It Is Finished

Amen. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Lamb of God for sinners slain. Jesus Christ, we praise your name. Amen.

! We've been walking through the account of Jesus' death this evening from the Gospel of John.

And I just want to circle back to just one verse that we've already read this evening from John 19, verse 30.

John 19:30

If you'd like to open up in your own Bibles or the Pew Bibles there in front of you, you can find our passage there in John 19, verse 30.

John 19:30

And I just want to ask one question this evening tonight, which is, what makes Good Friday good?

Why do we call the death of our God good?

Growing up in my house, every Sunday there was a battle over who got to read the Sunday funnies first.

And that was what we called the comic section in my house.

I had to wrestle with three sisters, some one of four.

And we would take turns reading a page.

We'd tear that paper apart.

I'd have a page.

My sister would have a page.

My sister would have a page.

My sister would have a page.

And we'd work an assembly line rotation until all of the comics had been read.

And just about every Good Friday, a comic called BC comes to mind, written by a guy named Johnny Hart.

I believe he's no longer with us now.

His grandson is now writing the comics.

But he wrote a comic called BC that featured a bunch of cavemen and prehistoric animals,

really wrestling with a lot of life's hardest questions.

And oftentimes around Good Friday, Easter, Christmas time, they would kind of put a Christian twist onto the comic.

And the comic that I'm thinking of featured one caveman sitting on a hill looking out into the open,

out into the sky.

And he said, I really don't understand why they call it Good Friday.

In fact, you know what?

I hate the term Good Friday.

This caveman friend was standing behind him.

And he said, well, what do you mean?

The man answered and he said, well, they hanged my Lord on a tree that day.

Of course, that's a natural way to think of Good Friday.

If that's all that you understand that happened on Good Friday is that Jesus died on a tree,

then of course it's not very good, is it?

It's a bad, bad Friday.

And so the other thinks for a minute and then he responds,

if you were going to be hanged on the tree that day and someone offered to take your place,

how would you feel?

The answer, of course, is good.

This evening as we reflect tonight on the death of Christ,

the songs that we've sung, the scriptures that we've read,

the topic that we're considering tonight with the death of Jesus on the cross,

it's somber.

It's sad.

It's heavy.

I read this week and today, as I'm sure many of you did this week,

I read about the death of Christ.

We've read about his humiliation, being mocked and ridiculed,

slapped and spat upon, a crown of thorns placed upon his head.

We've read and we've heard about his pain and his suffering,

nails in each hand hung upon the cross,

excruciating physical pain, spiritual anguish.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

And then we've read ultimately about his death.

And no doubt the events of this day are very sad and very heavy,

but I do hope that tonight we can also see that this sacrifice,

the death of Jesus Christ on the cross,

is very, very good for sinners like us.

Amen?

Amen.

Amen.

Our passage this evening gives us the final words of Jesus Christ

before his death on the cross.

Of course, these aren't his final words.

The resurrection is right around the corner.

He will live and he will speak again.

He lives and he speaks today.

But here in John 19 verse 30,

John 19:30

we see his final words before he bows his head and gives up his spirit

and enters into death.

And what does he say?

John 19 verse 30.

John 19:30

Look there with me.

When Jesus had received the sour wine,

he said,

it is finished.

And he bowed his head

and gave up his spirit.

It is finished.

It's three words.

Just one word in the original,

tetelestai.

It's a beautiful summary of what makes Good Friday so good for those who believe.

And so what we need to do tonight is we need to understand exactly what is finished at the cross of Christ.

For one thing,

for Jesus,

it is finished,

is the completion of a perfect life.

See,

on the cross,

hanging there on the cross,

is no ordinary man.

This is the perfect son of God.

He died beside two thieves,

yes,

besides two guilty criminals,

but he himself was no thief.

He himself was completely innocent.

This is the perfect son of God

who came in total obedience

to an eternal plan of God

for the salvation of sinners.

And for 33 years,

he lived an entire life

of total obedience

to the Father.

Complete submission.

Perfect obedience

and perfect resistance

to every temptation.

The author of Hebrews,

it tells us that

he was tempted

and tried

in every way

as we are

yet without

sin.

So now,

because he himself

has suffered

when tempted,

now he is able

to help those

who are being tempted.

As Jesus hangs

on the cross,

as he hangs his head

and gives up his spirit,

he's bringing an end

to a totally perfect life,

which means

it is finished

for Jesus.

This is the completion

of a perfect sacrifice.

The sacrificial system

of the Old Testament,

if you know your Bible,

you know that

the sacrificial system

in the Old Testament

required the slaughter

of animals

to pay for the sins

of the people.

And all of this

was a very bloody system.

And it temporarily

paid for the sins

of the people.

It required a spotless,

perfect lamb

without blemish.

And their shed blood

covered the sins

of the people.

But now we see

in the death of Christ,

all of this

was just a temporary

pointer

to something

that's more real

and more lasting

and more effective

and more permanent

and more efficient

for the cleansing

of sin.

Jesus Christ

on the cross

is the perfect

sacrifice

for sinners.

Jesus is the Lamb

of God

who takes away

the sins

of the world.

Here,

Jesus is

blameless,

perfect,

innocent,

and He is slaughtered

as a sacrifice

in the place

of sinners.

His blood

covers

our sins.

Praise God.

God,

which means

it is finished,

is the completion

of a perfect

plan.

Jesus' death

is no accident.

It is not

a tragic event,

a tragic accident

of human history.

This death

was the plan

of God

from before

the ages began.

God determined

to send

His own Son

as the perfect

sacrifice

for sinners.

We're told

the Son of Man

came to seek

and to save

the lost.

This was the plan.

He's the Lamb

that was slain

from before

the foundations

of the world.

God's plan

from before

the foundation

of the world

was to send

His Son

and glorify

His name

in the crucifixion

of His Son

in the place

of sinners

like me and you.

It's good news

for sinners

like us.

Because now

for us

it is finished.

For us

means that

everything you

and I need

in order to be

counted perfect

in the sight

of God

is finished.

It is found

in Him.

It is received

by faith

in Him.

All of our

striving

is finished.

All of our

earning

is finished.

All of our

worry about

whether or not

we can ever

measure up

or whether or not

we can ever

be good enough

or whether or not

God might ever

accept somebody

as messed up

as me.

All of that

is finished.

Why?

Because simply

by faith

we receive

the perfect

record

of Jesus Christ.

For us

by faith

it is finished

means that

our debt

is paid

in full.

His sacrifice

is in

our place.

The wrath

of God

that was

poured out

on Him

was the

wrath of God

that was

owed to us.

And God

will never

double charge

the bill.

Jesus Christ

endured

in full

the wrath

of God

paid in full

the debt

that you

and I

owe.

In the

ancient world

merchants

just like

they do

today

when there

was a bill

that was

owed

when it

was paid

in full

they would

write a little

note on the

top.

It was just

one word.

You know

what it said?

The same

word that came

out of Jesus'

mouth here

on the cross

to lest

die.

It is

finished.

The debt

is paid

in full

for all

who trust

Him by

faith.

So now

praise God

it is

finished

means that

we who

know Him

by faith

are included

in the

eternal

plan

of God.

I love

the book

of Ephesians

and how

Paul just

gushes over

what God

has done

for us

in Christ.

Listen to

this from

Ephesians

Ephesians 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1.

He says

blessed be

the God

and Father

of our

Lord Jesus

Christ

who has

blessed us

in Christ

with every

spiritual

blessing

in the

heavenly

places

even as

He chose

us in

Him

before the

foundation

of the

world

that we

should be

holy

and blameless

before Him.

In love

He predestined

us for

adoption

to Himself

as sons

through

Jesus Christ

according to

the purpose

of His

will

to the

praise of

His

glorious

grace

with which

He has

blessed us

and the

beloved

in Him

we have

redemption

through His

blood

the forgiveness

of our

trespasses

according to

the riches

of His

grace

which He

lavished upon

us in all

wisdom and

insight

making known

to us the

mystery of

His will

according to

His purpose

which He set

forth in

Christ

as a plan

for the

fullness

of time

to unite

all things

in Him

things in

heaven

and things

on earth

in Him

we have

obtained

an inheritance

having been

predestined

according to

the purpose

of Him

who works

all things

according to

the counsel

of His

will

so that

we who

were the

first to

hope in

Christ

might be

to the

praise

of His

glory

in Him

you also

you also

when you

heard the

word of

truth

the gospel

of your

salvation

and believed

in Him

you also

were sealed

with the

promised

Holy Spirit

who is the

guarantee

of our

inheritance

until we

acquire

possession

of it

to the

praise

of His

glory

if you

have come

to Christ

in faith

then you

can say

hallelujah

this is

me

I am

included

in this

eternal

plan of

God

in Christ

by faith

I am

blessed

with every

spiritual

blessing

in the

heavenly

places

in Christ

by faith

I have

been

chosen

from

before

the

foundation

of the

world

in Christ

by faith

I am

holy

and blameless

before the

throne

of God

in Christ

by faith

I am

adopted

as a

son

or a

daughter

of God

through

Christ

by faith

I have

redemption

through the

blood

of Christ

I have

been

forgiven

of every

trespass

I have

been

united

to God

by faith

in Christ

all

praise

be

to God

for his

glorious

grace

you see

why we

call this

good

Randy Alcorn

asks the

same question

he says

what is

good about

good

Friday

why isn't

it called

bad

Friday

and he

answers

because

out of

the

appallingly

bad

came

what was

inexpressibly

good

and the

good

trumps

the

bad

because

though

the

bad

was

temporary

the

good

is

eternal

friend

we end

this

evening

with

Christ

crucified

but we

call it

good

because

we know

that just

around

the

corner

is

Easter

Sunday

his

resurrection

is

ultimately

what makes

good

Friday

so

good

because

by it

he

conquers

the

grave

and lives

to offer

eternal

life

to any

sinner

who comes

to him

in faith

A.W.

Pink

says it

like this

he says

it is

finished

is but

one word

in the

original

yet

in that

one word

is wrapped

up the

gospel

of God

in that

word

is contained

the ground

of the

believer's

assurance

in that

word

is discovered

the sum

of all

joy

and the

very

spirit

of all

consolation

it

is

finished

we're

gonna

stand

and respond

in just a

moment

by singing

together

but before

we do

I would

like to

invite you

to respond

this evening

each and

every one

of us

to respond

this evening

with just

a moment

of silent

prayer

as we

sit right

where we

are

and reflect

on the

cross

of Christ

I want

you to

sit

and just

pray

and I

want you

to ask

yourself

and pray

through these

three questions

for just a

moment

number one

is good

Friday

good for

me

in other

words do I

see my

sin paid

in full

at the

cross of

Christ

do I

trust

Jesus Christ

by faith

to be

the perfect

sacrifice

for my

sin

to bring

me

to God

is it

good for

me

second

question

do I

grieve the

sin that

put him

there

have I

repented

of my

sin

is there

any

lingering

sin

still

in our

life

that we

need to

confess

and make

right with

the Lord

this evening

is there

anything

that we

need to

repent of

this evening

what better

time than

now here

on Good

Friday to

confess that

to the

Lord and

then look

to the

cross and

rejoice your

sin is

paid in

full

your guilt

is removed

question

number three

am I

filled with

awe and

wonder at

what God

has done

in Christ

am I

marveling

at the

gospel of

Jesus Christ

am I

filled with

gratitude

for the

Lord for

what he's

done for

me in

the life

and the

death

of

Jesus

let's

take just

a moment

and pray

through these

three questions

and I'll

close us

in prayer

in just a

moment

let's

pray

we praise

you

and we

thank you

for the

cross of

Christ

and we

do pray

that for

every single

individual in

this room

that we

can look

at the

cross of

Christ

and say

that's

good

for me

that I

trust

the sacrifice

of Christ

to be

sufficient

for me

I need

the salvation

of Jesus

Christ

that's only

found in

him

he's my

only hope

to be made

right with

the holy

God

is by faith

in him

only by his

blood

can I be

made right

with you

I pray

every soul

in this

room would

sing those

words to

you tonight

I pray

that we

would

we would

grieve

and repent

of our

sin

this evening

Lord we

confess all

we like

sheep have

gone astray

every one

of us has

turned to

his own

way

Lord but

we rejoice

the Lord

has laid

on him

the iniquity

of us

all

and Father

we pray

that each

and every

one of us

would be

filled with

awe

and wonder

and gratitude

Lord that

we would

magnify the

glory of

God and

the gospel

of Jesus

Christ as

we reflect

on what

Jesus has

done for

us

Lord we

love you

you are

worthy of

our praise

we pray

this in

Jesus name

Amen