After 6 hours on the cross, meeting the needs of everyone else Jesus said these words…”It is Finished” but what was finished what did he mean…when something is finished it generally means something new is about to begin….someone who understood that better than anyone else was one woman who got a new beginning from Jesus
John 8:2-11
“…early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. 3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. 4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” 6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. 7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. 9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” 11 “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”
A new start for her?…let’s hear from her
Adulteress – Charlee
Do you understand the way Jesus looks at you?Religion demands justice but relationship demands mercy…judgment demands death but love demands freedom
Do you understand that for yourself?God is love and his first desire is relationship, love and mercy…he is a God of justice and judgment too but only if we won’t receive love and mercy. If we walk in love, freedom and mercy so will he for us but if we walk in judgment, and justice so will he.
Jesus went to the cross to take the crushing weight of mankind’s sin. He knew when he was moving in forgiveness with the woman that soon he would be taking on everyone’s sin on the cross…
His mouth is parched from dehydration, he called for a drink as he is wrapping up his purpose on earth
John 19: 29,30
A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. 30 When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
IT IS FINISHED!
In English it is three words but in Greek it is one word but it means “it is finished and will forever remain finished and there is nothing that can happen to unfinish what Jesus just finished!”
Jesus was finishing what was in His cup…here is what I mean. Remember when Jesus was in the garden the night he was betrayed, he was praying..
Matthew 26:39
He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
We don’t hear the Father’s response but I am sure it was something like this…I’m sorry my son but you have to finish this cup it is the only way that we can rescue humanity from the consequences of their sin
Jesus was overwhelmed at this point so much so that he was sweating drops of blood his soul was filled with sorrow and the conversation continues
Matthew 26:42
…. “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.”
The answer would have been the same, the only way to save humanity would have been to drink all of the cup of the sin, shame, and suffering that comes from the cross….This was not a surprise to Jesus it was what he had come to the earth for, He longed for mankind to be back in relationship with the Father to know his love and he knew he was the only one who could pay the price for mankind’s sin what we call “redeem” us from the kingdom of darkness.
The cup was all of the wrath of God for mankind’s sin, all of the demands of the enemy because mankind had surrendered their authority to him, and all of the sin of mankind….
You have heard it said “you are what you eat and drink”
Jesus took it all on to become sin for us
2 Corinthians 5:21
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
The one who had never sinned took on all of our sinso the Father and the enemy would see the sacrifice and know that our relationship and our authority was reestablished and the enemy no longer has any rights over us and we now have complete access to the Father because of the blood of the Son
Jesus took the full cup of sin, the wrath of God and the curse that was proclaimed over mankind because of Adam and Eve’s rebellion.
Galatians 3:13,14
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Jesus became this curse on a tree for you and I, we did not have the right to salvation or to come to God at all but when Jesus took on the very curse that keep us separated from the Lord even the curse of the law which could not be fulfilled by the works of man….He was able to proclaim…”It is finished” the curse, the rule of sin, the rule of the law…freedom has come when you accept Jesus as your Lord and savior by accepting the work He did on the cross…
As you have heard me say many times Christ work on the cross obliterated our sin so when we accept Him our sins are no longer held against us because they no longer exist and at the same time we can receive the promise of the Holy Spirit which we will talk about in a few weeks but to be quick empowers us, guides us, convicts us, leads us and so much more
Colossians 2:14,15
by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.(ESV)
See the enemy has no right to triumph over you his power is made null and void because of the crossas our sins have been forgiven and that is the only right he has to triumph over us
When Jesus said it was finished he meant it was finished….we may face battles but the enemy has no right to win…we may face struggles but the enemy has no right to overcome…he is a nonentity as long as we choose surrender to Christ….IT IS FINISHED
Jesus established a way for us to remember that it is finished
The Psalmist writes Psalm 23:5
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;”
This table the cup and the bread is a reminder to us to come to him to ask for forgiveness because he has already taken on our sin.
It is Jesus pouring out his body and blood and reminding us that if we choose to accept it, it is finished
If not, we will continue to struggle with our sins…
Today I want you to genuinely take time to think, God have a really let go of my
Bitterness
Fear
Anger
Greed
Unforgiveness (have I truly forgiven others)
Insecurities
Does my language reflect you
Does my heart reflect your heart in my attitude toward others of different races, cultures, genders, economic status, ages,
Let’s take a moment to ask the Lord so that as we come to this table we are accepting what Jesus did for us with a pure heart
Let’s take a moment too to ask…have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and savior…have you accepted what He did on the cross as a real price that he paid for your sins….coming to church doesn’t save you…it should help you to grow but it is a personal thing between you and Jesus
Heads bowed eyes closed please reflect on your heart…are you coming to this table fully ready….are you coming having your heart pure because you have dealt with your sin…second are you coming to this table know Jesus is your Lord and savior that you have accepted him and the price he paid on the cross