IT IS FINISHED

"When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, 'It is finished,' and He bowed His head and gave up His spirit."  (John 19:30 ESV)

"It is finished." Three simple words that changed the course of history forever. As Jesus uttered these final words from the cross, He wasn't merely announcing the end of His physical suffering -- He was declaring the completion of God's grand plan of redemption.

In the original Greek, Jesus used the word "tetelestai" -- a term merchants would write across bills to declare "paid in full." When archaeologists uncover ancient receipts from that era, they often find this same word stamped across them. How fitting that Jesus would use this marketplace language to announce that the debt of our sins had been fully paid.

Think about those moments in your life when you've longed for completion -- a difficult project, a strained relationship, a burden of guilt. Jesus' declaration speaks to that universal human yearning for resolution and peace. But His "it is finished" goes infinitely deeper. He wasn't just completing a task; He was fulfilling every prophecy, satisfying divine justice, and bridging the chasm between God and humanity.

On this Good Friday, as we reflect on these words, we're invited to rest in their finality. We don't need to add anything to what Christ has done. We don't need to earn our salvation or prove our worth. The work is complete. The price is paid. The victory is won.

In a world that constantly demands more from us -- more achievement, more proof, more striving -- Jesus' words offer profound relief. The debt we could never pay has been settled. The separation we could never bridge has been spanned. The restoration we could never accomplish has been achieved.

Take a moment today to let these words sink deep into your soul: "It is finished." Whatever burdens you carry, whatever guilt weighs you down, whatever inadequacies plague you -- bring them to the cross. Jesus' final declaration means you can stop striving and start receiving. The work is done. It is finished. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry, compiled from a variety of sources

#6097

A FREE LUNCH?

Clichés are a problem. Take this one, for instance: "There is no such thing as a free lunch." This sentiment is heard frequently, particularly at election time when politicians promise the earth without elaborating the cost. But it is not true that nobody gets a free lunch. Clearly some fortunate people do. But it is also true that somebody somewhere picks up the tab. In the interest of accuracy, we should really say, "While some people get a free lunch, somebody has paid for it."…

"How does a person get right with God?" A commonly heard answer to this is, "By doing enough good to outweigh the bad he's done." Should we then respond, "But the Bible says, 'The free gift of God is eternal life'" (Romans 6:23), the answer will not infrequently be, "There's no such thing as a free lunch!" Many people unfortunately base their theology on this cliché.

…To us -- salvation is free. But is there such a thing as free salvation? Certainly, provided we understand that Someone has paid the price. Christ did that. "When He was hung on the cross, He took upon Himself the curse for our wrongdoing" (Galatians 3:13). So we enjoy the benefits of salvation freely, by faith (3:14). Some people enjoy a free lunch because someone else paid. And heaven will be full of people who enjoy a free salvation because Jesus paid! And what a price.

-- Stuart Briscoe in “Daily Study Bible for Men” 

#5938

DEBT PAID

“For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And He gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.”  (2 Corinthians 5:19 NLT)

The bigger hope I cling to in the face of sin is not my goodness, but God’s.

[Some time ago my wife spoke at the commencement at Azusa Pacific University], so we gathered with a group of fifty or so faculty, alumni, and administration before the ceremony. A few dozen people had graduated fifty years earlier, and they were there also to celebrate with their freshly minted co-alums.

At one point, Jon Wallace, the university president, pulled three seniors into the center of the room and told us all that they were going to be serving under-resourced people in impoverished areas for several years after graduation. The graduating seniors said a few words about where they were going and why and we applauded. They thought that was why they were there. Then Jon turned his back to the rest of us, faced the three students, and told them the real reason they were in the room.

“Somebody you do not know has heard what you’re doing,” Jon said. “He wants you to be able to serve the people where you are going without any impediment. So he has given a gift. He has asked to remain anonymous, but here is what he has done for you.”

Jon turned to the first student and looked her in the eye. “You have been forgiven your school debt of $105,000.” It took a few moments for the words to sink in. The student shook her head at first. The thought registered. She began to cry at the sheer unexpected generosity of a mountain of debt wiped out in a moment by someone she had never met. Jon turned to the next student. “You have been forgiven your debt of $70,000.” Jon turned to the third student. By this time she knew what was coming. But it was as if she could not believe it was happening until she heard the words. “You have been forgiven your debt of $130,000.”

All three students were trembling. Their lives had been changed in a twinkling by the extravagance of someone they had never met. All of us who watched were so moved, it was as if we had experienced the forgiveness ourselves. There was not a dry eye in the room…

An unpayable debt. An unseen giver. An unforgettable gift. And the freedom of the debtors becomes a blessing to the world. Grace. The joy of forgiveness.

There is a bigger debt we labor under. We give it labels such as regret, guilt, shame, or brokenness -- sin. But God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. We know what is coming, yet we need to hear the words just the same: Forgiven. Forgiven. Forgiven. 

-- John Ortberg in “The Me I Want to Be”

#5604

BOUGHT WITH A PRICE

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”  (Galatians 2:20)

"Do you not know that your body is a Temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body."  (1 Corinthians 6:19,20)

My life has been paid for by Jesus Christ. My life belongs to Him. Therefore, I can't do what "I" want to do, I must do what "He" wants me to do. 

-- Ron Brown, Assistant Coach, University of Nebraska, in Sports Spectrum

#4978