Prayer – Lord – You knew when it began… “In the Beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth…” And when it was over, “It is finished.” At least Your work that God the Father had sent You to earth to complete was done. That was just the beginning of the spiritual journey that mankind has had to continue. There are new discoveries every day for those of us seeking to know You more deeply—to understand and appreciate Your wisdom. It’s not over until its over. When will that time come? We can only wait and see.
Jesus
knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said,
"I am thirsty." A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked
a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. When
Jesus had tasted it, he said, "It is finished!" Then he bowed his
head and released his spirit. John
19:28-30 NLT
It is finished.
Jesus on the cross.
Holy Family Shrine. Gretna, Nebraska
Meditate.
“It is finished!”
What was
Jesus’ purpose in coming to Earth? Jesus came to do His Father’s will…and to
compassionately serve those who needed help right where He was.
"Abba, Father," he cried
out, "everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering
away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine." Mark 14:36 NLT
At that time some Pharisees said to
him, "Get away from here if you want to live! Herod Antipas wants to kill
you!" Jesus replied, "Go tell that fox that I will keep on casting
out demons and healing people today and tomorrow; and the third day I will
accomplish my purpose. Yes, today, tomorrow, and the next day I must proceed on
my way. For it wouldn't do for a prophet of God to be killed except in
Jerusalem! Luke
13:31-33 NLT
John's two disciples found Jesus
and said to him, "John the Baptist sent us to ask, 'Are you the Messiah
we've been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?'" At
that very time, Jesus cured many people of their diseases, illnesses, and evil
spirits, and he restored sight to many who were blind. Then he told John's
disciples, "Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard--the
blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are
raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor. And tell him,
'God blesses those who do not turn away because of me.'" Luke 7:20-23 NLT
Did He
fulfill that purpose? Yes. He did heal the sick, the blind, the deaf, the lame,
and the lepers—and raised the dead. Then He surrendered His own life as a
sacrifice for the sins of all mankind.
For God presented Jesus as the
sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus
sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was
being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past….
Romans 3:25 NLT
What did
it mean when He said "It is finished!"? The work that
He came to do was completed. The sacrificial lamb had to die—and then His job
on Earth was done. Now the choice is up to those for whom He died. Do you
accept that Jesus was the sacrificial lamb for your sins? It was finished—final
for Jesus. That sacrifice was a one-time event. He will never repeat it. Its
over.
Verse
of Salvation ~ For God says, "At just the right time, I heard you. On the
day of salvation, I helped you." Indeed, the "right time" is
now. Today is the day of salvation. 2
Corinthians 6:2 NLT
Friday’s
Feast at the King’s Table
Jesus had
nothing to eat or drink during His last day as a human being here on Earth.
With that in mind—why should we feast today?
© 2024 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All
rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.
Books by Mickey M.
Hunacek
Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com
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