroy the arguments and lofty opinions which try to displace His Truth.

So, from one recovering cynic to another (hopefully), let us consider our own motives and leave the motives of others alone.

Blessings!

Dudley