It is finished

John 19:30

When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

Today, we meditate upon the wondrous words of Christ, uttered by Him in His last moments on the cross. He said many things before He died, some are recorded here, and others in the other Gospel records. But please note. Look at Him! Watch how your Savior completed the work His Father gave Him to do! He had just directed John the beloved to take care of His own mother. And He had just said, “I thirst.” They continued in their mockery by giving Him a mixture of vinegar and hyssop. But then! Right after that, as all things are now fulfilled, Jesus cries with a loud voice one more time, and says, “It is finished.” The work is done! All that needs to be accomplished is now accomplished! No more work has to be done to procure the salvation of mankind! It has all been finished.

Well, my friends, the tragic thing is that there are multitudes upon multitudes who have never recognized these last words of the Savior. They seek to add to the work that has been done. They believe that they can be forgiven and saved by their works, their religious observance, or their holy effort. But, dear friends, this is all futile. It is less than sufficient. Our sufficiency is only and completely in Christ. He has done all that needs to be done, and now nothing else has to be done but to believe in the One who did it all. And now, as the Israelites looked to the serpent of brass in the wilderness, so has the Son of man been lifted up, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. We must simply look to Christ, and believe in Him! What a simple message this is! Believe in and receive the crucified Savior. And may all of us take the time that God has allotted us to tell this world about the work that has been completed on their behalf. Because it truly is finished!

“Dear Lord, we humbly thank You and praise You that the work has been done, and You have left nothing undone. For we could not obtain our own salvation. It would be a meaningless effort, always falling short. Help us to praise You this day for the finished work of Christ on the cross, and may we take that message to those about us, who, if we do not tell them, may never know what has been forever accomplished on their behalf. And we shall praise You for all You will do through us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”