March
25, 2003
IT
IS FINISHED!
"When
Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, 'It is finished!'
And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit" (John 19:30,
NKJV).
"Now
Pilate wrote a title and put in on the cross. And the writing
was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
"Then
many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus
was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew,
Greek, and Latin.
"Therefore
the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, 'Do not write,
"The King of the Jews," but, "He said, 'I am
the King of the Jews.' " '
"Pilate
answered, 'What I have written, I have written.'
"Then
the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments
and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the
tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top
in one piece. They said therefore among themselves, 'Let us
not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,' that
the Scripture might be fulfilled which says:
"They
divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast
lots." (See Psalm 22:18)
"Therefore
the soldiers did these things.
"Now
there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's
sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When
Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved
standing by, He said to His mother, 'Woman,
behold your son!' Then He said to the disciple, 'Behold
your mother!' And from that hour that disciple took
her to his own home.
"After
this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished,
that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, 'I
thirst!' Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting
there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on
hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received
the sour wine, He said, 'It is finished!'
And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit" (John 19:19-30).
"It
is finished!"
announced that the redemption of the lost race was forever
made certain. Heaven has been made eternally secure against
the accusations, the deceptions and pretensions of Satan.
Christ's followers are now to look upon Satan as a conquered
foe. On the cross, Jesus has gained the victory for us. His
victory He desires us to accept as our own. Jesus has gained
the victory for you and for me.
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