It is Finished

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

Who doesn’t love a good game show. There is a classic game show out there called, “Don’t forget the Lyrics!” Contestants sing along with the band and then all of a sudden the music stops, and they have to fill in the blanks with the next line or two of the song. Can you play a couple of with me?

Just a small town girl, livin' in a lonely world / She took the midnight train goin' ________” (anywhere)

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a ________ _______ _________ (wretch like me).

God is bigger than the boogie man. He's bigger than _______, or the __________ _______ _________. (Godzilla, monsters on TV).

Some of these fill in the blanks maybe were more challenging for you than others. Or for some of you maybe it was awhile since you have watched any kind of Veggietales. If you have ever watched the show, many of the contestants are confident that they have heard the song before. Many of them are sure their answer is correct. Maybe you had this thought too. There are many times their incorrect answers fit the blanks but they are simple incorrect. This goes to show that when something is unfinished we don’t leave it blank - we fill it in.

We do the same thing in life. When something feels unfinished - we don’t leave it blank - we fill it in. And more often than we realize, we get it wrong. Maybe there are moments when we assume the worst of someone. They make a comment about something and we pass judgements on them in our minds. We begin to wonder how can they ever hold a point of few like that? Or maybe there are some of us dealing with grief. We begin to wonder did my words or care get across. We question how God can let this happen. We think that God must not care. Or perhaps there are people here that struggle with doubt. As we listen to other people talk we sense a lack in other people have left unsaid. We begin to think about - what is this person really thinking? What aren’t they really saying? What lines are they leaving me to read through?

Today in our text, as we continue with this scene of Jesus on the cross for the sins of the whole world, there were gaps in their lives that felt unfinished that was probably filled in. Jesus had called them out of their everyday lives and preached to them about the kingdom of God. How this great Kingdom was being brought in for the people who belong to Him. And as the disciples starred at the cross and saw Jesus arrested, I’m sure many of them wondering is this it? They must have thought there was more. They sat there staring at this situation - like someone in a movie theater thinking there must be more to this. Their time with Jesus felt unfinished. And as they saw Jesus hang His head - they had to fill in the blanks of what is next. Maybe John and James thought about dusting off the boat to fish again. Many of disciples thought “I must be next - if they got Jesus they certainly will arrest me too.”

Jesus leaves little doubt. He cries out it is finished as He hangs His head in death. There is nothing to fill in. There are no gaps in the work of Jesus. There are no lines to read through. While everyone tries to fill in gaps, Jesus declares the final line. Jesus cries out it finished for you! And He isn’t just talking about His life, but He is talking about the work of salvation for you. He came to the world and He cries out it is finished because the mission He was sent for is done. Sin is paid for. Death is defeated. The work of salvation is completed. Jesus finished the work, so your life with never end! He cries out it is finished. Period.

There is nothing else left to do. Unlike the fun game at the beginning. Jesus and His work accomplishes everything. We aren’t left to try and guess what the work of Jesus does for us; we don’t have to wonder or read between the lines to figure out what the death of Jesus means. Jesus tells you.

Romans 8:1 ESV

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

There is no death. No defeat. No condemnation for those people who belong to Jesus. That’s you. In Baptism you belong to Jesus; You are connected to Jesus.

John 3:16 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Or in John we hear that through faith in Jesus we will not perish. We not experience an end. Because Jesus finished the work, your life will never end!

Or finally another place in John.

John 11:25–26 ESV

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Jesus reveals that in Him there is life. Death no longer has a say. The work of salvation is completed in Jesus. There is no more guess work. We don’t have to try and come up with the answers. But in Jesus, we find that the work is done for you! It is finished!

In college or high school there is always some stress when it comes to test taking. When it comes to filling in those bubbles on those scantron papers. As you sit at the desk open the test you wonder did all my studying pay off. Or am I going to have to sit here trying to play the fun game of Eni Memn Mini Moe? Picking the answer that sounds good but you have no clue. You want to do well on these tests because they are important and they make up a big chunk of the grade. Now imagine the teacher sees you in the stress and anxiety and they come to your desk and whisper to you, “You have already passed.”

Jesus has already passed the test for you. The work is already done. The verdict about your life has already been declared and its not based on what you have done, but its all because of what Jesus has done. In our lives today, there is nothing left to earn. Because Jesus has done the work. Jesus finished the work, so your life will never end. You today are living a life already won for you!

This life we are given in Jesus is yours today. The work has been completed. Now as people of Jesus we don’t have to wonder did I do enough for God’s love? Have I completed everything God has given me to do? Am I a good enough person to be a follower of Jesus? Jesus has finished the work. He has given you the victory. Your eternal life is secure in Jesus. Jesus has finished the work, so your life will never end. Live in the confidence of the life Jesus has given you today!

Now may the peace of God which surpasses all understanding may it guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.