It Is Finished

The phrase “it is finished” may have been the most important words that Jesus ever said during His earthly ministry. Although most liberals and unbelievers claim that this was a cry of defeat, it was actually a cry of victory! Our Lord Jesus was telling the world that the agonizing pain, the profound suffering, and the extreme humiliation that He endured on the cross (Heb 12:2), has now been completed. The fact that He “redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us” (Gal 3:13), was one of the main reasons why the Jews rejected Him as the Messiah (Jn 10:33). But when Jesus died on the cross, He literally became “sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor 5:21).

 He died even for His enemies (Rom 5:10), because He loved us (Jn 33:3), and He wanted to prove His love for us (Rom 5:8)! When Jesus cried “it is finished,” it means that the Father was fully satisfied with the sacrifice that His Son did on the cross (Rom 3:25)! The shed blood and death of Jesus (Col 1:14), was accepted as the full and perfect payment for the penalty of our sins (Isa 53:11). And the good news or the “gospel” (1 Cor 15:4), is that Jesus did not remain dead – He “rose again” (2 Cor 5:15), “after three days” (Mk 8:31).

That is the greatest victory for everyone who trusts Jesus by faith (Eph 2:8). Because He lives, we “shall live also” (Jn 14:19)! I am thankful that the atoning work of Jesus on the cross is finished. After all, we could never be good enough to earn our way to Heaven based on the “works of righteousness which we have done” (Titus 3:5). Anyone who will be found in Jesus (Php 3:9), is now accepted by the Father because of their personal relationship with Him by faith! God bless you!

-Pastor Melito Barrera