Three words. One of the shortest sentences in the Bible. Yet, these words change everything about life and eternity.
When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
John 19:30
What did Jesus mean when he said, “It is finished?”
It is finished. Sacrifices were finished.
Jesus’ sacrifice was the final sacrifice for sin. Because Jesus lived a perfect life without sin he was able to be the final sacrifice.
The Old Testament pointed us to a day when the last sacrifice would be made. In the Old Testament, there was a yearly sacrifice, a day of atonement. No longer do we need to sacrifice animals to atone for our sins.
Today, we celebrate that Jesus made the final atonement and last sacrifice so we can have our sins forgiven and a direct relationship with God.
It is finished. Sin is Defeated.
Because of the death and resurrection of Jesus, sin has been defeated. We no longer have to be captive to the weight of sin.
Even though we are reborn in Christ, it doesn’t mean we will not sin or struggle with sin. But Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit who lives in us. Through the power of the Holy Spirit living in us, we can live a life not controlled by sin.
There is no mistake so big or life so messy that Jesus cannot fix. Jesus came to redeem sinners.
It is finished. Death is no longer the end of life.
When Jesus said, “it is finished”. He claimed the victory over death for us. Because he lives, we can also have eternal life.
We don’t have to fear the end of life. For Christians, life is temporary. It’s a short time compared to eternity. It’s hard even to comprehend the difference between life on earth and life in heaven.
For those who a placed their faith in Jesus, we will have the final victory over death, too. We will live in heaven with Jesus, forever.
On Good Friday, remember that we can claim the victory promised by Jesus’s death and resurrection. We know the final sacrifice has been made, sin has been defeated, and we have eternal life through Jesus.
This is the good news. This is why it’s called Good Friday.
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