With Easter quickly approaching, we remember the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The celebration of Easter is both a somber event and a joyous time for every believer. We can find hope and strength from that powerful, historic, life-changing event.
When he hung on that cross, Jesus’ last words were, “It is finished!” Yet many people are still trying to pay for their mistakes. When Jesus said those words, he did not just mean that he had completed his mission. He was making a declaration. Jesus put an end to everything that would keep us from reaching our full potential. In that moment, the chains of guilt, condemnation, and low self-esteem was broken. He was saying, the sickness, depression, addiction is finished. Poverty, mediocrity, and nothing-good-ever-happens-to-me thinking were broken. Jesus not only died for our sins but so that we might live an abundant life.
I recently watched “The Passion of the Christ” again. It reminded me of the gory details of Jesus’ crucifixion. Our Lord was mocked, shamed, and brutally tortured. Jesus went through great pain in order to spare us from it. He was publicly humiliated so that we can receive God’s grace and mercy. People spat on him. They pulled on his beard; yet he remained silent and showed us how we should bestow mercy on others. A crown of thorns was thrust upon his head so that our minds can be renewed from wrong thinking. His hands and feet were nailed to the cross in order to forgive us our sins and give us eternal life. Jesus could have said, “I do not deserve this. It is too hard. Do they not know who I am and what I can do?” Instead, he endured the cross for the joy that was set before him. Jesus finished what he was born to do.
Are there things in your life to which you need to say, “It is finished”? Are you living with guilt and condemnation? Do you feel sorry for yourself? Are you trying to pay God back for your mistakes? You need to declare, “It is finished! I am free. My sins are gone. God’s mercy is greater than my mistakes. I am redeemed and restored. My future is bright.” Say to the addiction, “It is finished! You do not control me anymore. You have no power over me. Jesus paid the price for my freedom. I am free.” Friend, the price has been paid so that you can boldly say, “I am blessed, prosperous, and victorious.”
Some of you are facing a chronic illness. You have done everything you can. You have gone to the doctors, changed your lifestyle, and been prayed over. Today God is saying, “It is finished!” Isaiah 53:5 says, “By His stripes, we were healed.” The Lord wants to heal your body. You do not have to put up with cancer, diabetes, high cholesterol, blood pressure, insomnia, depression, arthritis, or any other disease. As long as you justify your condition, you are giving it permission to stay. So do not get comfortable in dysfunction, disease, or disorder. Declare it out loud, “It is finished!”
I heard about a young man who decided to swim across the English Channel. It took between 12 and 14 hours to swim across the 23-mile-long channel. The water is freezing, the current is strong, and there are plenty of sharks and other dangers. Many people had attempted to swim across it but failed. This strong and determined swimmer swam an hour, then two, three, four, and five. He started to feel exhausted. Still, he kept swimming. Later that day, a thick fog had rolled in, and the young man could barely see anything. He continued even though he lost sight of the other side of the channel. Slowly, discouragement and fear took over his mind. He was so cold and did not even know where he was, so he decided to quit. He pushed himself out of the water and crawled into the little boat that was traveling beside him. As they rode to the other side, much to his disappointment, he realized that he was less than 50 yards from the shore. He could have made history if only he had kept going and not given up.
Perhaps you feel like giving up. You are swimming upstream, fighting the odds, and pressing forward in order to accomplish your dreams. Your world may seem dark and foggy. Things may not be happening on your timetable or the way you expected. Let me challenge you. Do not give up 50 yards from your destiny! Our Lord could have quit but He finished what He was born to do. It is easy to abort a dream, but God did not bring you this far only to leave you. What He has promised will come to pass. When we accept His free gift of salvation, healing, and deliverance, we honor His death, burial, and resurrection. Let us consecrate our lives to the One who gave it all for us! Let me declare a blessing over you today! Past hurts, regrets, guilt, loneliness, and shame is finished. Poverty, debt, a limited mindset, it is finished. The addiction, depression, dysfunction, and self-pity, it is finished. Today is a new day! The things that have held you back are being broken. You are heading for a new level of freedom. You are going to break generational curses and start generational blessings. It is finished! Let us celebrate Jesus’ victory over death and the grave!
“When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (John 19:30 NIV).
Stay Inspired: www.buildinternational.org
Building People. Spreading Hope.
