It Is Finished

“It is finished.”  Jesus said those words from the cross.  It was only three words, but he said a lot with them.

Jesus was saying that suffering is real but suffering is temporary.  Jesus was human in every way, which meant he actually suffered, just as every person who ever lived has suffering in their life.  We can’t choose the nature of our trouble.  Things we dread may never happen, while some problems we never see coming.  And we can’t choose the season for our suffering.  Our problems often seem to come at the worst time.  But we are assured that, as the psalm says, “Weeping may last for a night, but joy comes with the morning.”  Suffering is real but suffering is temporary.

Jesus was also saying that we all have a purpose in this life.  When Jesus said, “It is finished,” he was saying that he had accomplished the purpose for which God sent him into the world.  Every one of us has a mission.  We are adrift until we discover our purpose, and our lives are incomplete until we fulfill our purpose.  We want to hear our heavenly father say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”  We all have a purpose.

Lastly, when Jesus said “It is finished,” he meant, “It is enough.”  He paid the price for the sins of humanity.  He had reversed the curse and restored us to a right relationship with our creator.  There is nothing more we need to do or add.  All that remains is for us to accept what Jesus has done for us.  Jesus work on our behave is sufficient.

In our sermon Sunday, we will look at Jesus’ words, “It is finished,” and what they mean for us.