What Jesus Christ Accomplished When He Died!
John
19:28-30
I. Introduction - “Do, or Done”
A. There are really only 2 religions in the world: DO, and DONE! Either your salvation is dependent upon you DOing something to get to heaven, or you trusting what someone else has already DONE for you as your substitute!
B. You see, this is the difference between religion, and salvation. Religion is something that you work hard at, and never know if you ever achieve your goal until it is too late to correct your mistakes. Salvation is the ability to REST, pure and simple, because all the work has already been done!
EXAMPLE: Me coming home knowing that I have to mow the grass, and clean the garage, only to find that the work has already been done for me! Wow, I can just rest now - there is no more work to do! Same with salvation! (Rom 5:1)
C. In my home, the last word is the final word on a subject. And I and Mom have the last word! If I say that no one is to go out and play at a certain time, then, that is my final word and there can be no questions asked! The final word in any argument should settle the dispute! Let’s allow Jesus’ final words to settle once and for all our salvation!
II. Background (John 19)
A. Its all over (19:16-18)! Jesus Christ has been placed upon the cross as an innocent man, and everyone is devastated that He is dying and cannot come down off that cruel cross! Pilate knew He was innocent; the Jews knew, everyone knew! If He really was God, surely He could come down! All of their hopes that He really was God come down in human form were quickly fading! People could only shake their heads in disbelief! As far as anyone could see, Jesus had failed. Their King (19:19) was dying!
B. But something was going on up on that cross that no one seemed able to see - a battle was raging, a fight was going on, and the victory lay not in Jesus Christ being kept from death, but in dying (See John 10:11,17,18).
C. Just before death, Jesus Christ said the most important final words ever spoken in John 19:28-30: IT IS FINISHED! He did not say, “Let us begin...” or “I’ve done my best...” or “This is all I have time for right now...” or “Take over now, there is more work to be done...” He says loud and clear, IT IS FINISHED! Is this the cry of a wasted life? Is He saying, “Goodbye cruel world”? No! Truly this was the confident cry of VICTORY in battle! Something had happened on that cross that was not plainly visible to those on the ground. Something was now finished, that is for sure, but what, and how?!
III. Message - The Final Words of Jesus Christ - It Is Finished!
A. What Was Finished?
1. Propitiation - Sin’s power was finished (Col 2:13,14; John 1:17)! Jesus had defeated sin, and won! He had done what no other human could do - lived a perfect, sinless life! By doing so, He canceled out the Law! All the O.T. Law, the Commandments. His life satisfied the O.T. legal system’s requirement for heaven - perfection. Jesus had come down to earth, and defeated sin’s power over man! No longer did man HAVE to sin! There was a way to escape sin’s power just as they have discovered a way for rockets to escape gravity’s power!
2. Justification - Salvation was finished (Heb 12:2)! All of His Father’s work since the beginning of time was now completed (John 4:34; 17:4) - salvation from hellfire was now available to all
a. Jesus had made the way (the bridge) back to God (Eph 2:14-18). He said in John 14:6, “I AM the way...”
b. There was no more to be DONE - ie, “no assembly required!” Jesus had done it all! There is nothing more that anyone can do to improve on His life and death! He made full payment (1 John 2:2). Our good works couldn’t add anything to His payment - it is only rejected!
When Jesus defeated the power of sin, He was free from the penalty of death - He did not have to die like we do because He was perfect. But He instead turned around and died anyway so that the eternal life He had could be handed over to those who were not perfect - you and me! If people die in their sins, it is because they love sin (John 3:18,19), and won’t let it die!
3. Celebration - Satan’s powers were now also finished by Christ’s death (John 12:27-33)! Satan is through, kaput, Out-a-here, D.O.A.!
a. Set free from Satan’s powers of bondage (Heb 2:14,15)
b. Supernatural cures for death and spiritual blindness (2 Cor 4:4 contrasted with 2 Tim 1:9,10)
B. How Was It Accomplished? By our goodness, or even our good works? Not a chance!
1. Only by His perfect life - only He was perfect enough to fulfill all of God's requirements in the Law
2. By His substitutionary death in the place of those who would never be able to pay
3. By His precious blood satisfying a holy and righteous God's payment for all sins of all time!
4. For us, it is accomplished completely by faith, NOT by works! The DO-ERS are the religious workers, the DONE-ERS are Christians!
You and I have no part in this work. Jesus Christ said once and for all, IT IS FINISHED! And people, when He says IT IS FINISHED, there is nothing more that can be added to it to make it better - it is perfection! If we accept His payment for us, we are GIVEN the free gift of eternal life (Eph 2:8,9)
IV. Conclusion
Just before His death, Jesus Christ said the most important final words ever spoken in John 19:28-30: IT IS FINISHED! Truly this was the confident cry of VICTORY in battle! Something had happened on that cross that was not plainly visible to those on the ground. Something was now finished, but what, and how?!
A. What Was Finished?
1. Sin’s power over man was finished on the cross! Jesus had defeated SIN, and WON! Are you still trying to fight something that was defeated almost 2,000 years ago? Come to Christ today and REST because the battle is over!
2. Our Salvation was finished (Heb 12:2)!
a. Jesus had made the way back to God.
b. There was no more to be DONE - ie, “no assembly required!” Jesus had done it all! There is nothing more that anyone can do to improve on His life and death! He made full payment (1 John 2:2). Our good works couldn’t add anything to His payment - it is only rejected! Are you fully trusting in His payment?
3. Satan’s powers were also finished by Christ’s death (John 12:27-33)! Satan is through, kaput, Outahere, DOA, roadkill!
a. Set free from Satan’s powers of bondage (Heb 2:14,15)
b. Supernatural cures for death and spiritual blindness (2 Cor 4:4 contrasted with 2 Tim 1:9,10)
B. How Can It Be Accomplished in your life? By your goodness, or even your good works? Not a chance! Only by faith - trusting Him to have paid it all just like He said!
C. What You Need to Do!
1. Realise first of all that you are headed for hell.
2. Repent of ever thinking that you could "out-do" Jesus! We need to realise that trying to do better is a slap in the Lord's face!
3. Accept God's payment by Jesus Christ as sufficient to pay off EVERY one of your sins. Ask Jesus who personally died for you, to save you right now - to come into your heart and make you all over again - born again!
Pastor
Craig Ledbetter
Bible Baptist Church Blarney
29 Westcourt Heights
Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland