That brings us to the sixth of Christ’s seven saying on the Cross. After He prayed to the Father to forgive mankind for what they were doing, and after He pardoned the thief on the cross next to Him, and after He makes sure His mother is cared for, and after He asks His Father why He was being forsaken, and after He tells the onlookers that He’s thirsty, He says, “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.
What was it that He finished? He finished what He was sent to do. He finished what the Father required of Him. He died a sacrificial death on the Cross of Calvary to pay for the sins of the world, sins He did not commit. That’s what was finished. He finished what He was born to do!
The finished work of Christ on the Cross was only the beginning of what was left. He had told the Pharisees that if they tore down the Temple (meaning Him) that He would raise it up again in three days. They ridiculed Him for His arrogance that He could rebuild the Temple that took decades to build. But they missed what He was saying.
As we celebrate Good Friday tomorrow, it reminds me of a cartoon I once saw. One character asked “if this is the day Christ died, what makes it so good?” The other character answered, “it’s good because it should have been us!” Christ’s death means nothing if the Resurrection doesn’t happen three days later. He would be just like all of the other heads of world religions: still dead! But Christ is alive! And He is seated at the right hand of the Father right now making intercession for you and me.
We serve a risen Savior, One that came to this earth for the sole purpose to die for our sins. And just like He said, “it is finished”. But Sunday is coming and the tomb is still empty! Praise God, what a Savior!
Have a great day and God bless.
No comments:
Post a Comment