It is Finished

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). 

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It’s Already Paid For

We live in a world where more and more people feel entitled. We all want free things, but the truth is that nothing comes without a cost. By grace, through faith, we have been saved. But Jesus had to pay for our salvation with His life in order for us to enjoy an abundant life. 

Christ already paid the price for our freedom, but many people continue to live in bondage, bad habits, sickness, worry, poverty, and do not live up to their full potential. Christians are not exempt from problems; however, God has promised to deliver us from our troubles. As we celebrate Good Friday and Easter, let us look at what Jesus’ death did for us.

1. Jesus paid for our salvation. Jesus, who had no sin, endured excruciating pain and agony to free us of our sins. He endured a crown of thorns that was twisted into a circle and thrust upon his head. His hands and feet were nailed to the cross. He hung there for hours with blood and water dripping out of his body. Jesus endured such a brutal crucifixion in order to buy our freedom from eternal hell. God loves us so much that He sacrificed His only Son (John 3:16). Now salvation is available to us for free.

2. Jesus bought our healing. Before his crucifixion, Jesus’ body was torn to pieces. The Roman soldiers dragged him through the city, tied him up to a pole, and flogged him 39 times. Scourging was usually done by two Roman soldiers–one on each side of the victim. It involved a short, lead-tipped whip, fitted with balls of metal with protruding metal fragments or pieces of bone, two or three ox-hide leather thongs, or ropes connected to a handle. Flogging was executed with great zeal. Each scouring would quickly remove skin and chunks of flesh. The whip itself traveled so quickly that it generated a small sonic boom. Jesus endured inhumane torture so that we can be free of sicknesses and disease. Each whipping represented 39 major diseases of His time.

3. Jesus took our shame. Jesus took our shame. They put a purple robe on him and struck his head with a staff. He fell on his knees again and again, barely able to walk. They punched him, spit on him, pulled his beard, mocked him, and questioned His divinity. The Roman soldiers cast lots for his clothes. Even so, Jesus took the blame and shame for us. He endured lonely nights and temptation so that we can be overcomers. He gave himself no reputation so that we could live on his.

Libraries filled with books can be written about Jesus’ pain and suffering, but I want to focus on the good part. Jesus, the Son of God, who had the power to call legions of angels to exterminate his enemies, willingly gave himself up for us. He suffered so that we can enjoy life to the fullest. He became captive so that we can live free. His body was torn into pieces so that we can be healed by his stripes.

Although Jesus died a painful death, he did not stay dead. The grave could not hold him. Three days later, the Holy Spirit raised Jesus up. He was seen by his disciples and hundreds of his faithful followers, before ascending into heaven.

What does it all mean?

God has forgiven our sins and blotted them out forever. We do not have to spend eternity in hell anymore. All our sins—past, present, and future—have been paid for. We can now live under his righteousness. We have been qualified to access the throne of the Father from whom all blessings, forgiveness, and mercy flow. Jesus died so that we can live without lack, fear, torment, or spiritual darkness. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him” (Romans 5:8-9).

Jesus took our infirmities upon himself. That means he carried our terrible diseases. We do not have to live in pain, wondering if God wants to heal us. Do not worry or wonder! Healing is a part of your inheritance. You do not have to linger in pain. Viruses and diseases cannot penetrate you. You have a force field of protection. Your health insurance coverage is from out of this world! By his stripes, you are healed (Isaiah 53:5).

This Easter, let us live worthy of His love and suffering for us. Let us surrender our lives to Christ. Let us express our gratitude. Jesus went through hell to give us heaven on earth. Can we give him our love, respect, and adoration? He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. There is no other way to the Father except through His Son. He is hanging on the Cross anymore. Jesus now sits at the right hand of the Father with a scepter of power and authority. He is slow to anger and full of mercy. Jesus is smiling and looking at you right now with great compassion. He has a great plan for your life. Let us give him our highest praise, glory, and honor! Hallelujah! Christ has risen. Happy and a blessed Easter!

“He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again’” (Luke 24:6-7 NIV).

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Resurrecting Your Dreams

Every single one of us goes through life with some disappointment, loss, or broken dreams. This doesn’t mean we’re failing but it shows that we’re trying. The only difference between success and failure is when we stop trying and give up.

Many people are living a down, defeated and mediocre life because they have given up on themselves. People debate that the richest place on earth is not the diamond mines of Africa or the oil fields of the Middle East. However, I’ve found that the richest place on earth is the graveyards where dreams got buried without ever being fulfilled. Witty inventors, engineers, doctors, scientists, authors, business persons, politicians, actors, artists are buried in there because people gave up a little too soon. They died with their dreams still inside. Today, my challenge to you is don’t die with a dream still in your heart.

In the Bible, if someone stole an ox, he had to pay back five oxen. If someone stole a sheep, he had to return four more. Proverbs says the thief will have to return seven times more than what he stole. In Isaiah, God promised that He would pay you back double for your trouble. Notice the principle, God always gives you back more than what you’ve lost!

Our co-workers in India work among the slum dwellers. They minister to the poorest of the poor, who spend their day looking through the garbage or doing menial jobs. Their ambition is to find something – in the trash. Our evangelists are faithful to share the Gospel with them. By the grace of God, a large number of slum-dwellers have come to know the Lord. Their prayer to God has been for a better life. You know, there’s a special place in God’s heart for the poor.

One day, the slum-believers got news that the government was going to widen the road and their little shacks were going to be demolished. They were in total despair! But they prayed and trusted the Lord for their safety and protection. Not many days after the “bad news,” they got another report. The local government was going to give them a substantial amount of money so each of them could have their brick and mortar house. They were also promised one government job (steady income) for each family for the rest of their lives for the inconvenience of having to move away from their “homes.” What looked like a disaster for the slum-dwelling believers became a huge blessing from the Lord.

Friend, sometimes what looks like a setback is actually a setup. Right now God is getting you in position to promote you! You may feel defeated and discouraged but instead of feeling despair, why don’t you trust in God that somehow, someway, He will turn your tears into triumph! Remember, nothing happens to you; everything happens for you. Your greatest battle ground will become your biggest harvest field. It’s time for you to resurrect your dream.

Today as you celebrate Easter, remember, no other man in history has done what Jesus did for us. Painful as it was, our Lord went through the experience of Calvary because He saw the crown and not the cross. He kept the resurrection in focus.

You too have gone through the death. You’ve gone through the burial. Now is your time for resurrection! When you look beyond your pain, suffering, and disappointments, then you’ll find it easy to get to your resurrection. Psalm 30:5 says, “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”

Friend, just because a few things have gone wrong in your life doesn’t mean God is through with you. You have kept the faith. You’ve helped a multitude of people. You’ve sacrificed for your family. You have taken a stand for God. You’ve kept your integrity.

Don’t just think that your reward is coming, your reward is here. Today is the day. This is the week. This is the month. This is the year! God never aborts a dream. I pray and declare that every dream you’ve received from God will come to pass. All of the dreams you buried will come back to life. You’ve gone through the death, you’ve gone through the burial, now is the time for your resurrection. Happy Easter!

“We went through fire and flood, but you brought us to a place of great abundance” (Psalm 66:12 NLT).

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