It Is Finished Was Only the Beginning

If it were not for the word tetelestai “it is finished” the redemptive works of salvation as we know them today could have never happened. You see, it took the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus for God’s plan to be complete.

Luke 22:35–37 (ESV)

35 And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.”

36 He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one.

37 For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.”

Jesus revealed to the disciples that the things that would happen to Him, would happen to them also, but in the end, Jesus’ death was to fulfill God’s plan for His life and for the redemption of a lost and dying world.

John 17:4 (ESV)

4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.

The work was complete. All God required of Him had been accomplished in every way. As a result, His redemptive work was complete also.

John 19:28 ESV

28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.”

Jesus knew the right timing. He knew when all had been complete. He knew when He had accomplished all His Father had sent Him to do. He yielded His life, completely to the Father’s Will.

John 19:30 ESV

30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

It was not until God’s Will was complete that Jesus could make the statement “tetelestai” It is finished. Fully accomplished. Perfected in the Father’s Will. But the Finish, was only the Beginning.

Acts picks up where Luke ends, literally recording the “acts of the Apostles” or, more accurately “the acts of the Holy Spirit through the Apostles”. What we find in Acts, is Jesus’ ministry transitioning to His disciples. They were to go forward, proclaiming the resurrection of Christ and fulfilling the Great Commission. Before they could go forward and fulfill Christ’s mission for them, though, they were told to stay in Jerusalem UNTIL the promise of the Father was given to them. It was the beginning of the new era of ministry.

The Holy Spirit Promised

Acts 1:1–5 ESV

1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Luke speaks of dealing with all Jesus BEGAN to do and teach. You see, Jesus’ life and ministry was only the beginning! He continues His ministry He began on this earth now through the Holy Spirit that lives in the hearts and lives of us as believers. Jesus’ ministry continues on in the believers today.

Before the disciples could continue the ministry, though, the Holy Spirit had to be delivered to the disciples. Jesus had promised the comforter, and was now giving instructions to await His arrival. Why is the Holy Spirit so integral to us as believers? Because none of us are capable of ministry or even living a righteous life on our own!

Jesus knew we would need the help of God through the Holy Spirit living within the heart of each and every believer. He passes along how the apostles, and all believers afterwards are to receive the promise - the Holy Spirit.

John 14:16 ESV

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,

Jesus knew he would not be with the disciples, or us , forever. As a result the Holy Spirit is sent to believers. But…how many of us wait on the Holy Spirit? How many of us make ROOM for the Holy Spirit in our heart? Or…how many of us make a profession of faith but go on through life doing our own thing? How can we be FILLED with the Holy Spirit if we are full of ourselves? You see, Jesus told the disciples to wait on the Holy Spirit. Scripture tells us to be still and know that He is God. There must be at time where we focus our attention on the things of God - centering our life on God - for us to truly know the impact the Holy Spirit can have in our life. When the Holy Spirit entered the disciples, it changed them radically. Unfortunately, many of us never experience the transformation caused by the indwelling Holy Spirit because we are too busy doing our own thing.

And that, folks, is why we are called God’s frozen chosen…we wouldn’t be caught dead in church showing anything other than stoic “reverenced” worship. But notice what happened to the disciples when the Holy Spirit grabbed ahold of them...

Radical Change

Acts 2:1–8 ESV

1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?

People from the outside looking in thought the disciples were DRUNK.

Acts 2:13 ESV

13 But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”

Hallelujah, when was the last time we got a mighty rush of the Holy Spirit in our worship services and could be accused of worshipping God so radically that WE could be accused of being drunk? Oh no. We can’t speak, we can’t move, we would let someone sit on us before we would show emotion in a “Good Baptist church service”.

You see, on the day of Pentecost, a few days after Jesus told the disciples to wait on the Holy Spirit, He came and FILLED the disciples. (Feast of Pentecost was 50 days after the Passover and Jesus was with them 40 days before His ascension”… so somewhere around 10 days, and they experience something like they have never experienced before.

What was the Feast of Pentecost? It was a time of offering of the new harvest - the First Fruits. You see, for there to be a new harvest, there had to be new harvesters - the disciples. When the Holy Spirit filled the house, it came with a sound like a mighty wind blowing - how many of you have ever had an experience where the Holy Spirit rushes over you making it feel like a wind rushing across your body and every hair stands on end with you whole body tingling? If you have never experienced that, then believer, you’ve missed out! Not only did they hear a mighty wind, bu saw what appeared to be tongues of fire that descended on and FILLED the disciples.

Peter described it as the risen and exalted Jesus had poured out the Holy Spirit on them, and when the people hear the message of repentance there was a true repentance, a revival like no one has seen, and about 3,000 were baptized!

Let me ask you something church, what is holding us up today? What keeps us from seeing a great time of revival and repentance today?

Let me give you a one word answer. Tradition. We are so stuck on what we have always done, that we fail to see what God may want us to do in our churches today. If we would only be sensitive to where God wants us and our church to reach out into our community - imagine what He could do with us! But...until we quit doing what we have always done, and expecting a different outcome (the definition of insanity, by the way) we will reap what we have always gotten. A ho-hum, service where no one comes expecting. Let me tell you something church, if the Holy Spirit fell on this church right now - what would be our response? I’m afraid many of us would meet Jesus face to face.

What is it God is wanting us to do? He wants us to wait on His direction, but He expects actions afterwards. You see, if the disciples had been satisfied with the filling of the Holy Spirit WITHOUT going out and telling others … what use would it have been to receive the filling of the Holy Spirit? If Jesus has changed our lives, and if we have been filled with the Holy Spirit, then HOW can we be content just sitting? We should be shouting the roof off this church to the point people would be gathered around wondering what in the world just happened in there...

Poured Out

Acts 2:15–21 ESV

15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: 17 “ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; 18 even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. 19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; 20 the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. 21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

The day Joel spoke of had come! One of the commentaries I referenced in studying for this sermon makes the comment of Joel 2:28-32: “The future climactic day of the Lord”.

Climactic is used in situations in which a peak of some kind is being reached.

Our relationship with God reaches a peak when the Holy Spirit is poured out on us as believers, and when we experience that indwelling!

Peter looks at those in the crowd that had gathered, gawking at this spectacle, that they were not drunk - but instead had been radically transformed by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Notice the first message preached after Jesus’ ascension and Pentecost (the pouring out of the Holy Spirit) is one of how OTHERS can receive what they have! As believers full of the Holy Spirit, they were excited, they spoke of the words of God, they were happy and rejoicing in what God had done, and they were testifying to anyone who would listen. Yes, it was radical. Yes, they were different. Yes, they were acting weird. That’s why Peter had to give an explanation of what was happening.

Notice there were two types of people in the crowds then: The ones who were amazed and wanted to know what was going on, and others who thought these people were crazy and foolish. Folks, there are the same two types of people today.

But my question is this - how many people do we come in contact with that can’t see anything different in us from anyone else they meet during the day? Can people see a change in us? Shucks, can we tell a change in ourselves? Hello? If we have accepted Jesus as our personal Savior, but can’t tell a difference in ourselves, HAVE WE TRULY BEEN SAVED???

When the crowd gathered, Peter told them the prophecy of Joel is being fulfilled. The last stage of this earth was being entered into. And there is an urgency we should have to tell others that these last days we are living in began with Christ coming to earth, and will end when He returns. When will He return? No one knows the day or the time…but we are 2023 years closer that we ever have been.

One thing is for sure - the mission has not changed - we live in a lost and dying world and they need Jesus. You see, when Jesus said it is finished…it was only the beginning. And we are working in the beginning until the end - when He returns or calls us home.

Closing

Acts 2:41 ESV

41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

It’s not until people see the difference God makes IN OUR LIVES that they will ever want what we have.

You see, if we sit around looking and sounding like Eeyore - WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT WHAT WE HAVE???

While I have you here…and captive…for the most part…let me ask you a question. Do you know for certain that there was a time in your life when you asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins, and a RADICAL CHANGE occurred in your life? Do you remember the feeling? Then what are we doing to tell others how Jesus changed us?

If you’ve never had that change - today is not too late. You see, if you are wondering, if you don’t know for sure, and there is any doubt in your mind … Jesus is calling you - NOW. You know you need to be saved. And we have a confirmation that if you call upon the name of the Lord - if you know and believe that Jesus is Lord, and you are ready to allow Him to be your Lord, and to serve Him as Lord - you SHALL be saved.

It truly is that simple. Are you willing to come forward and proclaim Him Lord today?