“And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” Colossians 2:13-14 ESV
Close your eyes and imagine with me for a moment that you are a bystander watching a man that had been beaten severely and forced to drag his own cross up a long and rough path to the hill called Golgotha. The sky is dark and looking very menacing. The one that was beaten is hanging between two criminals and you notice that he had begun to raise his head as if he was about to speak. He is looking towards the sky as for a sign from heaven and with great force, he roars, "Tetelestai!" The words came from his mouth with great authority and finality, as a great cry of victory on a field of battle.
The Greek word tetelestai mean "It is accomplished," "it is fulfilled," "it is paid in full," "it is finished." Anyone who was standing close enough to hear Jesus may have wondered, What is finished? Perhaps one day they would learn that God's eternal plan of redemption for all humanity was completed in that moment. Perhaps one day they would know that Jesus' death was the atonement for every one of our sins, that he stood in our place before God to allow us to have a close and personal relationship with a holy God and that the tearing of the Temple curtain in two signified that access to God. That all the promises and prophecies of Scripture were fulfilled in this moment of history.
Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice for all of us. Republicans, Democrats, rednecks, Yankees, black, white, American, Asian. It doesn't matter who you are or where you come from, Jesus died for you. We are all sinful human beings that are simply unable to stand before a holy and just God. There is no merit to our own lives that could bring us into God's presence. We all fall short, so God sent Jesus to stand in for us. And in that one act of love we are assured of our salvation and eternal life with God in heaven. Even way back then, Jesus and God were thinking of all of us, you and me, when Jesus was marched up the hill, nailed to the cross, and sacrificed for our sins. It was finished on the cross that day. No more sacrifices are needed. His death on the cross was all that it took.
It is finished.
My grandmother's journey was finished September 10th when she took her last breath and slipped off into eternity. She was welcomed by a host of family and friends that went before her but most importantly she was welcomed by Jesus. She had long ago given her life to the Lord and had worked most of her life in service to Him. When I close my eyes, I can almost see her turning cart wheels and dancing in celebration of Jesus. For her it is finished. Her race was run. She finished stronger than she started.
For us.
A new life is ours...all we have to do is be finished; finished with trying to make things happen on our own merit, finished with trying to work hard enough, finished with trying to be good enough; we have to be ready to accept that Jesus is Lord and commit ourselves to Him.
Simple as that.
Be Finished.
Close your eyes and imagine with me for a moment that you are a bystander watching a man that had been beaten severely and forced to drag his own cross up a long and rough path to the hill called Golgotha. The sky is dark and looking very menacing. The one that was beaten is hanging between two criminals and you notice that he had begun to raise his head as if he was about to speak. He is looking towards the sky as for a sign from heaven and with great force, he roars, "Tetelestai!" The words came from his mouth with great authority and finality, as a great cry of victory on a field of battle.
The Greek word tetelestai mean "It is accomplished," "it is fulfilled," "it is paid in full," "it is finished." Anyone who was standing close enough to hear Jesus may have wondered, What is finished? Perhaps one day they would learn that God's eternal plan of redemption for all humanity was completed in that moment. Perhaps one day they would know that Jesus' death was the atonement for every one of our sins, that he stood in our place before God to allow us to have a close and personal relationship with a holy God and that the tearing of the Temple curtain in two signified that access to God. That all the promises and prophecies of Scripture were fulfilled in this moment of history.
Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice for all of us. Republicans, Democrats, rednecks, Yankees, black, white, American, Asian. It doesn't matter who you are or where you come from, Jesus died for you. We are all sinful human beings that are simply unable to stand before a holy and just God. There is no merit to our own lives that could bring us into God's presence. We all fall short, so God sent Jesus to stand in for us. And in that one act of love we are assured of our salvation and eternal life with God in heaven. Even way back then, Jesus and God were thinking of all of us, you and me, when Jesus was marched up the hill, nailed to the cross, and sacrificed for our sins. It was finished on the cross that day. No more sacrifices are needed. His death on the cross was all that it took.
It is finished.
My grandmother's journey was finished September 10th when she took her last breath and slipped off into eternity. She was welcomed by a host of family and friends that went before her but most importantly she was welcomed by Jesus. She had long ago given her life to the Lord and had worked most of her life in service to Him. When I close my eyes, I can almost see her turning cart wheels and dancing in celebration of Jesus. For her it is finished. Her race was run. She finished stronger than she started.
For us.
A new life is ours...all we have to do is be finished; finished with trying to make things happen on our own merit, finished with trying to work hard enough, finished with trying to be good enough; we have to be ready to accept that Jesus is Lord and commit ourselves to Him.
Simple as that.
Be Finished.
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