In John 19:28-30 it states: 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.
This is the most exciting of the words of Jesus from the cross. Other words and cries we value so highly as precious and important from our Lord and Saviour and each in their own way cause us to look within our own hearts at our own relationship with our heavenly father.
However this cry of Jesus, one word – tetelestai – meaning finished or‘accomplished’ is a declaration of joy, a statement of reality that no-one can deny. God has fulfilled in Jesus Christ His plan of redemption prepared before the creation of the world, but now executed in time with an impact on the past, present and future of His people for all eternity. God had declared that He would redeem a people to Himself for His own glory. Here was evidence of the length to which He would go to achieve His goal. Here was the cost to Himself in the person of His precious and beloved Son that sinners might be saved, that you and I might know our transgressions forgiven, our debts wiped out and the barrier to fellowship with the living God obliterated –Hallelujah! This cry of victory is the ground of our assurance of salvation –because of what Christ has donenot based on what we hope we can do. It is an objective fact not dependent on our feelings and emotions but on the finished work of Christ.
Hebrews 10:10 states: We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all…but when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time He waits for His enemies to be made His footstool, because by one sacrifice He has made perfect for ever those who are being made holy. What an honour, what a privilege is yours and mine as sons and daughters of the living God to know this wonderful truth. However do you here still need to put your trust in Jesus? Can I encourage you to take that step without delay!
You and I engage in projects of various kinds. For some people certain work projects completed are particularly satisfying; for young people passing the assessments or exams that take them to the next stage of their education may be most encouraging. For an older person maybe making a last mortgage payment on your home was a poignant moment to remember. For me my memory is directed to September 2019 when I completed the manuscript of the official history of the Baptist Union of Scotland after work over the previous eight years was a great day.
What project in your life brings particularly happy memories of a task completed? Here John reminds us in John 19:28 of Jesus’ happiest moment on earth, in the midst of His greatest anguish and suffering, knowing that everything had now been finished… The work that God the Father has asked Him to come to earth to do was accomplished. His victory over sin and death and the evil one was complete. It was now only a question of when the final triumph of God in human history would take place. The bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead on Easter Sunday would be God’s reminder to humanity that death was not final, that eternal life beyond it in His presence is our goal.
Triumph over the Covid-19 virus will happen – but when is quite uncertain. Scientists can tell us clearly what needs to happen before triumph over it is announced, though none can speculate on a date. Here Jesus said, ‘It is finished (John 19:30). Your salvation and mine was guaranteed for all eternity. All we had to do was accept God’s free gift of salvation through Jesus to have it credited to our personal account with Him. Our immediate present may be very uncertain due to this virus, but thank God the future at the end of this age is certain because Jesus won the victory on the cross 2,000 years ago.
Our song for reflection today is ‘The greatest day in history’
Brian Talbot