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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God is Working

There are times in our lives when nothing seems to be working. Waiting is one of the hardest things in life. Many give up in the last leg of their race thinking nothing is going to change. It is one of the greatest lies the enemy has invented.

I have learned that God is working the most when there seems to be the least evidence! Think about a seed. It can sit in a fancy granary for years. You can apply right temperature, moisture and even the sunlight but until it is planted on the ground it produces no life. But once a seed a planted, it’s only a matter of time before life will come bursting in.

If you could ask the seed how it’s doing, it will tell you it’s not comfortable. It will tell you it is damp and dark inside. It will tell you it’s lonely down there. It will tell you that the weight of the soil is trying to snub the life out of it. It will tell you “Get me out of here!” These feelings are true but a greater power is at work. In the middle of the pain, agony and chaos - a miracle is taking place. The process of germination is taking place.

This is what happened to our Lord. The beating, torture and the crucifixion took His life but God was there – working. When all hell broke loose, God was working. It was Friday and then a silent Saturday but a glorious Sunday was coming! The waiting didn’t make God nervous. He didn’t keep asking Gabriel, “Are we there yet? Is there any movement? This has never been done before! Is He really going to come back to life? How do I know anything is happening at all? What if…” No. God was at rest, fully persuaded that the death of Jesus was a seed planted for the Salvation of mankind. Jesus was the Promised Seed. A seed always comes back with New Life!

Friend, your life may be covered with some cold, damp and dark dirt right now. You may feel the weight of life burying you down. You may be cut off from every living thing around. You may feel like life’s been snuffed out of you but know this, God IS working. The unseen world is more real than what you can see right now. Everything you see, feel or touch is subject to change in a moment. God is breathing His Life in your direction. The financial situation, the sour relationship, the wayward child, the doctor’s report or the legal situation is subject to change in the fraction of a second. Just like that little seed lying dormant suddenly you’ll see life bursting out through the weight of heaviness. First a tiny shoot then a giant tree – your life will blossom into something great and meaningful. It will be worth all the weight. Friend, you have gone through the death and the burial but here comes the resurrection - Sunday is coming!

So, wait patiently like a farmer the Bible says. Your pain, frustrations and loss have a purpose. They’re seed planted in the heart of God. He is birthing a new life. Stay faithful to God. Do what you know is right for you to do. Forgive the people who have done you wrong. God IS working. Your wait is not in vain. Your patience will produce its fruit. Don’t dig out your seed. Your new season is about to begin. Just like Jesus, you too will overcome opposition and obstacles that are standing in your way. It is in the dying of ourselves, we will inherit the eternal life of God. God IS working!

“Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (John 12:24 NIV).

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Good Friday

Christians worldwide observe this historic day when God died! On this day, some are stoic and then there are others who cannot fathom how God can die for us! At first glance it’s hard to imagine how a day like this is called “Good” Friday.

Can anything good come out of death? Yet, God died on the cross so that we can have life. What makes our God different from any other gods in the world is that He gave Himself voluntarily. He died not for His sins but for ours. He was our sacrifice. Anyone who believes in the message of His death and resurrection can inherit the Kingdom of God.

Imagine that! How easy it is to receive the free gift of Salvation. No matter what you have done, nothing can keep you apart from the sacrificing love of God. When we accept His free gift by acknowledging Him into our lives, we receive the life of God into our lives. We too become immortal in our spirits.

Death is man’s ultimate fear. There may be a few things dead in your life right now. May be it’s a relationship. May be your pocket book looks dead. May be you have lost a loved one. Friend, no matter what looks dead in your life, because of Christ’s death, we can have victory again. When Jesus died on the Cross all hell began to celebrate. They thought they’ve killed God. But not so fast! Like Jesus, your dead situation is just three days away from a victorious comeback. You’re on the verge of the greatest breakthrough in your life. If the curtains were to be pulled back, you’ll be amazed to see how close you are to the finishing line. You’re closer than you think. You have victory awaiting you. Don’t give up now. Don’t take your own life. God has a glorious plan for your life. Like our Lord, you too will rise from your ashes. You’ll be bigger, better and brighter than ever before!

Another important thing Christ did before hanging on the Cross is that He took thirty nine stripes on His body for our healing. We know the Bible says God wants to heal our physical ailment. But His body was ripped apart to bring healing to our body, mind, spirit and soul. God wants to heal us from our emotional and mental torment. There are people right now reading this message who need to be healed from a hurt, betrayal and bitterness. You are facing extreme situations because other people have done you wrong. You have been left behind with a death blow. Be of good cheer! By the stripes of Jesus you’re made whole. Don’t wait for another day to receive God’s love, forgiveness and healing (every part that hurts).

Good Friday is a historic day but don’t let it be just a day to remember history. Make it personal. Consider how God endured extreme torture and death in order to show His love and acceptance of you. He loves you unconditionally and He proved it by giving up His life. You’re extremely valuable to God. Whatever sickness or bondage that holds you back must give way to His power working in you. Rejoice! This is Good Friday. Christ died on the Cross so you can live! I’m praying for you my friend. Embrace the abundant life God has in store for you.

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