It Is Finished

Any task that is done well will ultimately come to a completion at some point. At least that’s what I tell myself every time I look into my garage, which needs to be cleaned and organized. However, it requires a lot of work, and there is always the temptation just to go in and throw everything away; that will be the only time it is organized and decluttered. I’m not entirely sure how my garage became such a mess of clutter, but I’m sure it happened over time. When one part of the house was up for cleaning and decluttering, it ultimately ended up in the garage. Although it was never meant to be a permanent home, as long as it didn’t block the path to the exercise equipment, it got to stay. Our lives become nothing but a giant ball of clutter when we allow sin to penetrate various areas of our lives. We set aside living as Christ for a moment out of convenience or forgetfulness, and it spirals out of control, creating a mess in our lives. Even Christians with the best intentions ultimately allow sin to create a problem that seems insurmountable. The Gospel addresses this problem. Even though we fail to clean the garages of our lives, it was for this reason that God sent Jesus. Fully human to connect with our nature, yet fully God to overcome the power of sin and death. This combined nature provides the ability to overcome the clutter and strike at the very heart of our problem, sin.

28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jn 19:28–30.

In His final moments on the cross, Jesus profoundly demonstrated the depths of His humanity, highlighted vividly by His cry, “I thirst.” This agonizing utterance served as irrefutable evidence of His perfect humanity, a man truly made like all of humanity, experienced the breaking down of His physical body in addition to the destruction that sin brings upon the body. Unlike a pure deity, Christ endured the severe dehydrating effects characteristic of crucifixion, thereby manifesting genuine human weariness and need. This seemingly simple cry was also a deliberate act, ensuring the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, underscoring that His suffering, even His physical thirst, was not accidental but part of God’s predetermined plan for atonement. Thus, His extreme thirst became a consequence of humanity’s sin, taken upon Himself, revealing the extent of God’s holiness and the profound need for the redemption that only His sacrifice could provide, showing humanity’s utter lostness without Him.

However, even with Christ’s display of human frailty, Jesus’ divine nature shines through, powerfully declaring the triumph of salvation. Unlike ordinary men whose spirits depart involuntarily in death, Jesus consciously bowed His head before giving up His spirit, a deliberate act of sovereign will. His loud voice, proclaiming “It is finished,” further emphasized His divine authority; His life was not forcibly taken, but freely laid down, showcasing His control even in ultimate human weakness. This declaration, from the single Greek word “teleo,” signifies that all divine requirements and prophecies were perfectly fulfilled, the work of redemption completed, God’s justice satisfied, and sin’s wages paid. It was not a cry of exhaustion but a triumphant statement made with full knowledge and intent, a culmination of His perfect obedience unto death and the accomplishment of the Father’s will.

Therefore, the profound sacrifice of Christ calls believers to a deep understanding and participation in the Gospel. While His unique suffering bore the wrath of God and atoned for sin, believers are invited to join Him by taking up their cross daily, loving sacrificially, and serving the Gospel. Our primary way of sharing in His sacrifice is not by adding to it, but by constantly trusting in its completeness and sufficiency, as powerfully affirmed by “It is finished.” This declaration opened an eternal fountain of grace and laid a foundation of peace. Therefore, believers are called to exhibit the peace and confidence that flow from such trust in Christ’s efficacy on the cross, living out the accomplished work of redemption. This enduring faith, coupled with the willingness to endure trials with Christ, aligns believers with His path, showcasing His power and grace amidst human weakness, and contributing to the broader witness in a fallen world.

Jesus changed the world just as He changed us, taking all of the sins of the world out of the clutter of our lives and dealing with them once and for all, proclaiming that it is finished. While we cannot take on the role of Jesus in this task, we are invited to share the peace that comes as a result of our salvation with everyone in the world. Many others must deal with the mess left by sin in their lives. Jesus invites the Church to work alongside the sacrifice and take on the burdens of the world, because we are equipped to hand them off to the Almighty God, thus speaking directly to sin that the power is broken and proclaiming the power of the risen Christ in all these situations. While I wish that the clutter in my home, and specifically the garage, could have been handled by the Almighty, I certainly feel as if I am suffering when I even contemplate the mess before me. I can rest assured that the clutter of my garage will not bleed into my walk with God, because Jesus paid the cost for my redemption, and invites us to open up the clutter of our hearts so that our sin will be dealt with.