John chapter 19, verse 30. When Jesus therefore had received
the vinegar, he said, and this was not in a whisper. This was said in strength. It is finished. I know that I speak in behalf
of every believer when I say that all of my confidence is
found in this one statement, the sixth saying of our Savior
from the cross. It is finished. All of my hope of salvation,
everything that's included in salvation, knowing God, having
my sins forgiven, being preserved, whatever's involved in salvation,
all of my hope of salvation is found in this glorious statement
by our Savior on the cross. It is finished. If he left anything unfinished,
I'm finished. It is Now, what did he mean by
these words? It is finished. Pray for me that the Lord will
enable me to give the meaning of what our Lord meant when he
said it is finished. It is finished. Certainly his
suffering was finished. It had come to an end. Now the Lord Jesus was described
in Isaiah's prophecy as a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. We sing that song, Man of Sorrows,
what a name. For the Son of God who came,
ruined sinners to reclaim. Hallelujah. What a Savior. You think the grief he experienced
as a holy man, as the only holy man, living in a sin-cursed world
amongst people like me and you. The grief of being the object
of hate Men hated the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, they hated me
without a cause. The grief of the dullness of
his disciples. He said, Philip, have I been
so long time with you? And yet has thou not known me?
All the crazy things his true disciples said. He said one time,
how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you?
Speaking of the unbelief of his disciples. The grief of knowing what was
ahead of him. The grief of knowing that he
was going to be made sin. that he was going to be cut off,
that he was going to be forsaken by his father. The grief of knowing
that he was going to suffer all that damnation is that no man
could ever suffer. He had all this ahead of him. The grief of being nailed to
a cross. He knew exactly what was going
to take place. But now that's all ended. It's finished. No more suffering
for him. No more grief. No more sorrow. It is finished. When he said it is finished.
And then he said, Father, into thy hands, I commend my spirit. And then the scripture says he
bowed his head and gave up the ghost. And as soon as he gave
up the ghost, what took place? The veil in the temple was rent
in the midst from the top to the bottom, signifying the termination of
the Old Testament economy. It's all finished. Every type is fulfilled. Every sacrifice is fulfilled. There's only one man the Lord
Jesus Christ, who fits all the types, all the stories, all the
rituals in the Old Testament. He is Abel's more excellent sacrifice,
isn't he? Abel wasn't accepted because
of that physical lamb, but because of the lamb that was represented.
He is the substitute lamb for Isaac. that God provided. He is the year of Jubilee. He is the prophet made like unto
Moses. He is everything in the Old Testament
fulfilled. I think of the life of Joseph.
I love reading about Joseph. He's the only one who fits the
entire history of Joseph. The fulfillment of all Old Testament
scriptures. Christ is the end, the termination,
the finishing of all of the Old Testament. He is the end. Now, if something is finished,
he said, it is finished. That means whatever was purposed
has been completed. Think about that. When he said it is finished,
whatever was he purposed was completed. Turn with me to Matthew
chapter one, verse 21. And she shall bring forth a son,
Matthew 121, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall. And that is in the future. He
shall save his people from their sins. Now, don't you love the
simplicity and the power of that statement? He shall. He shall. It's going to happen for sure.
He shall save. Not try to save. not make salvation
possible. He shall save his people, the
elect, those of Father David. He shall
save his people from their sins. When he said, it is finished,
you can read it this way. He has saved his people from
their sins. Mission accomplished. When he said it is finished,
all of his people, the elect, those the father gave him before
time began, those he represented, they were saved. They were saved
from their sins. When were you saved? I can answer that question precisely.
When he said, it is finished. I'm not going to point you to
a time. I remember when I was saved. I don't, I couldn't tell
you as far as the date goes. I couldn't tell you when I was
saved. I remember one time somebody said to me, You must not be saved if you
can't give me the date, and if you can't remember it. You know,
when I break a leg, I remember when I broke it. I thought salvation
is not a broken leg. But my reply is, I can't remember
when I was born. Can you? Can you remember the
day you were born? Of course not. Does that mean
you weren't? But my salvation, when did it happen? When he said,
It is finished. Mission accomplished. Now, when
he said that, I had not yet been born. When he said that, I had not
yet been born again. Now, no one will be saved apart
from being born again, born from above. But when he said it is
finished, I had not yet been born again. I had not yet believed. I had not yet repented. Those
things will take place because he said it is finished, but they
hadn't taken place yet. Why? It was even finished before
he said those words in this sense. Hebrews chapter 4 verse 3 says
all the works were finished from the foundation of the world. You know, there's an eternal
it is finished going on in the Lamb slain from the foundation
of the world. Do I expect us to understand
this? No, I don't. But I do expect us to believe
it. I do. It is finished. My salvation was accomplished
and finished outside of my personal subjective experience. Now, if
someone would say, does that mean you don't have to believe?
Does that mean you don't have to repent? Does that mean you
don't have to come to Christ? Of course it doesn't mean that.
Of course it doesn't. Hear these words though. It is finished. Now, the first time this concept
is mentioned in scriptures in Genesis 2, 1, would you turn
with me there? Verse 1, thus the heavens and
the earth were finished and all he had made all the host of them. Now, this is what is said in
response to the finishing of creation. Look in verse 31 of
chapter one, and God saw everything that he'd made and behold, it
was very good. And the evening and the morning
were the sixth day and thus the heavens and the earth were finished
and all the host of them. And on the seventh day, God ended
his work, which he had made. And he rested on the seventh
day from all his work, which he had made. Now he didn't rest
because he was tired. God doesn't get tired. He rested
because it was finished. There wasn't anything left to
do. He looked at everything he did
and behold, it was all very good. And the writer to the Hebrews
uses this in Hebrews chapter four. Would you turn with me
there? Verse nine. There remaineth, Hebrews chapter
four, verse nine, there remaineth therefore a rest a Sabbath of
rest, a Sabbath keeping to the people of God, for he that is
entered into his rest, he also hath..." What's that next word? "...ceased from his own works, as God did from his." You see,
God finished the work. That's what the scripture says
in Genesis 2.1. He was finished. and he rested. And if you ever, and if I ever,
learn what it means to trust Christ, here's what we're going
to do. We're going to cease from our own works. Cease from our own books, but
cease from our own works as God did from his because they were
finished. Now this one Greek word translated
by three different words, it is finished, but it's only one
word in the original in our King James version is translated by
12 different words in the King James version that give us some
idea as to what the Lord meant when he said, it is finished. And I love the way Luke tells
us that he cried this with a loud voice. The father heard. And this is the voice that every
believer hears. This is the ear of saving faith. When you hear, it is finished. Now that same word is translated
in John chapter 19 verse 28 accomplished. It is accomplished. Now whatever
the Savior intended to do, He did. It is accomplished. Mission accomplished. Can the Savior, the Lord Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, can He possibly intend to do something,
and fail to do it? The answer is no. It is accomplished. He said in John chapter six,
verses 38 and 39, I came down from heaven not to do my own
will, but the will of him that sent me, and this is the Father's
will which has sent me, that of all which he hath given me,
I should lose nothing. but raise it up again at the
last day. Now, the Savior's intention was
to save the elect. And I feel the need to say it
that way because I hear so many preachers saying he came to save
those who believe. Well, he did come to save those
who believe. But he said, I lay down my life not for those who
believe, but for the sheep. And he accomplished their salvation.
It is finished means that whatever he came to do, He did, he accomplished
the salvation of his people. Now the word is translated in
Luke chapter 18, verse five, continually. Continually. It's used where the Lord talked
about that widow who kept coming to the king and he said, I'm
gonna listen to what she says less by her continual coming.
That's the same word, her continual coming. Word is continue. Now what that means is this message
is continually in effect. There is no intermission. It is finished. There is no end to it is finished. What if his people sin? It's
finished. What if His people commit the
same sin over and over and over? It is finished. What if they sin greatly like
David and commit adultery and commit murder? It is finished. It is finished. What if they
fall like Peter? It is finished. What if they
die like Solomon who seemed to go after other gods? It's finished. But it's finished. What about it's finished? That's every believer's only
hope. It is finished. This is continually in effect. It is finished. In Revelation chapter 20 verse
7, the word is translated, it's expired. It's expired. The Old Covenant
has reached its expiration date. The veil in the temple was rent
in two from the top to the bottom and the way into God's presence
to all who come is open because it is finished. Come and welcome. There's nothing
holding you back. Because it's finished. It's finished. In John chapter
13, one, the word is translated, it is ended. Having loved his
own, which were in the world, he loved them to the end. Same word, the finish. Romans
10, four, Christ is the end, the finish. The termination of
the law for righteousness to everyone that believes. Daniel
9 24 says he shall make an end of sins. And because of that,
we read in Jeremiah chapter 50 verse 20, the iniquity of Israel
shall be sought for and there shall be none. Why? Because it is finished. The iniquity has already been
put away. It is gone. And the sins of Judah
and they shall not be found. Why? Because it is finished. Do you hear the glory of these
words? It is finished. The word is translated in Revelation
15, one filled up. It is filled up. Every time I
put gas in my lawnmower, I always say I won't do it, but I fill
it up to where gas comes out and gets on the engine and all
that kind of stuff, and I get the smell, and then makes me
take a bath when I come in because I smell like gas. But it's so
full that not one other drop can get into it. When he says
it is finished, I can't get any more saved than I am. I'm complete. I'm full in the
Lord Jesus Christ. I'm full. I'm filled up. Can't
get any more justified. Can't get any more sanctified.
Can't get any more holy. Can't get any more perfect. It
is finished. It is filled up. That's true
of every believer. You can't get any more saved
than you are because he said it is finished. The word is translated in 1 Peter
chapter 3, 8, finally, finally. It is finalized. You've taken
your finals and you got 100% and they're already over. You
know, I have a recurring dream that I've had hundreds of times.
Probably maybe some of you have had it. I think I found out it's
a stress dream. I dream that finals have come and I've forgotten
about a class, I haven't been to it all semester, and there's
no way I'm going to pass, and you just feel this awful stress
because you know you're not finished, you left something out. I love
to wake up and find out it was a dream. Nothing was left undone. When he said, it is finished,
that is our Final. And it's over. And we've graduated
100% straight A's. It is finished. And that's chapter 13, verse
29. It's translated fulfilled. It
is fulfilled. The scriptures are fulfilled.
The Old Testament types have been fulfilled. The seed of woman
shall bruise the serpent's head, as now the seed of woman has
bruised the serpent's head. It's all over. It is fulfilled. Matthew 1, 21, thou shalt call
his name Jesus, as now thou shalt call his name Jesus, not for
he shall save his people, but because he has saved his people
from their sins, because he said it is finished. I love this. In Matthew chapter
10 verse 23, the word is translated go. Go. Green light. There is nothing
keeping you back. But what about my sin? It's finished.
There's nothing keeping you back. It's finished. Go. You're welcome. But don't I need? No, you don't need to do anything.
It is finished. Don't I need to get? No, you
don't. Whatever you put, fill in the blank. Don't I need to
do this? Or don't I need to do that? Or don't I? No! It is finished. Go. Come and welcome. You're welcome to the Lord Jesus
Christ right now. You don't need to wait on anything. You don't need to become anything.
It is finished. Come and welcome. Romans chapter 8 verse 32 says,
He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all?
How shall he not with him also freely give us all things? But
my life is such a mess. It's finished. Come and welcome. Let not conscience make you linger,
nor fitness fondly dream. The only fitness he requires
is to have a need of him. You know, the psalm writer said
to fill your need of him. Well, you don't feel your need
of him as much as you should. There's no doubt about that,
but you have a need, don't you? If you have a need of him, go, come
and welcome, because it is finished. And then in Matthew chapter 17,
verse 24, the word is translated paid. Paid. Jesus We sing, paid it
all. We don't sing, Jesus paid a half
the other half I owe. We sing, Jesus paid it all. All
the dead I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow. That's what is meant by it is
finished. Somebody's saying, aren't you
going to give us anything to do? No, because it is finished. Why? That'll lead people to sin. If you want to use it for that,
go for it. You haven't heard a word that
said it is finished. I'm debt-free because he said
it is finished. It is paid. Hebrews 10.18 says
now where the remission of these is. There's no more offering for
sin. Don't try to bring anything. It is finished. Did I speak accurately when I
said I'm speaking as a representative of every believer? This is where
we find all of our hope. It is finished. In Luke chapter two, verse 39,
it's translated performed. It is performed. Now, if there's anything to any
of us, we have performance anxiety. I want to perform right. I want
to perform as a parent. I want to perform as a pastor.
I want to perform as a husband, as a father. Anybody that has
anything to them at all, they want to perform well. And we
get stressed out over our performance because all of us see lack of
so many different ways. Listen to me. It is performed. My performance is perfect, perfect
righteousness, perfect obedience, perfection before God, because
it is performed. In 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 16,
the word is translated uttermost. And hear those words. It is uttermost. I'm saved to the uttermost. I can't get any more saved. I
can't get any less saved. I can't get any more perfected. Uttermost. Saved to the uttermost. It is uttermost. Now listen to
me. You know what that means? That
means I'm saved to the uttermost. It is uttermost. It is finished. I can't be any
more holy or accepted than I am because it is uttermost. And
then finally, the way it's translated in our text. It is finished. There is nothing left that needs
to be done. That's the main point. I hope
the Lord drives this through to our heart. The message of religion is what? Do. Do. Here's what you need to do.
Here's what you need to do. And it's always some kind of
vague thing. You can't really get a hold of
exactly what it is you need to do, but you know you need to
do something. Do. Do. Do. Do. Be baptized. Join the church. Stop this particular sin. Turn
from this sin. Do this. Do that. Start reading
the Bible more. Pray. Pray through. Do. Do. Do. What is the message of
the gospel? Done. It is finished. Aren't you going to give us anything
to do? No. It is finished. Don't seek to add your filthy
rags to what he has done. Don't add any finishing touches. Anything you do would only mar
his work. What happened even if you touched
the altar? It was defiled. It was defiled. It is finished. Now, every believer will rejoice
and rest in that. Now, an unbeliever will object
to it and say it leads to sin. It'll lead to, you're not giving
anybody any motive to obedience and holiness
and this will lead to all kinds of, it's because they're totally
ignorant of who they are, who God is, the gospel. But every
believer will hear these words and find rest in peace and joy. It is finished. Cease from your own works and rest in His. It is finished. Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you. For the words of our Redeemer.
To you. Lord, he was telling you that
our salvation was finished. And he's telling us that our
salvation is finished. And Lord, this is all, all of
our salvation and of all of our desire. In his precious words
that came from his precious lips as our redeemer, it is finished. Lord, give us grace to rest and
cease from our own works and look to him only. In his blessed name we pray.
Amen.