It Is Finished

April 2, 2010

Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion

By Melanie Rigney

If he gives his life as an offering for sin, he shall see his descendants in a long life, and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him. Because of his affliction he shall see the light in fullness of days; through his suffering, my servant shall justify many, and their guilt he shall bear. Therefore I will give him his portion among the great, and he shall divide the spoils with the mighty, Because he surrendered himself to death and was counted among the wicked; And he shall take away the sins of many, and win pardon for their offenses. (Isaiah 53:10-12)

Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your kindness. (Psalms 31:17)

In the days when he was in the flesh, he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him… (Hebrews 5:7-9)

… aware that everything was now finished, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I thirst.” There was a vessel filled with common wine. So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth. When Jesus had taken the wine, he said,“It is finished.” And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit. (John 19:28-30)

Piety

Lord, let it never be finished between You and me.

Study

And so they left, after the soldiers confirmed he was dead. His body was taken to a nearby tomb, and laid there pending anointment on Sunday.

Despite everything he had taught them, every miracle he had performed, every promise he had made, he hadn’t stopped the whole thing and saved himself. The crowd had turned against him and picked Barabbas to save. It was finished. He’d said so himself.

But as his despondent followers sought cover in Jerusalem’s alleys and backways, life went on for others in Jerusalem that day. Babies were born. Women fell in love. Men complained about their aches and pains. For most of the city, things were as they’d been the day before, and the day before that.

They might have felt the way we do when a loved one dies. We cry in disbelief. We rage against the unfairness of it and wonder why someone else wasn’t taken. We wonder when we leave the hospital or hospice how other people can still be laughing and working and driving like maniacs. They don’t know and don’t appear to care that for us, something very important is finished, never to return.

And deep down, we know that someday—maybe not that day or the next, but someday—we’re going to die, too. Jesus’s followers knew that on this day more than on any day before. The establishment could come after them next, and they wouldn’t have Jesus to hide behind, to confound the Sanhedrin and Pharisees with mental gymnastics.

For the apostles and disciples, the life they’d known for the past three years was finished.

Action

Spend some of your prayer time today recalling the despair you have felt in personal Golgothas—and giving thanks to God and for those who helped you rise from that despair.