John 19:28 “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.”
When Christ cried out “it is finished”, He was ultimately announcing to the forces of darkness that the debt of sin that had been escalating since Adam’s fall in the garden had now been paid in full. The separation between man and God, which had existed for several thousand years, had now been bridged through the peace offering of Christ. Although man had not been able to bear this load of sin and separation in and of himself, Christ had just done it for him. The debt was now paid in full, so that “… as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” (John 3:14-15)
In essence, Christ was saying, “… for this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” (John 10:17-18) Therefore, when His mission was accomplished and the work was finished, Christ died.
Do you understand the depth of the love of God for you that He would allow His innocent Son to die in your place? Have you allowed yourself to take in the “injustice” of the abundant grace of God that He would allow the innocent to die in the place of the guilty? Are you not amazed that even while you were helpless and weak, “…Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:6)
Looking closely at the mercy of God through Christ should cause all of His children to say, “33 …oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” 35 “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” (Romans 11:33-35)
Are you rejoicing?
