It Is Finished

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 19:28-30 ESV

God put together an elaborate plan to restore His relationships with mankind. Adam, the first man, gave Satan all authority and dominion in the world that God gave to him. Eating the forbidden fruit, Adam opened the door for sin and death to enter the earth and to separate everyone from God. Jesus is referred to as the second Adam because He was the one who redeemed mankind through His obedient sacrifice.

Jesus said, “It is finished,” and gave up His spirit.  At that moment, Satan thought he had finally won the ultimate battle. But Jesus, like a trojan horse, would swallow death in victory. Jesus’ words “It is finished,” signaled the beginning of the end for Satan. In that moment, instead of death on the cross, the final plan for all mankind to be saved for all of eternity was launched.

Before Jesus’ resurrection, the only way to atone for your sins was through a complex institution of sacrifice. Sin separated people from God. The only way someone could be restored to God required the sacrifice of an animal, serving as a substitute for the sinner. People sinned continually, so sacrifices were frequently required.

In Jesus own words:

• Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.(John 4:34 NKJV).
• Jesus prayed as he looked up into heaven, “Father, the time has come. Unveil the glorious splendor of your Son so that I will magnify your glory! You have already given me authority over all people so that I may give the gift of eternal life to all those that you have given to me. Eternal life means to know and experience you as the only true God, and to know and experience Jesus Christ, as the Son whom you have sent” (John 17:1-4 TPT).

Jesus chose to become the final and ultimate sacrifice for sin. Jesus, knowing He was about to endure tremendous peril and pain, asked God two different times in the Garden of Gethsemane, if there’s any other way to do this … but He willingly chose to follow God’s plan (Matthew 26:39; 26:42).

The word finished is the same as paid in full. Jesus came to finish God’s work of salvation to pay the full penalty of our sins.

So, when Jesus said, “It is finished!” it was not a doom and gloom statement, but a joyful declaration. It is finished. He gave up the ghost, or laid down His natural life, fully trusting God, the Father, to resurrect Him.

Jesus took all the sin of every person upon himself. His sacrifice allows us to freely approach God. As we believe in Jesus’ death and resurrection, we can live eternally with God.

Today’s One Thing

Jesus came to give you life through resurrection power. In what ways do you need to say, “It is finished,” in your life.

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