The following piece was written by My precious Mom (Peg Councill)
and read by her to her congregation on Good Friday 2013
IT IS FINISHED
by: Peg Councill
JOHN 19;30 – ‘WHEN JESUS HAD RECEIVED THE SOUR WINE, HE SAID
‘ IT IS FINISHED’ –AND BOWING HIS HEAD , HE GAVE UP HIS SPIRIT.
IN THE BEGINNING BEFORE GOD SAID ‘LET THERE BE LIGHT’ HE KNEW
THERE WOULD BE THE CROSS. JESUS’ WHOLE PURPOSE FOR LAYING
ASIDE HIS GLORY AND COMING AS A BABE IN A CRADLE WAS THE CROSS.
GOD CHOSE THE WAY OF THE CRADLE. GOD CHOSE THE WAY OF THE
CROSS. THIS GREAT JOURNEY FROM HEAVEN TO EARTH IS THE
JOURNEY OF SALVATION – FOR ME AND FOR YOU. A JOURNEY THAT WAS
ALL ABOUT WHO JESUS IS AND WHAT HE ACCOMPLISHED FOR ME
AND FOR YOU.. JESUS BECAME A CURSE BY DIVINE DECREE.. OUR PART IN
REALIZING THE TREMENDOUS MEANING OF HIS CURSE IS THE
CONVICTION OF SIN. THIS CONVICTIION IS GIVEN TO US AS
A GIFT OF SHAME AND REPENTANCE. IT IS THE GREAT MERCY OF GOD..
AS THE TIME FOR THE CROSS DREW CLOSER, JESUS TOLD HIS DISCIPLES
MANY TIMES THAT HE MUST GO TO JERUSALEM WHERE HE WOULD BE
KILLED. HE KNEW HIS DEATH WAS THE VERY REASON THAT HE HAD
COME AND NO ONE WAS GOING TO KEEP HIM FROM HIS PURPOSE.
IN GETHSEMANE THOUGH HE PRAYED 3 TIMES TO ‘LET THIS CUP PASS
FROM ME,’ IT WAS NOT THE PHYSICAL SUFFERING, AS TERRIBLE AS IT
WOULD BE THAT CAUSED JESUS TO PRAY THIS WAY. IT WAS THE REALITY
OF THE SINLESS SON OF GOD BEARING THE SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD
AND FACING SEPARATION FROM HIS FATHER. HE KNEW HE WOULD BE
TAKING ALL THE RIGHTEOUS WRATH OF GOD AGAINST SIN. EVERY TIME
YOU OR I THOUGHT, OR SAID OR DID SOMETHING OUTSIDE OF GOD’S WAY
THAT IS WHAT JESUS WAS PAYING FOR JESUS LAST WORDS ON THE CROSS
WERE NOT THOSE OF DESPAIR BUT THE ULTIMATE WORDS OF TRIUMPH
WHEN JESUS DIED FOR ME AND FOR YOU, HE SHOUTED ‘IT IS FINISHED’
TETELESTAI. THIS IS A TERM USED IN ACCOUNTING IN THAT TIME
TO INDICATE THAT A BILL HAD BEEN ‘PAID IN. FULL’ NOTHING ELSE
WAS OWED– NOTHING ELSE COULD BE PAID. JESUS DID NOT SAY ‘IT IS
FINISHED’ IN WEARY DEFEAT; HE SAID IT AS ONE WHO SHOUTS FOR JOY
BECAUSE THE VISTORY IS WON. HE SEEMED TO BE BROKEN ON THE
CROSS , BUT HE KNEW -THE DIVINE DECREE HAD BEEN COMPLETED
THE LAST SENTENCE OF VERSE 30 IS SIGNIFICANT IN THAT IT SHOWS
JESUS STILL TOTALLY IN CONTROL.THE PHRASE ‘HE BOWED HIS HEAD’ IS
A WORD WHICH MIGHT BE USED FOR A PERSON SETTLING BACK UPON A
PILLOW AND RESTING.. FOR JESUS THE STRIFE WAS OVER AND THE
BATTLE WAS WON HIS TASK WAS COMPLETED AND HE COULD LEAN
BACK, CONTENT AND AT PEACE.
THANK YOU JESUS THAT ‘ IT IS FINISHED’ – PAID IN FULL
.
NOTES/QUOTES TAKEN FROM UTMOST OFR HIS HIGHEST 11/21
RON HUTCHCRAFT MINISTRIES 11/20/12
WILLIAM BARCLAY – GOSPEL OF JOHN – VOL. 2 – PG. 258.
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