John 19_30b Done is Done Good Friday

“Done is Done” -

Secular:

Imagine the dumfounded disciples…
Jesus who came in power and spoke with authority…
This Jesus who was the Messiah… the one who was to usher in the Kingdom of God…
Jesus who did miracles… Jesus…
The disciples, not unlike ourselves at times…. Were a little slow…
I love handing my kids the mail you get from Ed McMann
They freak out… get excited about the million dollars
Almost completely have it spent in their minds… by the time I tell them how that systems works….
Unlike Ed McMann… and the hundreds of you may have already won pieces of mail we get…
We can trust in our Saviour’s Words… his final words from the cross…

Biblical:

John 19:30b [Jesus] said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

Personal:

If the words were unfounded… not rooted… apart from what we know about God, know about humankind, It is finished means very little.
There are people who if they came rushing up to you an proclaiming I have won a million dollars… and I want to share it with you… would cause you to rejoice… All right!!
There are others who if they came rushing up to you an proclaiming I have won a million dollars… and I want to share it with you… you would go ya right… this is some sort of joke… some scam… something is untenable

Bridge:

We are well served by reflecting on this day… Who is God? The one who stands behind the proclamation… it is finished
We are well served to reflect on Who are we? Those who must stand before God? Those whom are the benefited by the phrase “It is finished?”
If we ask what is finished… we need to know a few things…

Who is God?
Who are we?
What is finished?
How do we live the victory?

Body:

Who is God?

You are probably thinking I am a little confused….
Aren’t we past that discussion?
Implications of thinking we know someone…

Car sales…
Misrepresented…
not on purpose… same effect…

So who is God…
"God Transcendent" – Being above and independent of the material universe… and superior to it in everyway

Isaiah 55:8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. 9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.
Solitariness… or sufficiency of God…
God does what he does to his glory…

Not out of need…
The cross isn’t his need
The relationship isn’t his need
He is in perfect relationship
It is about his Glory

"The Faithfulness Of God" –

NAU 1 Peter 4:19 Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.
This Transcendent God… who needs nothing outside himself… has chosen to be faithful to all he promises and all he loves… to his decrees…
Not arbitrary….
NAU Psalm 37:3 Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
We can trust… have assurance…
God does as God says… because of his nature…
How many people can we trust like that?

The Power Of God" –

Habakkuk 3: 3 … His splendour covers the heavens, And the earth is full of His praise. 4 His radiance is like the sunlight; He has rays flashing from His hand, And there is the hiding of His power. 5 Before Him goes pestilence, And plague comes after Him. 6 He stood and surveyed the earth; He looked and startled the nations. Yes, the perpetual mountains were shattered, The ancient hills collapsed. His ways are everlasting.
All things are subject to God…
He is all powerful – the Lord God Almighty…
Again not dependant on any other source but contains within his nature the ability to undertake anything he pleases… and the power to see it to completion…
I would love a vehicle that was self-sustained in power… especially at $1.18 / l
But God is not hindered by limits…. Other than his own character of course…
What God faithfully promises… will be done because he requires nothing external to ensure it…
The world will be sustained as he pleases…
He is limitless…
Comfort? ABSOLUTELY!

"The Love Of God " –

NAU 1 John 4:8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
God is love…
Is that some sappy emotionally God… who loves romantic comedies… flowers and chocolate…
No of course not…
We know from 1 Cor 13’s description of love that it is not primarily and emotion but a choice…
God chose to love us in creating us
God chose to love us in calling people unto himself in the people of Israel and later in the church
And most demonstrably on choosing to send his Son to the cross
Love is the chosen relationship between God and his Creation…
It is manifest in kindness, grace, and care of creation

"The Sovereignty Of God" –

NAU Isaiah 46:9 "Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, 'My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure';
God of power… transcendence… faithfulness… has complete jurisdiction over creation!
I hope that this makes you sigh with relief… every time I hear this… I am relieved!
We know the evil that reside in the hearts of man has made our world a complicated…
But take great comfortable…
Genesis 50:20 "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive….”
God’s purposes can not be thwarted
The Lord God Almighty doesn’t get up in the morning…and wonder what he will have to deal with…
God’s ultimate Lordship and rule over the universe so that the divine will is supreme over all else!
Ephesians 1:11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,
With wars, and rumours of Wars, illness, schemes of mankind….
Aren’t you glad that God works out all things to his glory… nothing is more powerful, nothing surprises him, nothing doesn’t achieve the purpose HE designed!
The cross is not some chance happening… an odd victory of Satan… it was God’s design… for his purpose…

"The Mercy Of God"

Psalm 136:1 Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. 2 Give thanks to the God of gods, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. 3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. 4 To Him who alone does great wonders, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; 5 To Him who made the heavens with skill, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; 6 To Him who spread out the earth above the waters, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; … 26 Give thanks to the God of heaven, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
God’s grace and compassion towards sinful creatures… imagine if God only acted on according to his justice… in power… yikes!!
This is why we need to have balanced understanding… God is Just.. God is Powerful… but He is also merciful… in that he satisfied his judgement for the believer in Christ and has restrained his judgement on the world.
Everything we receive apart from his judgement is mercy… grace, care and compassion extended…
Ephesians 2:1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, …4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Mercy… extended by his Grace

"The Grace Of God" –

Ephesians 1:4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
The Unmerited favour of God…
We did not and do not deserve his faithfulness… his love… his mercy
We can’t it… we can’t demand it…
But oh to know it…
Do you see the grace of God in the cross?

"The Unchangeable God" –

James 1:17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
God isn’t arbitrary….
The rules don’t change
He sustains the world…
He maintains its order….
His attributes don’t change…
His offer of salvation remains the same…
If you trusted in Jesus Christ as your Saviour in 1st century Antioch…
If you trusted in Jesus Christ as your Saviour in 4th century Rome…
If you trusted in Jesus Christ as your Saviour in 5th century Ireland…
If you trusted in Jesus Christ as your Saviour in 16th century Zurich…
If you trusted in Jesus Christ as your Saviour in 20th-21st century Canada…
God’s promise, purpose does not change… the Great I AM.
The promise of cross is, was, and ever shall be the same promise… from an unchanging God.

"The Omnipresence Of God" –

Psalm 139: 7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me.
We can not hide from God…
All we does is present and evident…
The God who promises strength and peace… can also promise to never forsake us… his is always present… you are never alone!

"The Omniscience Of God" –

Psalm 139:1 For the choir director. A Psalm of David. O LORD, You have searched me and known me. 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. 3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O LORD, You know it all. 5 You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it.
Nothing unknown
No surprises…
Nothing beyond him…
Everything in all of history… our lives in detail
Yet… He loves us…
How loveable are our details?????
How willing would you be to die for the stuff you know about you?
Amazing God… nothing left… nothing unseen… the whole of you…
Do you see how that matters at the cross?

"The Holiness Of God" –

NAU Exodus 15:11 "Who is like You among the gods, O LORD? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders?
The last… but often referred to as pre-eminent attribute of God… Holiness…
His perfection

He is without blemish, stain or imperfection
Perfect in Love
Perfect in Mercy
Perfect in Power
Perfect in Knowledge
Perfect in Righteousness
Perfect in Justice

The cross only make sense when we now them all.
That the perfect wrath of God poured out on his son (the pain of the cross physically was nothing in comparison to the agony… agony of spirit in a perfect holy God bearing the enormous burden of sin….)
God is perfect… holy

The does the cross make sense…in light of the Holiness of God?

Who are we?

Perfect…? Holy…? Just…?

There are countless passages that speak of moral evil as a characteristic, or distinguishing mark, not of individual or classes of men in certain localities, but of human nature as it is under all circumstances – excepting only those who are regenerate, of whom specific facts are revealed bearing on that nature.
Genesis 8:21 The LORD smelled the soothing aroma; and the LORD said to Himself, "I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.

What is the intent of our heart… evil… that which is opposed to God

Psalm 14:2 The LORD has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men To see if there are any who understand, Who seek after God. 3 They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one. There is no one who does good, not even one
Clear yet?
Romans 3:9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; 10 as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; 11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; 12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE." …

So we aren’t that bad… are we?

Jeremiah 17:5 Thus says the LORD, "Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind And makes flesh his strength, And whose heart turns away from the LORD. … 9 "The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?
I am a good person… won’t God love me…
I am nice to people… I am a caring guy… I do good deeds…
Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
It has been made evident… suppressed… not ignore… or hidden… surpressed… like a coil… one held down… it isn’t about NOT KNOWING… it is about refusing to know… “the evil in the hearts of men”
Ephesians 2:3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
We have been there… apart from God…
We still wrestle…
Galatians 5:17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God
Flesh can not inherit the Kingdom…
John 3:6 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Who is God… Holy, Righteous, Loving, Just, Perfect,…
We are evil, broken, unrighteousness, and broken…
The question remains…

What is finished?

Hebrews 10:10 By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; 12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, 13 waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. 14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. 15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying, 16 "THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART, AND ON THEIR MIND I WILL WRITE THEM," He then says, 17 "AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE." 18 Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin. 19 Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
No more are the children of God stained with sin… no longer marked by evil… but wrapped in the righteousness of Christ by his perfect sacrifice sustained by the Spirit… instructed by the Word to the Glory of a Perfect and Holy and Loving Heavenly Father

How do we live this victory?

Mark 12:28 One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked <Jesus>, "What commandment is the foremost of all?" 29 Jesus answered, "The foremost is, 'HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; 30 AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.' 31 "The second is this, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
What does this look like…
Exodus 20:5 "You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
Following God’s loving direction through his Word… to be ambassadors for the Whole Jesus Christ… the righteous, the just, the merciful, the loving Jesus Christ….
Being faithful to the Full Gospel...