It's a Done Deal

I recently read something that made me think of the depth of the meaning of Messiah’s words when He died on the cross: “It is finished.” If you’ve grown up in the church, you know that means that Christ took the penalty for our sins and that he bore God’s wrath and judgment in place of us. But, everything in His life—33 years He walked on this earth—led Him up to this moment. If He didn’t stay in the temple when he was 12 years old [Luke 2:41-52], would He have been able to say, “It is finished”? I think He had to do everything He did, from teaching the Pharisees that the Law will not save them to healing sicknesses and diseases to casting out demons and making the dead live to making the waters still and praying for an abundance of food, in order to be able to say, “It is finished.”

Christ abided in the Father by the Holy Spirit [cf. Matthew 3:13-17], and did everything in accordance to the will and plan the Father had set before Him. Not a single thing was missed.

Christ even bore the rejection of His people, and knew that there was going to be a greater pain coming—being left alone on the cross, bearing all our sin and shame [cf. Mark 15:34] Dealing with the ridicules of the people and the Pharisees and Sadducees was nothing in comparison to what He felt on the cross—yet, He died for all those who rejected Him, including the teachers of the Law. He still chose to die.

Remember, He had prayed that this cup would be taken from Him, but then He asked, but not My will, but Your will, Father [Matthew 26:36-44]. I would imagine that in His human-ness, He didn’t want to die, but in His Godliness, He knew that He had to die, to take away the sins of the world [cf. John 1:29-30].

Out of love for us, He knew and understood that there was no other way, but the way of the Father, in order to redeem us back to God. 

Before our Messiah was arrested, He literally sweat blood [Luke 22:44], and was in agony of the things yet to come. Before Judas Iscariot came to actually betray Him, Jesus and His followers actually sang a hymn [Matthew 26:30]. Then Jesus prayed for His disciples and all believers [John 17:6-26]. Everything Jesus did leading up to His arrest and crucifixion was with the focus of those around Him. He was focused on the Father, and on the plan set before Him: the plan to set us free. He went through His entire life on earth just to be able to say, "It is finished." He overcame all His battles against Satan through temptation, through healing, through dealing with the teachers of the Law at that time, because He knew that He would destroy Satan, sin, and hell in His death and that through His blood we would have redemption. This is by the power of God, through the Spirit, to be able to endure everything and then rise from the dead to show the world that He, and He alone, is able and He alone saves.

I desire to be like Him, where despite my circumstances and trials, I want to be able to say “not my will, but Yours, Father.” [cf. Luke 22:39-44] I want to be able to live my life in a way that seeks Him first, which was only made possible because Christ did the same, for me. I want to be able to know the heart of my Savior, and let my plans dissipate and be in alignment with the Father’s plans for me. For I know that, His thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways. [cf. Isaiah 55:8-9]. If I can be in total abandon to Him, what can He do through me for His glory? How can my life look more like Messiah? How can I allow more of His Spirit to lead me and guide me each and every day? After all, Christ did everything the Father wanted Him to do, and, in the end, “It is finished”—God accepted His sacrifice, and Jesus defeated Satan, sin, and death; I have the Holy Spirit living within me, and “by His stripes [I am] healed” [Isaiah 53:5; Isaiah 53].

“It is finished!” The final statement Jesus uttered before He gave up His spirit [John 19:30].

But, it brought so much to the table for us. He didn’t die for Himself, or to prove something to the world—He died to save us. And, then, after He died, He rose. Now, we have freedom, healing, forgiveness, righteousness [cf., righteousness: 2 Corinthians 5:21]. We are completely and utterly His when we receive Him. All this that Christ did, for us, was so that we could boldly approach the throne of grace [cf. Hebrews 4:16]. It’s so much more than three simple words—those words bring victory. salvation. praise. honor. glory. power. Those three words changed my life. Will they change yours?

Stay blessed, beloved friends.

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"After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen." —Revelation 7:9-12