It Is Finished!

When He had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. John 19:30

The word finished is defined as to bring a task to an end or complete. I can remember using this word for things like, I finished my homework, I finished the dishes, I finished high school, I finished my day at work, I finished college, and the list goes on. The task was completed, and it could be checked off the list of tasks for my day, week, year, or life goals.

Jesus was put on this earth with tasks that needed to be completed or finished. He was charged with spreading the Word of God by teaching, healing, preaching, loving, and sacrificing. The Old Testament foretells of His fate in Isaiah when it says, “He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.”

There are three things which I consider about the way we view the words, It is Finished. The first thing is that Calvary was voluntary. The word “Calvary” appears only once in the New Testament in Luke 23:33 where it reads, They came to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left.” Those who witnessed Calvary thought Jesus was a victim of the collusion between Jewish hatred and Roman might, but the truth is, no on coerced Jesus into going to the cross, it was voluntary. What happened there changed our destiny because even though his enemies intended Calvary to end His life, Jesus intended it to save us from our sins.

Calvary was also a substitution. Substitution is defined as replacing someone or something with another person or thing. We just crowned a new NCAA basketball champion last week. Many analysts have said that Kansas outlasted North Carolina in the end probably because of substitutions made during the game to keep players fresh. On Calvary, Jesus substituted himself for us. Peter writes, He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. Everything He did from His birth from a virgin, His sinless life, His ministry, His redeeming death, His miraculous resurrection, to His glorious ascension, He did as a substitute and as a savior for us.

Lastly, Calvary was vital because without it, our sins would have separated us from God forever. Jesus fulfilled or finished every requirement of God’s law, and He did it on our behalf. His life was not taken by force but freely given. Because of Him, we are forgiven.

The last words of Christ were not, It is Finished, even though it sounds like that, but rather, Father, into Thy hands, I commit my spirit. Jesus announces here that all our sins are forgiven, all our guilt was taken on Him, and that our salvation is won. Jesus announced it from the cross where all could hear, and his beloved disciple could record it.

It is finished is a victorious cry telling us that at Calvary love triumphed over law, forever freeing those of us who could never live up to God’s law. It was a cry of a victor not a victim! Three days later the empty tomb proved that Jesus had won the victory over death. He finished His task.

Jesus knew It Is Finished because He fulfilled all the scripture to the Glory of God. He did it all so that we could know that if we confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from death, we too will be finished with this earthly life and join Him in heaven.

Happy Easter!