+ Fifth Lenten Midweek Service – April 5th,
2017 +
6th
Word of Jesus on the Cross
John
19:30
Redeemer
Lutheran, HB
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy
Spirit. Amen.
We pull weeds from our garden, and a week later they’re back
again. We finish one project at school or work and another one comes our way.
We get the oil changed on the car and the next day the brake pads need
replacing. It seems that in our life at home, school, work, and church, our labor
is never done. There’s always something more to do.
But here, in Jesus’ sixth word on the cross, we hear something
truly remarkable and comforting:
“It is
finished”.
The Greek word used here is tetelestai, fulfilled, accomplished, finished. In Jesus crucified
all God’s promises are fulfilled. In Jesus Crucified, God’s plan for our
salvation is accomplished. In Jesus Crucified, our sin and death and all the
restlessness and weariness of sin is finally, once-and-for-all, done.
“It is finished,” Jesus says.
As Jesus cries out these words, his saving work for you is
finished.
As Jesus cries out these words, the entire Old Testament comes
crashing down on Jesus, like a rushing river finally reaching the sea.
After the fall into sin, Adam and Eve fashioned fig-leaf
clothing to cover their nakedness, guilt, and shame. But they could not hide
their sin from the Lord any more than we can in our own fig leaves. So, the Lord
clothed them in animal skins to cover their nakedness, guilt, and shame. Now, as
Jesus cries out, “It is finished,”
the Lord covers our nakedness, guilt, and shame by clothing us in blood and
righteousness as he is sacrificed for us.
Abraham ascended Mount Moriah with Isaac, his son, his only
son whom he loves, and Isaac asked, “Behold,
the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” “God will provide for himself the lamb for
a burnt offering, my son”, Abraham replies. And the Lord provided a sacrifice to spare Isaac. Now, as
Jesus cries out, “It is finished”,
the Lord provides a sacrifice, his only Son, to spare you.
On the night of their rescue from slavery in Egypt, Israel killed
the Passover lamb, painted their doorposts with its blood, and death passed
over their homes. Now, as Jesus cries out, “It
is finished”, Christ our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed for us, his
blood covers us from all sin, and death passes over us and onto Jesus.
When the high priest entered the
holy of holies in the tabernacle, he and all of Israel was cleansed by the
atoning for sins, by the blood shed for the people, and by the sacrifices God
gave to give them his holiness. Now, as Jesus cries out, “It is finished”, the Great High Priest secures our eternal
redemption by means of his own blood. Jesus, our Great High Priest has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of
himself.
Jesus’ sacrifice is the beating heart of the
Scriptures, from Genesis to the Jordan river where John cries out, “Behold, the
Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world; and from the Jordan to
Jerusalem, where Jesus cries out for you, “It
is finished”.
The Lord’s promise to Abraham to bless all nations
is now complete in the perfect Offspring of Abraham.
The rest God promised Noah after the flood is now
accomplished in the One whose death makes all things new.
The rescue God gave the people of Israel through
the Judges like Samson, Gideon, and Deborah is now fulfilled as Jesus saves us
by being judged in our place.
What Aaron, Moses and Joshua; David, Solomon, and
Elijah could not do because of their own weakness and sin, Christ came, and
finished fulfilling everything they said and did. “We can confidently proclaim
that Christ is Moses, Christ is Joshua, Elijah, David, and Solomon. He is the
embodiment of every Old Testament institution. He is the Passover and the
Passover Lamb. In his death and resurrection, He is the final exodus out of
slavery. He is the temple of God. Jesus is Solomon, Jonah, and the Temple
brought to the perfect completion that God intended.
That’s what it means when Jesus says…
It is
finished.
O Lord, what could we possibly say, or add to these words? We
cannot offer You the thoughts and imaginations of hearts and minds, for there
is no one righteous, no not one. We cannot offer You our words and deeds, for
we do not seek after Your Word in all that we say and do. Our throats are open
graves filled with gossip, spite, and bitterness. We cannot offer You our deeds
of righteousness, for we have only filthy rags. We cannot offer You any work of
our own in our daily callings in life, in our homes, workplaces, and even in
your church, for we are crushed by the weight of the Law. “Do this” is all we
hear, but it is never done.
Like Joseph’s brothers, there are those whom we have hurt and
those whom we have failed to help. Yet, though you were left for dead on the
cross, out of our great evil you have worked our eternal blessing, clothing us
with the robe of your righteousness.
Like Cain, we have murdered you, our brother, by our thoughts,
words, and deeds – yet in mercy you have placed your mark of your holy cross
upon us to protect us and deliver us from evil.
Like Peter, we have denied you before others by what we have
done and what we have left undone. Yet, by your cross and passion for us you
are our Advocate before the Father, who never denies nor forsakes us.
It’s true, God’s Law says, “do this” and it is never done. And
yet that is not Jesus’ final word on the cross: God’s Grace says, “believe in this,”
and everything is already done. Jesus hangs on the cross for you, and declares:
It is
finished.
All of the devil’s trickery, deceit, and tyranny. It is
finished.
All of our lies, lusts, and laziness. It is finished.
All of our hatred, unholiness, and half-hearted worship of
God. It is finished.
All of our guilt, shame, and brokenness. It is finished.
All of our doubt, despair, and death. It is finished.
All of our sickness, sorrow, and sin. It is finished.
After creation was completed… on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he
rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.
Now, as Jesus cries out, “It
is finished”, Jesus rests from his labors, and all the work of salvation
that he had done for you. Our sin, our death, and the devil’s lies are done
for. And where our sin and death is finished forever, a new, eternal life in
Christ begins.
On the cross, Jesus declares: “It is finished.” For you.
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy
Spirit. Amen.
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