“…for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:10)
“When Jesus received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished,’ and He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.” (John 19:30)
“And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed His last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.” (Mark 15:37, 38)
Done. The last towel has been folded. The last dish has been washed. Done. The bill has been paid. Mission accomplished. Nothing left to do…no loose ends to be tied up. Done. We have pulled into the driveway…we are home. “You have arrived at your destination”
There is a sense of relief when something is finished. A celebration when you have arrived at the destination or achieved the goal you were striving for. The apron comes off…you hit the send button and you are able to sit down and relax.
This phrase spoken by Jesus from the cross is actually only one word that we translate “It is finished”. It is an accounting term that literally means “paid” or “done”. Jesus was not saying, “I give up.” or “I have had enough.” Jesus was finishing what He came to accomplish. This was a cry of victory not of concession. Everything that needed to happen to bring redemption to His creation was finished. There is nothing left to be done. Every barrier has been removed and every debt paid. Nothing has been left outstanding. Done.
This tells us some wonderful things about our God. He had a plan, a process and a goal in mind. The cross was the plan from the beginning and the means for restoring our relationship with Him. It also shows us that He is the one who executed the plan. He has done it! Paul said,
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8, 9)
Therefore, it was His plan that He executed and…that He completed! Done! Nothing left for Him to do or, more importantly, nothing left for you to do. That’s right, there is nothing more that needs to be done for your salvation. The bill has been paid. There are no dishes to wash…no hoops to jump through. Put a stamp on it. You don’t have to get your act together before you experience the forgiveness made available to you in Christ Jesus. “Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Your sin? FORGIVEN. Your burden? LIFTED. Your salvation? COMPLETED. Every stumbling block has been removed…the gates have burst open…the curtain that has separated us from the presence of God has been torn in two…from TOP to bottom (God did it). Access Granted. Done!
The work is done! The table is set. The food has been prepared. There is a place for you. Come, you who are weary of striving for your own salvation. Come all you who are punishing yourself and feeling unworthy. Come! Jesus loves you and has demonstrated it by His work on the cross. Come to the cross. It is sufficient for you! He has made a way and all you need to do is come to Him just as you are and He will take it from here.