It Is Finished

as most of, you know, the past few weeks as we Normally do this time of the year. We have Revisited, the wonderful story of Christmas, The Marvelous story of Christmas and really, it's What we have to guard against as those of us who've been saved or in the church for a long time is guarding against just the commonality of the story and we take it for granted. The, the Marvel of the store in the amazement of the story that Christ left heaven and he took on the role of human flesh. She was a hundred percent god, get a hundred percent man and died. He live the life that we could not live and die the death. It should have been our death. Never get over that we should never let that just become. Just second nature. It should always be. It should always stir our hearts and we talked about all of this and how the story of Christmas really displays of the glory of Christ. The glory of the Incarnation. We've talked about the glory of the Advent of the Messiah into the world. We talked about how this was a fulfillment of all of God's promises. And really, and John chapter 19 is really one of the most powerful moments in the New Testament. If not all the scripture and it's really the most powerful moment as it is really, the premise of white rice, came, and John 19 and verses 28 and 31 of the most meaningful things that we consider. As human beings. We must always remember that. We are sinners. Who have sinned against the holy God. We have been broken. How have we been broken? When we've broken the law of God, we have broken God's laws. Every one of us has at one time or another photo. I we have taken the lord's name in vain. We have broken the laws of God and because of that are seeing has separated us from a holy God. It's really, this is why Christmas is so special to us. This is why this is what Advance is all about. It is gone becoming a man to save his people from their sins. It is God taking on human flesh. John 1:1. It says in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God. In the Word was God, in the Bible tells us a sport for the word became flesh and dwelt Among Us, that were the word Tabernacle, the Lord Jesus Christ. Tabernacle among us, living our life perfectly. I like that. We failed. Miserably. He's the righteous one. We are unrighteous. He died for our sins. He received the death that we deserved any Concord. Our greatest enemy Dash. No doubt. If you are familiar with a Christmas story, you know, about the direct prophecy of Jesus, that points to Jesus starting all the way back to the Old Testament. How that Jesus came at the right time. He came at the right place. He was born in Bethlehem. He was born unto the right Earthly parents, Mary and Joseph. But unfortunately. As you know, Israel as a whole did not see this. Even though God had been preparing them for centuries and centuries. They did not see the Messiah who was to come. They had been rehearsing this for Generations. This big day through the symbolism of the Old Testament and all of it pointed to Christ. The Jews had been given a command of God to build a temple. And this Temple symbolizes God's presence with them. They've been going through these rehearsals every year on the day of atonement. So they would have a priest who would offer a sacrifice. Listen he would offer a sacrifice for himself first because that priest was also a sinner. They would have one sacrifice that had to die and take the sins in all of it, symbolize that there must be a blood atonement for sin. Then they had the scapegoat remember reading in The Book of Leviticus where the priest would confess the sins of the people. And they would symbolically lay those sins upon the head of the scapegoat. And then the goat would be, the lead away from the people as far as the East is from the west and it would disappear walking out of their sight. They have been rehearsing this. But it was something that was constantly repeated. The symbolism that they did that pointed to Christ had to be repeated over and over and over again. There was a continual reminder of sins.

These things again were pointing to a greater reality of their sin and their broken relationship with God.

They were meaningful, but they were constantly on repeat. They were being done over and over and over again. You see the temple? It was not about the brick and mortar. It's not about the gold and all the physical stuff in front of them. It was really about God's presence with his people and the animal sacrifices. No, animal could text to take away the sins of the people. Why? Because it was an animal, it was a beast is not a human. And so, it was just pointing towards a greater reality. So we think about the Incarnation God becoming a man. He came for this moment here in John, 19 verse 28. He came to. He says, after this. Jesus, knowing that all things worth now accomplished. That the scripture might be fulfilled said I thirst. Now, a vessel full of sour. Wine was sitting there. And they filled his fund was sauerwein put it on a hyssop and put it to his mouth. So in Jesus had received the sour wine. He said it is finished and bowing his head, he gave up his spirit. That's one of the most powerful things that you can discover. When you think about our broken relationship with God, our estrangement our Rebellion is that. Now we have in the Advent of the Messiah. John taking on human flesh. She was 100%. 100%, man. He's dying on the cross for the sins of his people. Jesus, unlike the other high priest before him. Jesus is the true. Perfect high priest. Jesus who was God With Us. He is Emmanuel. He's dying for our sins. And he says, these last words, it is finished. Those words are truly amazing. When we remember that in the temple. And all the sacrifices, those things were never finished. They were constantly on repeat the priest had to every year and ever. So often go through those same rituals and symbolisms all over again. They were ongoing. The priest himself had to sacrifice for himself again because he was not a perfect freeze. Jesus is In the temple, the priest never sat down in the holy of holies. He never sat down. He never stopped at work because his work was never finished because it was an animal sacrifice at only pointed to the true sacrifice. Oh Lord, Jesus Christ. And yet and yet we have in this glorious moment in human history, Jesus saying it is finished. Jesus is saying the payment has been made. There's nothing left. It's over. It is finished. And listen to me this morning, that's something that man-made religion cannot do for you. It cannot. Man-made religion is all about, what can I do to be good enough? What kind of righteousness could I do to be accepted by God? If I cannot do these Good Deeds, if I cannot be righteous enough, then God cannot accept to me. Man-made religion, causes eyes to ask. What can I do to make up all my stand? What can I do to have peace with God? Maybe if I will obey this? I will, I will be giving this salvation. Maybe, if I do this, or follow this ritual and these rules, maybe, just, maybe I'll be righteous enough to be accepted by God one day. Listen, all man-made religion is just like that. It is, what can I do to earn Soul salvation? But the gospel is nothing like that. The gospel is nothing like that. The gospel is not about what you and I do to get peace with God through our good works or our righteousness. The gospel is not about that. It is the Bible tells a story that there is so much of the Raiders so much, something more beautiful. So much more filled with grace and mercy, it is about what God has done in his Incarnation and in his crucifixion of the Messiah and in the resurrection of the Messiah. And again, that's what Christmas is all about Christmas Autumn. Make us celebrate for a number of reasons, right? But the number one reason primarily we should celebrate is because the Advent of the Messiah. In the Messiah has come and he has said it is finished. No more sacrifices. Jesus, is that one and true sacrifice for all?

And listen, if you are in Christ today, if you are saved today, are you celebrating that fact? Disable Christmas is over. No, listen for the Christian. This aspect of Christmas is never over. We should always even the day after Christmas. Celebrate the fact that the Messiah has come and he has redeemed, Fallen man unto himself. Argue rejoicing in the truth that is found in this text. Or are we so consumed with life with all of his difficulties with all of the struggles and trials and temptations that we neglect to Feast upon and laugh and be joyful over that glorious truth. That we have been redeemed. And that glorious true. That Christ himself has said it is finished. There's nothing left in terms of what is necessary to bring me to peace with God and Christ. It is finished. No more sacrifices. No more. Atonement is necessary. No more. Sinful priests. No, more repetitive sacrifices. It's a once, and for all sacrifice. It's finished. If you know the story, you know, very well. The next part. At the Lord. Jesus Christ gave up the ghost after he passed away. The Bible tells us in history. That Darkness fell upon the Earth. The Sun was darkened in the Bible tells us that the veil in the temple.

Torn in two. It rips in half. Jesus went into the presence of the father. And he offers himself with his with this once and for all sacrifice. This is why he said it is finished. I listen, if you are someone who has turn from sin. And you are trusting the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord the Bible teaches us that there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus a man, no more condemnation. It's over. We've been justify. We have been declared righteous. Because Jesus righteous.

Even though we are not righteous. We have been imputed righteousness to our account. And so when God the Father sees us, he doesn't see us in our seeing, he sees us wrote in the righteousness of Christ. Praise the Lord for that.

It is finished. We have peace with God. We have eternal life, we've gone from Death To Life. There is no more condemnation. It is finished. This is something worth celebrating. This is something worth singing about, right? Is it something worth rejoicing about? We're talkin about, he came into this world, humbled himself into such. A point that he was born. And identify himself with his sinful creation.

There doesn't need to be any sorrow. This this does not need to be any grief over. Our broken relationship with God because if we are in Christ, we have peace with God. And if you here today, you've never trusted Christ. Maybe your maybe you have been trusting in yourself. Maybe you have been trusting in something that you thought you must do. You must be the certain person? If you at the end of your life that you if you have enough Good Deeds of your good deeds, outweigh. Your bad deeds in feel. Let you into his kingdom. And that's not true at all. All of our righteousness. The Bible tells us is as filthy rags before a holy God. We must come to the father through Christ Alone through what he has done on the cross of Calvary. And if you have not trusted him today, do so believe upon Him, believe upon him receive him as Lord and savior. But this time we're going to observe the ordinance of the Lord's supper, if you have not yet.