The Finished Work of Christ
Jn. 19:28-30
Students of the Bible have always treasured the seven statements of Jesus from the cross.
a. Father forgive them…
b. Verily I say unto thee, today…
c. Woman, behold thy son…
d. Eli Eli, lama sabachthani?
e. I thirst.
f. It is finished.
g. Father, into thy hands…
This morning we want to especially look at the words, "It is finished" – three simple words with great significance.
h. (Wilkesboro, NC) Walking in a cemetery is sobering. As I walk among the stones, I thought of my own death.
i. One of the thoughts that came to mind was that I hope it would not happen before I get some things finished.
j. Then it occurred to me: every person buried here had some task he had not finished (youth, middle age or elderly).
k. There will always be some letter we didn’t write, some debt never paid, some dress never sewn, some hobby or chore half-done, some love one with left unspoken words.
l. The only person who could ever truthfully say, "It is finished" was the Lord Jesus Christ. The only perfect man perfectly completed His perfect work in less than 34 years.
While several things might be implied, "It is finished" especially points to His having finished the work of redemption.
A. He finished the work His Father had given Him to do (Jn. 4:34; 9:4; 17:4).
1. He finished fulfilling all the prophecies.
1. He finished keeping every requirement of the law, something no one had ever done or ever would do.
2. He left no duty unfulfilled, no debt unpaid, no lesson untaught, no kind word unspoken, no good deed undone, no prayer He left unsaid.
3. And when He said, "It is finished", He had just completed 6 hours of horrible pain and anguish.
B. The emphasis, though, is that in dying He finished His work of redeeming mankind.
1. This was His work and His alone.
a. No one else could have done it. We could not do it ourselves.
b. "They borrowed a bed to lay His head, when Christ the Lord came down;
They borrowed the ass in the mountain pass, for Him to ride to town;
But the thorns He wore and the cross He bore were His own; the cross was His own!
He borrowed the bread when the crowd He fed, on the grassy mountainside;
He borrowed the dish of broken fish, with which He satisfied;
But the thorns He wore and the cross He bore was His own; the cross was His own.
He borrowed the ship in which to sit, to teach the multitude;
He borrowed a nest in which to rest; He had never a home so rude;
But the thorns He wore and the crown He bore was His own; the cross was His own.
He borrowed a room on His way to the tomb, the Passover lamb to eat;
They borrowed a cave to give Him a grave; they borrowed a burial sheet;
But the thorns He wore and the cross He bore was His own; The Cross was His own! The cross was His own."
2. Could we ever tire of hearing those precious passages, which tell what He did for us at Calvary? (Rom. 5:6; I Cor. 5:7; II Cor. 5:21; Tit. 2:14; Heb. 2:9; I Pet. 3:18; I Jn. 2:2; Rev. 1:5)
C. Now look at Heb. 9:25-28, which emphasizes that it was done once for all – "It is finished!"
1. In contrast with the repeated offerings under the law, it was a "once for all" sacrifice. Never repeated because no other sacrifice ever needed.
2. The Greek for "It is finished" – teleo – was used to indicate a debt was paid.
a. Ancient tax bills have been found with this word written across it, meaning "Paid in full".
b. We sing, "Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe.
Sin had left a crimson stain; He washed it white as snow."
D. Christ did all that was necessary to make our redemption possible.
Now I want you to think with me on what a wonderful thing it is that Christ Himself finished the work of redemption.
E. Do you ever fear that maybe you have not done enough?
1. You have obeyed the gospel. You are walking faithfully in the light. Still there is this nagging feeling that maybe you haven’t done enough. Not enough work, enough praying, helped enough people, studied enough, etc.
2. All such things have an important place, but they in no way earn or merit our salvation. We can’t be good enough, strong enough, work hard enough.
3. There is a vast difference between perfection and faithfulness.
F. It is a free gift, but a gift for which He paid with His life.
1. Romans 5:15
2. Romans 6:23
3. How we ought to rejoice in that word "gift".
a. He earned for us what we could not earn for ourselves.
b. He paid what we could never repay.
c. He washed away the sin we could never wash away.
G. The text says He bowed His head and said, "It is finished."
1. We bow our heads in humble gratitude and say, "It is finished."
2. But we also raise our heads and voices in a shout of victory; "Thank God. It is finished."
But on the other hand, some have abused the idea of "the finished work of Christ": to teach that there is nothing one must do to be saved.
H. There is a vast difference in one trying to earn salvation (Eph. 2:8-9) and what must be done to accept it.
1. Phil. 2:12
2. I Jn. 2:3
I. It is not unusual to hear teaching that ignores gospel requirements. We hear it on TV, from friends, see it in tracts, etc. – that "There is nothing to do, just believe."
J. There is nothing we can do if we are talking about the cost of redemption, but if we are talking about accepting redemption there is a different answer. When the question was asked in the Bible;
1. Acts 2:37-38
2. Acts 16:30ff
3. Acts 22:16
A rather simple couple, somewhat unaccustomed to reading books came into possession of a Bible. After reading much of it, the husband said, "Wife, if this book is true, we are lost." Then after reading more, "Wife, if this book is true, we can be saved."
Christ has finished His part, now it is up to you to finish your part.