It is finished

Scripture: John 19:30

Audio Link: https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/sermon-7-apr-2023-it-is-finished

Good morning everyone.

Our reading for Good Friday comes from the gospel of John, chapter 19. In this passage of Scripture, we hear how Jesus died on the cross. From John 19, verses 28-30 we read…

²⁸ Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” ²⁹ A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. ³⁰ When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

Good Friday reflection – It is finished:

Finishing is hard to do. There are not many things, in this life, we can say are truly finished. You can never finish mowing the lawns or washing the dishes or painting the house because jobs like these will always need to be done again.

The search for meaning in life is another thing that never seems to finish. When we are young, being good at cricket or netball or chess or skate boarding might be how we find meaning. But, as we get a bit older, finding a boyfriend or a girlfriend matters more. Then building a home and a career. By the time we get to the end of our life, meaning is found in leaving some kind of legacy. 

What seems meaningful keeps evolving as we grow through the different stages of our life, so that we never quite find what we are looking for. We never totally feel like we have finished ticking the box of our life’s purpose.

The command to love God and love our neighbour as we love ourselves is another thing that never finishes. There is no end to caring for your family, your friends, your enemies and complete strangers.

Then there are the things we wish would finish but just seem to drag on. Small talk. A tedious sermon. A chronic illness. The burden of grief. Nagging guilt. The prejudice others dress us in. The torment of living with an abuser. Not to mention famines, wars, climate change and the fallout from these.

Like being stuck in a car, on a never ending road trip, the child inside us wants to cry out, ‘Are we there yet?’. But the grown up won’t let the child talk.

Finishing is hard to do.

It is significant that, in John’s gospel, Jesus’ last words from the cross (before he died) were, “It is finished”.  The other gospel accounts say that Jesus gave a loud cry and then he died. Putting that together, it appears Jesus didn’t say, “It is finished” in a quiet whisper. He shouted it out for all to hear.

Jesus is celebrating the fact that he has completed the work God gave him to do. He has accomplished God’s purpose for his life. “It is finished”, from the lips of Jesus on the cross, is the cry of victory.

Jesus’ life and death accomplished many things. Let me briefly mention three…

Firstly, Jesus reveals God’s love and truth. Jesus has shown the world God’s heart. God’s intentions toward us are good.

Secondly, Jesus shows us what it looks like to be truly human. The good we are unable to do Jesus has done for us. Jesus has lived the perfect life on our behalf.

Thirdly, Jesus makes it possible for us to be friends with God. Some people think God was punishing Jesus (on the cross) for our sins. But that wouldn’t really be fair or honest. I believe Jesus took our sin upon himself so that when Jesus died, our sin died with him.

This means the cross isn’t about punishment. It’s about forgiveness and reconciliation. Through faith in Christ, we can have a fresh start with God.

“It is finished” means Jesus’ work is complete, it is accomplished, there is nothing more we can add. Trying to improve on the work of Jesus, through our own efforts, would be like trying to touch up Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of the Mona Lisa. It would be vandalism.

When a mother has given birth, the doctors don’t try to put the baby back. The labour has finished. Now the new work of caring for the child begins.

Finishing is hard. We can’t do it on our own. We need help. Do you have unfinished business with God? What is it you need to leave at the foot of the cross for Jesus to finish?

Let us pray…

Lord Jesus, we thank you for revealing the heart of God and for showing us what it means to be truly human. We thank you too for taking our sin upon yourself, that we may have friendship with God. Grant us grace to finish this life’s journey with faithfulness and courage. Amen.