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It is Finished! What Is “It?”

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November 16, 2020

John 19:23-30 (NIV)

23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

24 “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”

This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said,

“They divided my clothes among them
    and cast lots for my garment.”

So this is what the soldiers did.

25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” 27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

CONSIDER THIS

What exactly is finished? Listen to the inspired witnesses and writers of Scripture. Read very slowly that you might listen very carefully.

13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Colossians 2:13-15)

“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 25 For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (1 Peter 2:24-25)

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you freefrom the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:1-4)

4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:4-5)

THE PRAYER

Abba Father, we thank you for your Son, Jesus, who is the author, the pioneer and the perfecter of our faith. Thank you for finishing what we could never complete and for opening this door for us that can never be closed. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

THE QUESTIONS

1. How could something be so cosmically significant as Jesus death on the cross and so completely invisible to those gathered at the scene?

2. Choose a verse or phrase from the texts listed above and focus on it—dwell on it—meditate on it. Which will you choose?

3. “It is finished!” What is the significance of these words of Jesus for you today?

PS: Watch for a second email from me today. It’s a special invitation concerning Advent for the Daily Text nation. Please give it your every consideration. 

For the Awakening,

J.D. Walt
Sower-in-Chief
seedbed.com

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WHAT IS THIS? Wake-Up Call is a daily encouragement to shake off the slumber of our busy lives and turn our eyes toward Jesus. Each morning our community gathers around a Scripture, a reflection, a prayer, and a few short questions, inviting us to reorient our lives around the love of Jesus that transforms our hearts, homes, churches, and cities.

Comments and Discussion

2 Responses

  1. Answer 1: Some where in one of Paul’s letters he states that the things of th Spirit can only be understood by those who have the Spirit. To fully grasp the dying words of Christ requires spiritual discernment.
    Answer 2: I chose 1 Peter 2:24-25 because it describes sin as a disease that we require a healing from. So much of the popular preaching here in the USA tends to treat sin as merely individual acts of rebellion against God’s Holy Word. While that is true, it’s far from being complete. When our first parents ate from the forbidden fruit, they released a virus into the world that affects everything. All creation awaits the final restoration. Our healing is the initial phase.
    Answer 3: It is part of our calling as the healed part of humanity to spread the message of healing available to all who would “be cleansed in the healing flood “. “ It is finished “ is the prelude to go and preach the good news to all creatures under heaven. Our redemption has begun.

  2. 1. How could something be so cosmically significant as Jesus’ death on the cross and so completely invisible to those gathered at the scene?
    The answer is in the phrase “it doesn’t matter.” There are so many fun things that I would like to give my attention to and genuinely good things that I think I ought to give attention to that I am overwhelmed. Someone who saw Jesus be crucified maybe thought it was very important, but they had chores to do at home. He seemed like a merely significant thing. He had no idea that he was walking away from the most significant moment in all of history. Thank goodness God comes back and reaches out to people like this, in Peter’s sermon on Pentecost.

    2. Choose a verse or phrase from the texts listed above and focus on it—dwell on it—meditate on it. Which will you choose? Ephesians 2:5 “made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”

    3. “It is finished!” What is the significance of these words of Jesus for you today? History is coming to a close. In Genesis, we have Isaac rescued by a lamb or a ram or something. In the gospels, we see this finally coming true. We were the ones who were saved by the sacrifice of Jesus. I feel like the play is over. The credits are rolling down the screen. There isn’t much left.

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