we look at God's holy word and pray for his assistance in preaching this morning at verse in the end of John chapter 19 these three words are the Lord Jesus Christ it is finished it is finished Three words which if we meditate upon carefully, prayerfully and humbly we should be filled with awe.

There's other verses in the scripture which likewise if we focused upon and gave all our attention to we'd have a greater understanding and an experience yes an experience of the wonder of a holy, holy, holy God whose eyes are too pure than to behold evil yet showing mercy because of his love to and his grace to sinners such as we And I looked at some of these verses, some of them I was reminded of as I was preparing this and some that men have mentioned recently from this and other pulpits. Job 19 verses 25 to 26 For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth and though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God now that was written I don't know it was certainly before the law was given before Moses and I understand it so it's what thousand five hundred two thousand years before the incarnation but Job knew he knew that Christ would come his Redeemer the one who hung upon the cross and said it is finished he knew that Christ would come that he would stand at the latter day upon the earth he was convinced of it convicted of it but also he was convicted of the resurrection the resurrection of the saints at the last day and though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall i see God he's looking beyond the grave he's looking to his redeemer he's he's given this sight to see things that you know in these last days we have set up far more clearly here in the scriptures and yet joe knew them for himself this is what i mean of the experience of God The work of the Holy Ghost in our souls.

This is faith. Faith. We can have faith ourselves. We can believe certain things. But man's faith cannot believe the things of God. It says so, I've read these verses before in 2 Corinthians. at 1 Corinthians chapter 2 cannot understand the things of the spirit they are spiritually discerned and here we see the Holy Spirit I'll say it's 2,000 years before the incarnation it might be more it might be less I don't think anybody knows but this is the reality of faith it's knowing that my Redeemer liveth and it's a question we could well ask ourselves but to think upon that verse is not just to say with joke i know that my redeemer liveth it's but to have knowledge of what is going on from the scriptures and through the revelation of god in our souls there are other verses we might think of matthew these verses are read often in congregations, churches, up and down the land at what we call Christmas time, Matthew chapter 1 verses 21 to 23.

And she shall bring forth a son and thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken of the Lord by the prophets, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son. And they shall call his name Emmanuel, which is being interpreted as God with us. How much is in that? Emmanuel, God with us. It's not merely the incarnation, birth of a child, and to us a son is given. But is everything?

Why did he come? We can go to Luke chapter 2 but my point is that as we look at these verses do we look beyond the verse there into the rest of the scriptures to get understanding of what actually has happened between... underline it enough how holy God is that we cannot stand in his presence as we are. Luke chapter 2 verses 10 and 11 and the angel said unto them this is to the shepherds fear not for behold i bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people for unto you is born this day in the city of david a savior which is christ the lord then it goes on to be a sign as well and the angels after that sorry the shepherds rather in verse 19 uh 20 the shepherds returned to back to their sheep having seen the savior returned glorifying and praising god for all the things they had heard had seen as it was told into unto them but how wonderful is the revelation how wonderful is the incarnation of the God-man for sinners. I can say for myself and my prayer and my trust is you can say for yourselves too. He didn't just come for a nation.

There's various things going around, there's heresies and false ideas but he died to save his people, individual people, men, women, children. who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ what a great blessing but it's not just the the deeds that were done sorry these events but also we might think upon those things of which we read because of the incarnation the doctrine that lies behind God's mercy to sinners we think of Romans chapter 5 verse 1 therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ and Romans chapter 8 verse 1 there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit what wonder is in those two verses it is far more than the mere verse might show to us I mean, they are conclusions from the chapters that have gone before. But what a wonderful conclusion! What a wonderful conclusion to say that by justified, being justified, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. What are we in Christ?

Something really wonderful. and yet above all these and they are wonderful in themselves that verse that those three words it is finished and when we try to look into it and there's no way i'm going to be able to look into all of it not no intention uh today it takes too long but but try and consider some little things about it they're not little but little aspects little parts that they might be able to to to put before you to to consider the wonder of what christ has done upon the cross it is finished and he bowed his head and gave up the ghost it is so wonderful well we have it's probably the loudest thing that we could shout salvation that's what we're speaking of salvation is finished it is complete in Christ upon the cross what a great blessing what a great blessing it is that we should be partakers of this wonderful wonderful salvation King David speaks of it in I usually get this wrong but it's in 2 Samuel 28 I turn to it where he speaks of the completeness 2 Samuel 23 verse 5 although my house be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my salvation and all my desire although he make it not to grow ordered in all things and sure nothing left to do nothing left for a man the lord does it he charges his angels with falling let's be quite honest that's what the scripture says no flapping bits dangling bits i had a sort of remembrance of this of seeing people going on holiday or taking things on their roof racks in 30 or 40 years ago you see a car going down the motorway or something you'll be something flapping off the top of the roof rack and it just reminded me of this where you know everything is tucked into this covenant everything necessary for our salvation nothing left to chance nothing certainly nothing left for a man to do ordered in all things and sure christ completed and obtained an actual salvation for his people a salvation accomplished not made possible accomplished and i

want to underline that it's not a i've heard people listening to sermons on youtube and this seems to be so indefinite and it's wrong it's wrong, it's doing despite to the order of God in this covenant of grace he doesn't make salvation possible he's given salvation to his people as a gift, as a gift of grace to say making salvation possible it does not agree with 2 Samuel 23 verse 5 a covenant ordered in all things and sure it gives doubt makes people skeptical makes people question God's holy word and that's why we have so many errors and heresies floating about there's prophecies that went before of the Lord Jesus Christ in Isaiah chapter 7, 14, Isaiah chapter 9, verse 6 unto us a child is born is Isaiah chapter 9, verse 6 unto us a child is born unto us a son is given that's the mystery of the incarnation the God-man you can't separate them he had his human nature and he had his God nature but they were so intertwined as it were that you can't you can't think them apart he's the God man fully man fully God and yet without sin that's why it says a son is given because the son is given given as a saviour of his people We also have the prophecy in Isaiah chapter 61 which the Lord mentions himself and I'll just turn to the one in Luke chapter 4 concerning the preaching of the gospel. This was delivered unto him that is the Lord Jesus Christ the book of the prophet Isaiah and when he had opened the book he found the place where it was written the spirit of the lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted to preach deliverance to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind to set at liberty them that are bruised to preach the acceptable year of the lord and he closed the book and he gave it again to the minister and sat down and the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him and he began to say unto them this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears and that is from isaiah chapter 61 what a wonder all those things that spoken of by isaiah the prophet and other prophets before all fulfilled in Christ by Christ even the preaching of the gospel even the coming in of the Gentiles I don't want to run ahead of myself but I don't want to forget that passage where the Lord speaks of when I I be lifted up will draw all men unto me that was a prophecy from the Old Testament too of the gentiles being brought into the fold we must not forget that but it seems so strange to me that you know we have all these prophecies that went before of christ and all fulfilled and as christ here speaks of the prophecy of the gospel being preached also being fulfilled that people could still say oh was a certain things left to do in the sense of salvation my friend all i can say is utter nonsense i could use a stronger word than that but it's it's nonsense it's it's turning one's back upon god's word all the things concerning the temple sacrifices remember the temple itself was a picture of christ the sacrifices that the brazen altar the altar of incense the ark of the covenant the mercy seat it all point to christ all fulfilled all gone now all pointing to the messiah the prophecies concerning the crucifixion itself in Psalms those two are fulfilled Psalm 22 verses 11

to 19 be not far from me Trouble is near, for there is none to help. Many bulls have compassed me, strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. They gait upon me with their mouths as a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a pot's herd. And my tongue cleaveth to my jaws, and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me, the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me.

They pierce my hands and my feet, I may tell all my bones. They look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. but be not thou far from me oh lord oh my strength haste thee to help me deliver my soul from the sword my darling from the power of the dog the dog there is a reference to gentiles but we can see in psalms 22 written roughly a thousand years before the crucifixion how the crucifixion is so graphically illustrated there doesn't say it was crucified there's other passages in the scripture that deal with that i believe but it is a graphic description of what happened upon the cross to our savior christ and those who were around about him in psalm 69 we have mention of the hyssop Psalm 69 verses 19 to 21. Thou hast known my reproach and my shame and my dishonor.

Mine adversaries are all before thee. Reproach hath broken my heart and I am full of heaviness and I look for some to take pity but there was none. and for comforters but i found none they gave me also gall for my meat and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink they offered him gall he refused it he took the vinegar as we read in john chapter 19 and all these prophecies fulfilled as i said previously for the purpose one purpose to save his no wrong there's two purposes to save his people from their sin and to glorify god in his mercy sometimes i forget that but in the end salvation is to glorify god it is the salvation of sinners but as we read i'll probably turn to it later it's to glorify God for his mercy despite he's a holy God punish his sin he's a just God And the punishment due to sinners is a just punishment, yet he shows mercy. But what's involved in all this? Why is it so?

Well, we have to understand, and I don't want to spend too much time on it, but it must be mentioned, is we must understand what we are by nature. Naturally speaking, we are sinners, dirty sinners, filthy sinners.

We can't paint ourselves black enough. We cannot stand in front of a holy God. He cannot love that which is evil. His eyes are too pure. I mentioned that earlier on. God hates sinners who are in their sin and are outside of Christ. It's not a popular thing to say. It is true. there is that saying well he hates the sin but loves the sinner well that's only partly true because we need to add a little bit on he hates the sinner he loves the sinner that is in Christ that's where the blessing of acceptance comes we can't look at ourselves and get a right picture of ourselves we need to think if it's possible how God sees us we only have to turn to Joe who speaks of repenting in dust and ashes when the Lord shows something only a little bit of his glory before him it's not popular verses I've not heard them very often right it's only since I've come into circles represented here among the sovereign grace people do have I heard from some 14 preached on and psalm 5 and i've read them before and i shall read them again psalm 5 the foolish shall not stand in thy sight thou hatest all workers of iniquity there you go thou hatest all workers of iniquity and that's not david saying it it's the holy spirit through david saying it this is scripture thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing or lying the lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man but david can say as for me i will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy why because he's in christ he has hope in a savior psalm 14 the fool has said in his heart there is no god there's plenty of them around they are corrupt They have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

The Lord looks down from heaven, remember, from eternity, upon the children of men, to see that if there are any that did understand and seek God, they are all gone astray. They will all together become filthy. There is none that doeth good. No, not one. Not one solitary person on the face of this earth ever has or ever will seek after God without the work of the Holy Spirit. That's why there needs to be a full and free salvation. That's why Christ's words are so important.

It is finished. The work of salvation so we can see what the state of man is and therefore from the Bible we see what's got to be done something about his filthiness his sinfulness something about the wrath of God that is upon evildoers and we're all evildoers in our nature it is finished it is finished according to the good pleasure of his will because he works as it says in Ephesians chapter 1. I make no apologies for continually turning to Ephesians chapter 1 because it's such a passage full of wonderful things that he has done all things to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, whereas he has made us accepted in the Beloved, and I'm just taking certain verses, wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of his will, a mystery, it was a mystery, but is now revealed, according to the good pleasure, his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself. He works all things after the counsel of his own will. All those are from Ephesians. What is the counsel of his will? What is finished?

Well, I've got sort of two lists. One is the decrees from eternity, which we can see from Ephesians 1, and the conditions that needed to be met. First condition, and we see these first decrees, I should say, from Ephesians. The first is election. The second is that we should be holy. we see that he adopts us as his children and he sees that we are accepted in Christ in the Beloved and then we have the conditions that needed to be met we can't meet them ourselves but these are conditions that are fulfilled by Christ That's why he says it is finished. The conditions for our salvation are fulfilled.

Redemption, and these are just some of them. Redemption, justification, propitiation, re-atonement, and reconciliation. All involve the blood of our Redeemer. Now as I say, the first four, the first list, are those decrees from eternity. And the second, so they're set by God. He has decreed them, they shall come to pass. The other things, redemption, justification, propitiation, re-atonement and reconciliation. These are conditions that are met by Christ. There is an eternal aspect to them.

By that, I'll just give an illustration. Revelation 13 verse 8 which speaks of the land slain from the foundation of the world. the lamb slain from the foundation of the world he was slain in time his blood was shed in time but when we go to ephesians chapter one when it says blessed be the god father of our lord jesus christ has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in christ as he according as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world right god is looking from eternity The only illustration I can give you is a ruler with an ant walking from...

We're in the metric, aren't we? Centimetre number 1 to centimetre 100, isn't it? On a metre rule. Now that ant, to get to the end, has got to trudge all the way up to the end. But I can look upon that ant and see every step of his way. I can't see if he's going to get to the end.

That's where my illustration falls down. but God sees all that he sees all of time stretched out like a ruler he sees everybody or how can God do that? well he's God that's a simple answer don't let us limit God so he sees us in eternity and he's chosen us in eternity and that we should be without blamed before him in love so he must see us in Christ in eternity Christ slain from the foundation of the world I hope you follow me if not say something afterwards but you see this is the reality of our salvation the hope of our salvation that God looks down from heaven and he sees us he sees us in time and he sent a saviour in time but has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world what a great blessing what a great blessing for us let's not argue why did God do it this way he did it this way because he did it that way because he's God and he knows better than us I say we see Christ crucified according to the scriptures mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15 all the scriptures fulfilled before our eyes so again we see our salvation worked out by our Lord Jesus Christ to save us from our sin and all the conditions involved for our salvation met because they're all dependent upon the blood of the Lamb. His vicarious death is involved and his blood was shed in his death as well.

Redemption, justification, propitiatory atonement, I mention them again. This is the good news of the Gospel. These are the fundamentals on which our salvation are fixed. The work of salvation is complete and all I can say to that is Hallelujah! Hallelujah! my God reigns and if he's your God you can say the same and what a great blessing to be able to say that but it is necessary to point out that redeemed means bought back paid for we have pictures in the Old Testament of Israel it speaks of Israel being redeemed from Egypt and they're redeemed by the blood of the lamb on the lentils of the doorposts I was going to read it, I won't for time's sake.

The blood shed for his chosen people who are spoken of as a purchased possession. Acts chapter 20, it is necessary to read that. I was astounded when I first saw this verse. Acts 20, you who are better grounded in the Scriptures will know which verse I'm going to read. Acts 20, verse 28.

God's blood. Yes, it's Christ who is God, but there's a reference to Christ being God. there's a Muslim cleric clever man quite a foolish man in some ways because he does know the Bible pretty well I'll give him that but he says never is Christ spoken of as God in the Bible dismisses it and if a young, generally young Christians, not very well grounded, bring up verses, they've never brought this verse up, which I find strange, but maybe they haven't seen it, same as I hadn't, but it's, you know, he says, oh no, Christ, God never had a son. God never had a son. I won't go into it. But here it is. God's blood.

Well, God the Father didn't die on the cross, it was God the Son. it's not difficult it's one and one mathematics isn't it really let's be honest so the blood of Christ the blood of God shed to purchase by the church a finished deed upon the cross why was it necessary because of sin we need to be redeemed from sin I just mention one verse and that is Galatians chapter Galatians 4 verse 4 and 5 These really are essential learning for each one of us if we are going to testify or witness of Christ in verses 4 and 5. But when the fullness of the time was come, according to the prophecies, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. Now I'm no grammarian but in Galatians 3 verse 13 it speaks of redeemed Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law and then when we put that verse with what we see in Acts chapter 20 we see a finished work of redemption on the cross. Why is that important? because there are those which I've heard recently so it's quite relevant to today who say God loves everybody He's redeemed everybody Christ shed on the cross shed his blood for everybody but it goes like this then that because God knew nobody would choose Christ He then elected certain people to, I'll use the term, benefit from that salvation.

Wrong. Utterly wrong. They may have good intentions, but as the old proverb goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I'm not saying they're unbelievers. Don't mean that. But what I'm saying is, do we have a full and free complete salvation? It is finished, or do we not? Is God a God who can't make up his mind? No. He's a holy God. He's a righteous God. He's ordered the salvation. The Holy Spirit gives his testimony to it. A full and free salvation, ordered in all things and sure. They only speak about redemption, or seem to be. But what about propitiation? Propitiation means It means atonement with a victim.

And it means the wrath of God. Is it Romans 3? I think so. The wrath of God is poured out upon the victim, which is Christ. The victim in the Old Testament was the lamb or the heifer or whatever. But under the Gospel, it is Christ. He is the victim. my God my God why hast thou forsaken me that's what he felt upon the cross in a measure God is not forsaken but we can see all he underwent I thirst I've said before in this pulpit what what punishment did Christ undergo for all our sins? Well, we think the testimony of the scripture, the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched.

He died for sin. The sin of his people. In all its measure, what he underwent. Horrifying. I mean, his death was horrifying enough I'm told it's one of the most unpleasant, one of the most nastiest ways of killing somebody, crucifixion. That was awful enough. But it paled in comparison to the wrath that was poured out upon him. Paled in comparison. What about that? Propitiation then.

Is that ineffectual? if we redeem with his blood then the wrath has gone from his blood we've reconciled through his blood as well we're not I've got to get this the right way round we are saved because we are redeemed we're not redeemed because we're saved because that implies creature power people may say no no no but that's what it implies we are saved because a work of redemption propitiation reconciliation has gone on before because it's the lord doing it not foolish men justification justified through his blood, Romans 5 verse 9 a mention propitiation all these things done if we justified by faith in his blood then we justify has that got to wait for something else as well no we reconcile to God through the blood as well that's where our reconciliation comes Colossians chapter 1 verse 19 and 20.

For it pleased the Father that in him should all the fullness dwell and having made peace through the blood of his cross by him to reconcile all things unto himself that is indeed the church by him I say whether they be things in earth or things in heaven and you were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight that's a done deed it is finished the work of reconciliation The hope then for sinners is in the words of our Lord Jesus Christ of the gospel with these words at the end of it as the full stop to it all. It is finished and all to the glory of God. A full, a free and ordered in all things and sure salvation sealed with the blood of Christ. all to the glory of our sovereign God in the work of salvation at Calvary. May then the Lord receive all the praise from our lips, from our hearts and that may we, when we read these words, in the scriptures and indeed all the scriptures i know a lot of it some of it is historical things so i understand that but even that it all works together to bring us the whole revelation of god and may we meditate upon it more deeply it's certainly shown me that we need to look more deeply into these things each one of us to find time and to spend time in contemplation upon the wonder of the sovereign grace gospel of Jesus Christ, our Saviour. Be then to His glory and His glory alone. Amen.