It Is Finished

How important those three words--It is finished--are for a believer. I never knew how significant they were until this past week. I've heard before that Jesus uttered these words for you and me because our redemption was complete...and that's certainly part of it. The good news is--that's not all of it!

In John 19:30, Jesus said, "It is finished," while He was on the Cross. And verse 28 says that Jesus knew "all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled." Yes, Jesus is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2).

Sin is no longer a barrier between God and man. I don't want to spend too much time here, but let me say for the record that the sin debt has been paid. Jesus paid for all the sins of the whole world--past, present, and future. The only thing keeping someone from God is his or her rejection of Jesus (John 16:9).

Back to these three amazing words--basically, Jesus said, "My work here is finished. What I came here to do is complete. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil."

While our salvation from sin is certainly part of these three words Jesus spoke while hanging on the cross, I want to focus on a different aspect, or facet, of it. What I am about to share with you is the greatest news I have ever heard since hearing and believing the Gospel some 13 years ago. I am sure most of you have probably heard this and know it to be true, but this thrilled my soul and became revelation to me.

Let's look at Matthew 5:17-18. Jesus is speaking, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." Fast-forward to the Cross, where Jesus declares, "It is finished." Part of the finished work of Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law. Jesus came to fulfill it and He did!

What does that mean? Well, since we couldn't fulfill the Law, Jesus took our place and did it for us. Hallelujah! Why is that good news? I'm glad you asked.

I used to get confused when I'd read all the scriptures that said I was something that I knew I wasn't. I also used to read the scriptures that had qualifications to them, and I'd think to myself, Too bad I don't qualify for that. Guess what? Jesus qualified me through His death, burial, and resurrection! Jesus became sin for me that I might be made the righteousness of God in Him

I used to read scriptures like, "You are complete in Him. You are holy and blameless without reproach." I used to think to myself, Who in the world is He talking about? It certainly wasn't me! But thank God for His mercy and revelation knowledge. Now I know it is me (and YOU) the Scriptures are referring to. God sees us through the cross of Calvary. He sees the perfection of His Son Jesus when He looks at us. Jesus took our place. He took what we had and gave us what He had. It is no longer about us.

When the devil accuses you or condemns you about something, just agree with him quickly, but then point him to Jesus and let him know that the work of Jesus has been credited to your account. Hallelujah! Let him know that you are now in Christ, and God looks at what Jesus did as if you did it, because Jesus did it in your stead, or in your place!

Now I know why there is "therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made us free from the law of sin and death" (Rom. 8:1-2). There is a new Sheriff in town and His name is Jesus. He did everything for us and gave us all things that pertain to life and godliness. Christianity isn't about humanity as much as it is about Jesus. If we will point everything back to Jesus, we can walk in complete freedom and victory over everything because that's what Jesus purchased for us.