Let's turn back to John chapter
19. Andy Davis is going to bring
the message for us tonight. Everybody remember him. After this, Jesus, knowing that all things
were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled,
saith, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full
of vinegar. And they filled a sponge with
vinegar and put it upon a hyssop and put it to his mouth. When
Jesus, therefore, had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished. And he bowed his head and he
gave up the ghost. What did the Lord mean when he
said it is finished? I need to know, don't you? I
need to know exactly what he meant when he said it is finished. I know the way men look upon
this. Well, he did his part. His part's over. Now we need
to do our part. His work is finished. Now we need to do ours. I know that's not what the Lord
meant. But what did the Lord mean? When
he said it is finished now, Matthew's account tells us he cried this
with a loud voice. It is finished. He meant to be
heard. What? did he mean? The word it is finished means
more than the end or the termination of something. It means to carry
a thing out to the full. A perfectly completed work never
to be repeated. Whatever he intended to do, he
did. It's finished. Mission accomplished. Now, what were the Lord's first
recorded words? Does anybody remember? He said,
I must be about my father's business. During the middle of his earthly
ministry, he said, My meat is to do the will of Him that sent
me and to finish His work. When he was praying for his people
in John 17, verse 4, he said, I have glorified thee on the
earth. I have finished the work that thou gavest me to do. And
here are his last words from the cross. It is finished. Now, what was the work the father
gave him to do? He said, I finished the work
thou gavest me to do. What exactly was the work that
the father gave him to do? Well, turn with me to Matthew,
chapter one, a familiar passage of scripture. Matthew, chapter one. Verse 21, And she shall bring forth a son,
and thou shalt call his name Jesus. For he shall save his
people from their sins. He came with this intention.
He shall save his people from their sins. When he said it is
finished, it's no longer he shall save his people from their sins,
it he has saved his people from their sins. It is finished. Whatever he intended to do, he
did. He shall save his people. Who are his people? I need to
know that, because I want to know if I'm one of them. Well,
his people doesn't mean everybody. His elect. He said, I pray for
them. I pray not for the world, but
for them which you've given me. Talking about his elect. Those
the Father gave him before time began. A great company that can't
be added to, that can't be subtracted from. His people. I want to be
one of them, don't you? The Bible tells us clearly that
he's got a people. And I want to be one of them.
He shall save his people from their sins. Now, here's what
I need to be saved from. My sins. My personal sins. My sin against God. My transgression. My breaking of God's law. My
doing things that I ought not do. And not doing things that
I should do. My nature. My sins. I could talk
so much about my sins. I need to be saved from my sins
because I can't save myself from my sins. He shall save his people
from their sins. Well, how's that? Well, first
of all, he saves his people from the penalty of their sins. If
I'm one of his people, that means I'm never going to have to stand
before God and give an account for my sins. Because I don't
have any. Don't you find that attractive? You think of all
the sins you have. To never have to stand before
God and give an account for them. What a blessing that is. He shall
save his people from the power of their sins. That means if
he saves me from my sin, sin doesn't have dominion over me.
And this is a promise of the gospel. Sin shall not have dominion
over you, for you're not under law, but under grace. And so I say, Lord, don't let
my sins have dominion over me, because you said they wouldn't.
I'm not under law. I'm under grace. He shall save
his people from the very presence of their sins. That's glorification.
Justification, sanctification, glorification. He shall save
his people from their sins. Mission accomplished. It's already
done. He has saved his people from
their sins. Do you know what that means?
When he said it is finished, the salvation of his people was
finished. The salvation of Todd Nybert. was finished. And this word finished
is translated in our King James Version by eight other words,
all of which give us some idea of what he meant. And like I
said, I need to know what he meant when he said it is finished,
don't you? I need to know exactly what he
meant and what interest that I have in what he said when he
said it is finished. Now, let me give you the words.
This same word is translated accomplished. It is accomplished. It's translated ended. It is
ended. It's translated expired. It is
expired. It is translated filled up. It
is filled up. It is translated fulfilled. It
is fulfilled. It's translated go. I can't wait
to talk about that. When you've gone, I think Matthew
10, 23, when you've gone, it's translated to go. It's translated
paid. It is paid. And it's translated performed.
It is performed, and all of those words give us a little more understanding
of what he meant. When he said it is finished. Now let's consider them one at
a time. First. It is accomplished. Look in verse
28 of this same text after this, Jesus, knowing that all the things
were now accomplished, that's the exact same word. Knowing
that all things were now accomplished, it is accomplished. You remember
what? Moses and Elijah, when the Lord
was transfigured on the man of transfiguration and Moses and
Elijah were talking about him. Do you remember what they were
talking about? Luke 9 31 says they spake of the decease, which
he should accomplish. You see, his death was an accomplishment.
We don't normally think death is an accomplishment. His death
was an accomplishment. When he said it is finished,
he was saying mission accomplished. Now what was his mission? Well,
I've already quoted Matthew 1.21, but here's another one, Hebrews
9.26. Now once in the end of the world
had he appeared to put away sin. by the sacrifice of himself.
So when he said it is finished, sin was put away. It was made to not be. My sin, the sin that grieves
me so much, the sin that I'm even now aware of, put away. It's gone. 1 John 3, 5 says he
was manifested to take away our sins. And in him, is no sin. And all the sin that afflicts
me, that burdens me, that troubles me, all my sin past, all my sin
present, all the sins I've not yet committed. When he said it
is finished, he meant every sin is put away. That's wonderful. It is accomplished. Now, this word is translated
end in Matthew 11, 1. You know, Daniel said he shall
make an end of sins. Now, when you read a book, what's
the last thing you read? When the story's over, the end. The end. Story over, book closed. What about your sins? What sins? The end. Story over. Book closed. Christ is the end of the law
for righteousness to everyone that believeth. It is ended. I like this. Revelation 27, this
word is translated expired. It is expired. It is expired. Now, do you remember what happened
when he said it is finished? What took place after that? You
remember? The veil in the temple was ripped
from top to bottom. Expiration date, the old covenant
is expired. And notice God ripped it. He
didn't fold it up and put it away to bring it back out again.
It was ripped apart. The way into God's presence is
now open. Expiration date, as far as law
works, it's over. It's expired. You're not under
the law, but under grace. Is it sweet news to you? You're
not under the law. You're under grace. The law has
expired. And then in Revelation, chapter
15, verse one, this word is translated filled up. It is filled up. Now, when he said he was finished,
he's saying it is filled up. Now, when you go to the gas station
and you Fill up your car. I know what I always do. When
it clicks, I keep putting it in more and more until it won't
take any more. I want to make sure it's plumb full to where you
couldn't get another drop in there. If I had this glass of
water filled up, if it was really full, like, see, you got some
more room in here right now. If it was totally full, you couldn't
get another drop in there. Now, when our Lord said it is
finished, He said it's filled up. Now, this is what this means.
It's filled up. In Him dwells all the fullness
of the Godhead in a body and you are complete. You are filled up. You are full in Him. Tell you exactly what that means.
That means that God cannot love me any more than He does right
now. He can't be any more pleased
with me I'm full of holiness, holiness
to the full. I can't get a drop more holy.
I can't get a drop more righteous. I can't get a drop more accepted.
I am plumb filled up. When he said it is finished,
he said it is filled up. I don't know if Brother Elm brought
this out last week. He told me he was, but I really
like the thought of it. He talked about the church that can't grow.
Did he bring that up? I like thinking about that. Because
this church, when he said it is finished, we have a church
that is, it can't grow. It's already filled up. Now there's
plenty of room for any sinner who needs mercy. A lot of room.
But this is a church that never grows. I think of all the emphasis
people put on church growth, church growth. Church don't grow.
It doesn't. He saved everybody in the church. Now, there's plenty of room.
There's plenty of room for anybody who wants to come. But understand
this. This is a church that can't be added to or subtracted from. It is filled up. Believer. Nothing can be added to you. Believe this. It's not presumption for you
to believe this. It's faith. Childlike faith. Believing when
he said it is finished. I believe what he said to you.
It's filled up. Now, this word is also translated
in Acts 13, 49, fulfilled. When he said it is finished,
he said it is fulfilled. The scripture is fulfilled. What was the first gospel promise?
The seed of woman. shall bruise the serpent's head.
It's fulfilled. All the decrees and purposes
of God are fulfilled. Daniel 9.24 says he shall make
an end of sin and bring in everlasting righteousness. It is fulfilled. He came to die and all of his
suffering is over. It is fulfilled. In Matthew chapter 10, verse
23, it's translated, go. He says, when you've gone over
the cities of Israel, go. Now, I love thinking about this. It's finished. Go. Go into the Father's presence.
Go to the Lord Jesus Christ. It's not a red light. It took
green light. And there's no yellow light.
No proceed with caution. Go right now. Don't wait for
anything to happen. Don't wait till you get better.
Don't wait till you understand more. Don't wait till you have
some kind of experience. Don't wait till you quit this
or start doing that. Go right now into the Father's
presence. Just as you are. Go. Don't wait. Don't wait for something
to happen. Go right now. The Lord said,
I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father,
but by me. OK, I'm coming to the Father
by him right now. Don't wait on anything. What
are you waiting on? To get better? That's ridiculous. Go right now into his presence. In Matthew, chapter 17, verse
24, the word is translated. It is paid. Jesus paid it all. All the debt I owe. Sin had left
a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow. Now
it's paid. Now, anybody here that has debt? Let's say you got your house
paid off. How did you feel when you got
your house paid off? Probably not many of us have experienced
that, but you that have, I bet it was a great feeling, wasn't
it? All debts paid, there's such freedom in that. I don't owe
anything. Now, if Christ Jesus, when he
said it is finished, that means I owe nothing. All my sins have
been paid for. Receive this. Believe it. My sins have been washed away.
It's all been paid for. What a liberating thought. And
if he said it's paid, quit worrying about it not being paid. That's
dishonoring to him to worry. Oh, I wish we would believe this
just like a little child. It is paid. And then in Luke chapter two,
verse thirty nine, it's translated performed. It is. Performed. We stress over our performance,
don't we? You know, I want to perform a
good job as a pastor, and it burdens me, whatever that means. You want to do a good performance
on your work, don't you? Whatever it is you're doing for
a living, you want to perform well to the glory of God. You
want to perform well. I want to perform well as a spouse,
as a husband. I want to perform well as a father.
I want to perform well as your friend. We all want to perform
well. There's no doubt about that.
Everybody here wants to perform well. But listen to me. It's performed. It's performed. And I have performed
well. You see, I've kept the law. I
don't try to keep the law. I kept it. Because if he kept
it, I did too. His performance is my performance. It is performed. And because
of that, I don't need to stress about my performance. My performance
is perfect. Whatever he did, I did. It is performed. David said in Psalm 57, verse
2, I will cry unto God Most High,
unto God who performeth all things for me." What a word! It is finished. It is accomplished. It is ended. It is expired. It is filled up. It is fulfilled. It is paid. It is performed. It's finished. My dear friend. Believe. It's finished. If you believe that, you've got
no worries. You have full assurance because
you're fully assured that it's finished. That's where full assurance
comes from, not because you think you're so holy, but you're fully
assured that what he did is enough to make you perfect before God
and nothing else is needed. Receive this. It is finished. Would it be presumptuous for
me to receive this? No, it would be faith. Receive
this right now for yourself. It is finished. Rest in this. There's nothing for you to do.
It's finished. Rest in this. Rejoice in this. It's finished. Is that something
to rejoice in? Is that something to make your heart leap for joy? It is finished. Preach this. Oh, this is the
message to preach. It is finished. Not do. It's done. Nothing to do. Rest in the Lord
Jesus Christ. And come to Him right now. Because
he said, it's finished, there's nothing holding you back. He
said, come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and
I'll give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn
of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart. I love that description
of the Lord. Meek and humble. Don't you love being around people
that you don't feel judged by? That's my favorite kind of people.
I can't stand being around people that I can tell they're sizing
me up and judging me. I just don't like people like
that. But oh, you love being around
someone who is meek and lowly. That's our Lord. He says, learn
of me. I'm meek and lowly in heart.
You'll find rest for your souls. For my yoke, is easy. What's so easy about it? He's
the one bearing it. And my burden is light. You see,
he bears all the weight. His yoke is easy and his burden
is light. Now, there are no more glorious
words I know of than these words. It is finished. And when you go home tonight,
after today, When you will commit sins that you ought not commit,
and you'll think things you ought not think, and you'll do things
that you ought not do, and you'll treat people in a way that you
ought not have treated them, you lay your head on your pillow
and you remember this, it is finished. Let's pray.