Last Thursday, April 13, it was my great privilege to be one of the seven speakers at our (International Bible Baptist Church-Riverside) "Before Easter Devotional and Prayer
Meeting." Seven adult men were asked to share our thoughts on the
Seven Last Sayings of
Jesus Christ on the cross.
On the previous Sunday, Pastor Sergio had suggested this and we were to blind draw for the saying we would share. When he made this announcement, my immediate thought was, "I would love to speak on John 19:30, 'It is finished!' - for I have shared that Scripture verse often over the years in my apologetic writings and discussions."
And, when Mark came to me to draw my Scripture verse, praise God I did draw John 19:30. Let's take a look at His last seven sayings as He hung on the cross. One of my favorite Gospel songs reminds us that, "When He Was On The Cross, I Was On His Mind." That should give all of us pause to consider what He did for each of us.
SEVEN LAST SAYINGS OF CHRIST
John 19:30, "So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit."
"IT IS FINISHED!" ~ Only three words (only one word in early Greek, tetelestai) - but the most meaningful words ever spoken.
Imagine this scenario: From birth, we are all condemned to death. From birth, we all have been sitting in a Death Row cell in Sin Prison.
And one day Jesus came to our Death Row cell door and told us, "You have been granted a Full Pardon! You are now free to walk out of your Death Row cell and into a fresh, new life. You are free to come out now?"
Should we get up, follow Him, and walk out of that Death Row cell? Or should we just sit down, refuse to leave our Death Row cell, declaring, "No, that is too easy! I must work for my pardon!"
That is what people in Legalistic churches tell us we must do: Work for our Full Pardon - Work to earn our Salvation. Yet, NO ONE has ever been able to work enough to earn his own Salvation.
Jesus Christ took all of our sin guilt upon Himself. He took all the wrath of God upon Himself. So that He could declare our sin debt "Paid in Full." He purchased our redemption with His own suffering and blood. His death offered Forgiveness to every person who has ever been born, or who will ever be born.
All we have to do is receive His Full Pardon, His redemption - and walk out of our Death Row cell.
How many times I have shared John 19:30 with my Roman Catholic Friends - that this declaration by Jesus Christ means we are saved "by grace through faith, alone."
But even though my Roman Catholic friends hear "It is finished!" - to them it means only a transfer from the Death Row cell in Sin Prison - into a Death Row Cell in Purgatory Prison. There, after death in the mortal body, they must continue to suffer for an indeterminate time - in an attempt to earn a Pardon from their death sentence. Yet, Jesus Christ has already purchased it for us, "Paid In Full" - through His death on the cross.
I have had many Liberal, Legalistic, and Roman Catholic Friends tell me, "No one can know if he/she is really saved." According to their beliefs - until you walk that last mile and have walked through death's door - you cannot know for sure if you have been pardoned or not. In other words, in their teachings no one can know if they are truly saved. They must die - before they can know if they have eternal life. Isn't that rather late to be learning their eternal destiny?
In an interview some years ago with a Roman Catholic Cardinal in New York, he said that even the Pope cannot know for sure that he has been forgiven - until he passes through the door of death into Purgatory. Only at death - will he know if he is saved and has eternal life in Christ.
That is not what Jesus Christ meant when, hanging on the cross of Calvary, He declared, "IT IS FINISHED!"
He meant that ALL the requirements for Redemption - for all people - have been met (John 3:16). All legal requirements, i.e., justification, have been satisfied - making a Full Pardon, Redemption, available to all people. He declares that everyone who will believe and receive Him as Lord and Savior - IS righteous, through the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ. Thus, God justifies us, declaring us legally covered by the righteousness of Christ.
That happens the moment we, as a new Believer - Accept and Receive our Full Pardon - and Become children of God. We have been set free, we have a new life, we are a new person. All we have to do is Believe ~ Receive ~ Become!
John 1:12, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:"
BELIEVE ~ RECEIVE ~ BECOME
To deny that "IT IS FINISHED!" is to deny the sufficiency of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ to provide full redemption and salvation for mankind. Theologies which teach that we must work for our salvation - are denying the sufficiency of his sacrifice to save us. In other words, they are saying that Christ did His part, He made our redemption ALMOST complete. But, now we must work to complete the work He could not finish.
Most Legalistic churches are Christian. But, many are still so mired in the Law of the Old Testament - that they cannot believe the New Testament sufficiency of Jesus Christ to fully be our Savior.
Then there are the cult churches. One example is the Unification Church under Rev. Sun Myung Moon, who taught his followers that he and his wife were sent by God, as the True Parents, to "finish the work of salvation which Jesus Christ began - but could not finish because He was crucified."
When Jesus Christ declared on the cross of Calvary, "IT IS FINISHED!" - that meant that He had "Paid in Full" our sin debt. He had purchased our full pardon. He had opened the doors of our Death Row cells. We only need to take His nail-scarred hand and walk out into a new, regenerated life. That is the message of Easter - that He died and rose again, resurrected, to assure that you and I will also be resurrected into a new immortal body, into eternal life in Christ.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
On the previous Sunday, Pastor Sergio had suggested this and we were to blind draw for the saying we would share. When he made this announcement, my immediate thought was, "I would love to speak on John 19:30, 'It is finished!' - for I have shared that Scripture verse often over the years in my apologetic writings and discussions."
And, when Mark came to me to draw my Scripture verse, praise God I did draw John 19:30. Let's take a look at His last seven sayings as He hung on the cross. One of my favorite Gospel songs reminds us that, "When He Was On The Cross, I Was On His Mind." That should give all of us pause to consider what He did for each of us.
SEVEN LAST SAYINGS OF CHRIST
1. Luke 23:34 ~ Forgiveness: “Father,
forgive them; for they know not what they do.”
2. John 19:26-27 ~ Affection: “Woman, behold thy son!”.... “Behold thy mother.”
3. Luke 23:43 ~ Salvation: “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
4. Matthew 27:46 ~ Grief: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
5. John 19:28 ~ Suffering: "I thirst.”
6. John 19:30 ~ Victory: “It is finished.”
7. Luke 23:46 ~ Contentment: "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.”
2. John 19:26-27 ~ Affection: “Woman, behold thy son!”.... “Behold thy mother.”
3. Luke 23:43 ~ Salvation: “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
4. Matthew 27:46 ~ Grief: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
5. John 19:28 ~ Suffering: "I thirst.”
6. John 19:30 ~ Victory: “It is finished.”
7. Luke 23:46 ~ Contentment: "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.”
John 19:30, "So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit."
"IT IS FINISHED!" ~ Only three words (only one word in early Greek, tetelestai) - but the most meaningful words ever spoken.
Imagine this scenario: From birth, we are all condemned to death. From birth, we all have been sitting in a Death Row cell in Sin Prison.
And one day Jesus came to our Death Row cell door and told us, "You have been granted a Full Pardon! You are now free to walk out of your Death Row cell and into a fresh, new life. You are free to come out now?"
Should we get up, follow Him, and walk out of that Death Row cell? Or should we just sit down, refuse to leave our Death Row cell, declaring, "No, that is too easy! I must work for my pardon!"
That is what people in Legalistic churches tell us we must do: Work for our Full Pardon - Work to earn our Salvation. Yet, NO ONE has ever been able to work enough to earn his own Salvation.
Jesus Christ took all of our sin guilt upon Himself. He took all the wrath of God upon Himself. So that He could declare our sin debt "Paid in Full." He purchased our redemption with His own suffering and blood. His death offered Forgiveness to every person who has ever been born, or who will ever be born.
All we have to do is receive His Full Pardon, His redemption - and walk out of our Death Row cell.
How many times I have shared John 19:30 with my Roman Catholic Friends - that this declaration by Jesus Christ means we are saved "by grace through faith, alone."
But even though my Roman Catholic friends hear "It is finished!" - to them it means only a transfer from the Death Row cell in Sin Prison - into a Death Row Cell in Purgatory Prison. There, after death in the mortal body, they must continue to suffer for an indeterminate time - in an attempt to earn a Pardon from their death sentence. Yet, Jesus Christ has already purchased it for us, "Paid In Full" - through His death on the cross.
I have had many Liberal, Legalistic, and Roman Catholic Friends tell me, "No one can know if he/she is really saved." According to their beliefs - until you walk that last mile and have walked through death's door - you cannot know for sure if you have been pardoned or not. In other words, in their teachings no one can know if they are truly saved. They must die - before they can know if they have eternal life. Isn't that rather late to be learning their eternal destiny?
In an interview some years ago with a Roman Catholic Cardinal in New York, he said that even the Pope cannot know for sure that he has been forgiven - until he passes through the door of death into Purgatory. Only at death - will he know if he is saved and has eternal life in Christ.
That is not what Jesus Christ meant when, hanging on the cross of Calvary, He declared, "IT IS FINISHED!"
He meant that ALL the requirements for Redemption - for all people - have been met (John 3:16). All legal requirements, i.e., justification, have been satisfied - making a Full Pardon, Redemption, available to all people. He declares that everyone who will believe and receive Him as Lord and Savior - IS righteous, through the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ. Thus, God justifies us, declaring us legally covered by the righteousness of Christ.
That happens the moment we, as a new Believer - Accept and Receive our Full Pardon - and Become children of God. We have been set free, we have a new life, we are a new person. All we have to do is Believe ~ Receive ~ Become!
John 1:12, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:"
BELIEVE ~ RECEIVE ~ BECOME
BELIEVE in Jesus Christ.
RECEIVE His free gift of eternal life.
BECOME a Child of God.
To deny that "IT IS FINISHED!" is to deny the sufficiency of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ to provide full redemption and salvation for mankind. Theologies which teach that we must work for our salvation - are denying the sufficiency of his sacrifice to save us. In other words, they are saying that Christ did His part, He made our redemption ALMOST complete. But, now we must work to complete the work He could not finish.
Most Legalistic churches are Christian. But, many are still so mired in the Law of the Old Testament - that they cannot believe the New Testament sufficiency of Jesus Christ to fully be our Savior.
Then there are the cult churches. One example is the Unification Church under Rev. Sun Myung Moon, who taught his followers that he and his wife were sent by God, as the True Parents, to "finish the work of salvation which Jesus Christ began - but could not finish because He was crucified."
When Jesus Christ declared on the cross of Calvary, "IT IS FINISHED!" - that meant that He had "Paid in Full" our sin debt. He had purchased our full pardon. He had opened the doors of our Death Row cells. We only need to take His nail-scarred hand and walk out into a new, regenerated life. That is the message of Easter - that He died and rose again, resurrected, to assure that you and I will also be resurrected into a new immortal body, into eternal life in Christ.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
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