THE FINISHER!
Scripture: John 19:28-30
28- Jesus said to them, I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Isreal. 29- And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters of father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30- But many who are first will be last and, and many who are last will be first.
Let’s suppose you died and stood before the Lord God and He said, "Why should I let you into My heaven? What would you say? What do you think you would say?
Consider some typical responses I get from serious meaning individuals. They go like this: You know preacher, I am trying the best I can. That ought to be good enough." "God respects all our good efforts. Surely He is not going to reject us if we try hard to live a good life and do what we can to better mankind." "Oh, Joe was a good old feller. He didn’t hurt anybody. A feller can only do what he can do, you know." "I joined the church and was baptized, I try to live a good Christian life." My family has done well. I’ve been a good parent, a good provider and my kids have turned out fine. You know, I try to live a honest life." "I think you guys are entirely too serious about this Christian life thing. God doesn’t expect us to get that serious over religion. You gotta have a life to live." "We are all trying to go to the same place. One religion is as good as the next." There is a basic flaw with those answers. Because of the finished work of Christ, personal salvation is not by works or even Christ plus my works, virtue or moral character. The reason is found in the saving work Christ on the cross.
The message of the cross is all sufficiency of Jesus Christ, R.B. Jones wrote," Nothing greater has ever been accomplished than that which was completed at the cross." John 19:28-30 reads, "After this, Jesus knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, ‘I Am thirsty.’ A jar full of sour wind was standing there; so they put a sponge ful of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop, and brought it up to His mouth. Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit."
F.F. Bruce reminds us on that Passover eve, "The death of Jesus is the true Passover and the effective means of inward cleansing."
Let’s reflect for a few moments on the man who spoke those words from the cross, "It Is Finished"!
THE MAN WHO SPOKE THOSE WORDS
What made Jesus uniquely different from any other man who was ever executed on a Cross? Colossians 1:15-20 tells He was the Son of God. The apostle Paul writes:
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For He created all things, both in the heavens and on the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorites–all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning and the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross; through Him I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
Yes, it is God-man who dying. It is the Son of God, the second person of the holy Trinity who is being sacrificed. He has come to do the Father’s will.
HIS OWN VOLITIONAL CHOICE TO DIE
Jesus chose to go to the cross and die for mankind. John 10: 11, 15, 17, 18 makes it clear that Jesus chose to die for His sheep. "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep....I lay down My life for the sheep...For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My own life, I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father." You can’t get much clearer then that. This is the way that Jesus understood and explained His own death.
Some people have the false impression that Jesus was a helpless victim of an insidious plot and His life was ended suddenly and unexpectedly as a martyr for a religious cause. That simple isn’t the case. By His own testimony He tells us this was a free choice He made of His own free will.
FULFILLED PROPHECY
The crucifixion of Jesus was carefully predicted in the Scriptures. God planned His death.
The words of Psalm 22 was fulfilled at the cross of Jesus".
All who see Me sneer at Me;
They separate with the lip, they wag their head, saying,
"Commit yourself to the Lord; let Him deliver Him;
Let Him rescue Him, because He delights in Him" (vv.7-8).
I am poured out like water,
And all my bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
It is melted within me.
My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And My tongue cleaveth to my jaws;
and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
16- ......................They pierced my hands and my feet.
.....They apart my garments among them;
This psalm has been a favorite to God’s people through out the ages and with due reason, it expresses as simply and clearly as any, the role of God as our protector and provider in life. It also is a mighty example of how He is The Finisher of everything, from beginning to end, the alpha and omega of life and everything in between.
You remember the finisher in the commercial where the dad says that his children call him the finisher? Well if you want to get to know the real FINISHER; ...you’re in the right place today.
The one who sweated beads laced with blood, dreading the job He had before Him, while He prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, while His disciples couldn’t keep their eyes open and watch for Him, the one who was whipped all night and had the power and the authority to stop it all, and choose not to for your sake and mine, the one who we have to learn to love just as deeply and completely as He did, He is the True Finisher. If you want to feel that kind of love, if you want to learn how to love like that, and according to Jesus Christ we must learn to love like that to save our souls from hell, then knee and pray right now and ask your almighty God to forgive you and to cleanse you from all unrightousness, and let Him guide your daily walk from now own.
I have read that if we don’t learn to love one another just as Jesus Christ loved us, and that is a mighty love that no one has yet to experience, then we cannot enter into His kingdom. Loving one another enough to save each other from hell, by dying for them, that is a mighty love. Think about that kind of love? There are quite a few that would give up their lives for someone they love, not to come to any kind of harm, but the unsaved would do that. I’m talking about a love that you would give up your mere physical life, to save a stranger’s soul, not his or her life, but their soul.
A Christian’s physical death, isn’t the end like a sinner’s. We die as a graduation into everlasting life, a sinner’s physical death’s meaning is so different than a child of God’s physical death. Because Jesus conquered death for us.
Everyone who is reading this lesson today and doesn't have a home church or desn't know God personally, that He is THE FINISHERS, please call for prayer: (423) 623-0779 or E-Mail: Rev_Zora@live.com
Prayer is Power!
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