Finished

When the Lord was on the cross he uttered what we call seven sayings that is seven words on the cross. I want to think with you this evening is Good Friday on one of them and it's recorded in John chapter 19 I'm going to read from verse 16 John 19 verse 16 so he that is Pilate who was the Roman a procurator of the Roman governor, the judge, so he delivered him over to them to be crucified so they took Jesus and UN targets bearing his own cross to the place called the place of a skull which is an automatic called Golgotha. We normally refer to this calibrate that which comes from the Latin, but the automatic Golgotha the same place. The place of the crucifixion, the place of the skull Golgotha verse 18, there they crucified him, and with him to others, one on either side and Jesus between them. Can you picture that verse 28. After this, Jesus knowing that all was not finished.

Notice that all was not finished said to fulfill the Scripture. I first a jar full of sour wine stood there so they put a sponge fool of the sour wine on the hyssop branch and held it to his mouth when Jesus had received the sour wine he said it is finished, he bowed his head and give up his spirit from the cross of Christ, then that is the cry cry of triumph, the cry of victory cry, which echoes throughout the world's tonight at the cry wouldn't when it was first stated resigned it through the petticoats of heaven and finish one word in Greek catalyst. I Jesus did not say I am finished as perhaps men who were crucified might've done. He's not saying I am finished, but he's saying 1/3 person. It is finished. What was finished.

What did you mean by that incredible cry from the cross that we hear again this evening is Good Friday finished will come with me and surveyed the cross of Christ. First, we can say that the sufferings of Jesus are over as Owen Jesus shines from the cross finished. He's referring to his sufferings the physical sufferings of Jesus and I were over there no completed and I finish. Think of the agony in the garden of Gethsemane is our Lord. The New Testament writers Thomas selected his sweat was like great drops of blood falling to the ground. Reflect on the injustice of the trials the Jewish and Roman trials.

Think of the marketing the beatings discouraging the spreading the utter blasphemy as they crucified the Lord of glory. I read from Isaiah 53 Isaiah 56 Isaiah prophesies of the Messiah, I give my back to those who strike and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard I hit not my face from disgrace and spreading under Jewish law, a victim could not be beaten more than 14�14 was the maximum number of stripes of equipping of scourging on the back of the victim. So rather than break the law.

The victim was swept not more than 15 nine times and that figure is referred sometimes in the Bible are the scourging of Jesus was not done by the Jews. It was done by the Romans, and Jesus was stripped of his clothing bent forward over the low thick stump and equip discourage a piece of wood on which there were long strips of leather with pieces of metal and born at the very tip of the whip and there it was scorched, discourage, was designed deliberately designed to inflict maximum punishment, maximum pain, maximum drawing of blood. The whip would cut deep into the flash and tear of the flesh. This is our Savior. This is the one who comes to save us strike by stripes scourging by scourging beating by beating Jesus the Christ is bearing the punishment for your sins and mine, and then they take them as we read bearing his own cross outside to the skull Golgotha and there the writer say they crucified him, his holy hands which had healed the helpless and the pain his holy hands, which had taken the children in his arms and blessed them is holy hands, which it restarted and touch the unclean leper, holy hands, which had broken the bread and fed the multitudes. These holy hands, which it restarted and touch the eyes of the blind. These hands undertaken with cruel spears nails. He's pierced to the cross is holy feet. These feet, which is always trawled in his father's path these feet, which every single step of the Lord took was in accordance with his father's will. Those holy feet are now taken and are cruelly pierced to that old rugged cross and one other one so there's not really realizing what he was doing, takes his spear and pierces the side of our beloved Lord Paul says in first Corinthians that they didn't know that it was crucifying the Lord of glory, crucifixion form of killing.

Designed by the Romans to inflict maximum pain.

Maximum humiliation is individual is strung up for everyone to say into ridicule and then hangs our Savior nailed to an old rugged cross, but now we have the cry finish all of the physical sufferings over never again shall wicked men beat our Savior. Never again shall he spit on his face. Never again shall the Lord of glory be nailed to a cross units cry finished the physical sufferings of the Lord over but there's more. The spiritual suffering of Jesus over unbelievably horrific horrific though the physical sufferings are they pale into insignificance on the compared with the spiritual sufferings by the son of God, the holy one and the hours of darkness on the cross. Arthur Caswell began this evening by reminding us of Paul's magnificent words in second Corinthians 54 Paul says he who knew no sin. There is not one person here who could say that because all of the substance, all of us are repelled by some kinds of sin that we tolerate sin in our own lives, but this one is sinless, perfect. He did no sin. He knew no sin in him was no sin in this one who is without sin become sin for us.

All of the ugliness, all of that part of all of the finalists. All of the violence in the morality and the treachery of the decedent lies yes from you and for me a heat on the sinless one, the holy one takes out on the holiness. John the Baptist said of him, look at the Lamb of God, behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world does he take away the sin of the world.

He takes away the sin of the world on the cross so Peter himself says he himself bore our sins in his body on the tree you see in taking away your sin just one is crushed by the wickedness of the unjust, the judgment of a holy God that should have fallen in ours because of our sin, our deliberate rebellion in transgression against a holy God never falls on sinless, perfect Christ, we read yet. Isaiah prophesied we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God only has he scourged by the Romans is crucified by the Romans is delivered up the pilot by the Jews. But most of all is there smitten by God, spiritual sufferings of Jesus. But now, as we hear his cry finished the spiritual sufferings of the sin better on the tree are now over finish sufferings of Jesus over. But secondly, all of the Old Testament prophecies and types and shadows regarding the death of the Messiah are fulfilled. You don't need to be an Old Testament scholar and to know that so much of the Old Testament is pointing forward to the Redeemer to the coming of the Messiah. I read some of that from Isaiah 53 is in the prophecies were that not only would the Messiah die.

Not only that which he died a violent death but he would die on across the day of crucifixion, David writing in Psalm 22,000 years before the event, says this Psalm 22 verse 16 for dogs encompass me a company of evildoers encircles me. They have pierced my hands and my feet.

I cried all of my bones.

They stared and rolled over me divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. Yes. Isaiah was right. He is despised and rejected by men.

Amazingly comes to his own and his own received him not very nation the Jewish nation largely rejected him, despised him don't esteem him and he's called then the Lord of glory, the God of joy is described in his humanity leading up to his death on the cross he described as a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and all of these types and shadows in prophecies regarding the coming of the Messiah and all of the Levitical sacrifices.

All of that the lambs in the and the goats and the birds that are offered up to the Lord their types and shadows of the coming of the Messiah so that Paul writes in first Corinthians 574. Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed today is the Jewish Passover.

We have a neighbor who was Jewish and he told a good nearly in the week that he's having friends over and they're celebrating Passover, just before the Israelites were delivered from the slavery of Egypt they were told on that night that memorable night to take alarm the very best of the flock, and to kill it and the take is lower than the printed on the door close in on the lintel and when they avenging angel all paying and saw the blood they would Passover, but if the blood was not applied. The eldest son would be killed so that lamb was a picture of the Messiah picture of the Lamb of God who takes away our sin, and so that we trust in Christ we are covered by his blood, and so the condemnation of the judgment of God that we deserve because of her said is not Passover because were sheltered by the blood of Jesus Christ. Not one prophecy not one allusion to the death of the Messiah predicted the Old Testament is left unfulfilled.

So Peter talking to people who knew the Bibles says in acts three verse 18, but what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets that his Christ as his Messiah should suffer. He thus fulfilled and so Peter could stand among the Pharisees and the religious rulers and people who knew the Old Testament did memorize large part of it could say without any contradictions at all of the prophecies regarding the Messiah have been fulfilled as foretold by the prophets finished sufferings of Jesus over all of the Old Testament prophecies and types regarding the death of Messiah over.

Thirdly, of salvation is perfectly accomplished.

Do you realize that the eternal decree of God the father included the cross of Christ that the cross of Christ the death of Jesus, God's precious son, the Messiah was in God's eternal decree.

There's an old him that we sometimes single the love that Drew salvation's plan. Yes, this is the plan of God or the grace that brought it down to man or the mighty golf, the God that span at Calvary that this is God's plan yes man is held responsible for putting the Messiah on the tree we are responsible because he bears our sin, but behind it all.

We understand that Jesus is not a victim ensnared in difficult circumstances is not a victim is a picture and the father sends his son to die on the cross so Peter and the great day of Pentecost and accepted to he says to the Jewish nation. Jesus delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, for this is God's plan that Jesus is not a victim ensnared in difficult circumstances in which it is impossible for them to extricate himself.

Know this is what God wanted.

This was God's way of salvation.

The only way of salvation for sinners like you and me to be saved and so God in great love the father in grand love sends his son who comes in love and always does the father's will. Jesus says in John four verse 34 my food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work accomplish his work with his work primarily his redemptive work.

His name is Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. The father sends the son to do his plan of salvation. John six verse 13 Jesus says I've come down from heaven think of that Jesus is no ordinary man. No ordinary profit private, not just a medical worker comes down from heaven, God incarnate his is a come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me, and what is the will of him who sent me. It is to die as a sacrifice for sinners and so during the life of the Lord on their feet. Always please his father.

He did the father's will perfectly in the and in anticipation of his death on the cross, Jesus prays to his father.

John 17 verse four I glorified you on the art having accomplished the work which you've given me to do.

He anticipates his death on the cross. You've given me this task. This is your well that I come as alarm of God to take away the sin of the world and so on the cross with a safe finish with the meaning he perfectly finished the work the redemptive work which the father had given him to do. You do understand that the will of the father, was that his son should come from heaven to earth and die on the cross for sinners like you and like me in the heart of Gethsemane, the garden of gloom faced with a heart out of the cross faced with drinking that awful cup which the father had for him.

Jesus says in Mark 14 verse 36 to his father remove this cup from me. But then he said John 18 verse 11. Shall I not drink the cup that my father has given me what the cup cup is that he goes to the cross and ensures the punishment the wrath of the judgment of God that you and I deserve and in the region to his father's will when it understand this in obedience to his father's will. He goes to the cross nor the cross was not a surprise to Jesus. He knew the reason why the father had sent the son he knew his name was Jesus Savior. He himself said member on that amazing dialogue he had with Nicodemus enrollment in John chapter 3 as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. What was he saying, just as Moses Armada as snake and put it on a pole in the wilderness, so Jesus is saying in the same way I'm going to be lifted up, that whoever looks to me will be saved. He said to his disciples, and another occasion the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of man, and they will kill him during his lifetime. Jesus himself is predicting his death on the cross that he's going to be delivered to wicked people and they're going to kill him and they're going to crucify him and he saying this in the wonderful chapter of the good Shepherd in John chapter 10 Jesus is idly good Shepherd the good Shepherd Gab says life for the shape. What does he mean where would he give his life on the cross on the good Shepherd who gives my life for the shape don't think of them as a victim himself says in John 10 no one takes my life from a high power to lay it down.

I power to take it up again. This commandment have I received from my father.

He is the Lord of glory yes man put them on the cross.

But beyond that, and behind that in greater than that the father's will is that he dies and the sun and perfect obedience to the father's will is voluntarily laying down his life and also predicting as will celebrate on Sunday that he will be raised from the dead, that he himself will take up his life finish what was finished. Jesus perfectly accomplishes the father's will to die on the cross is the Savior of the world you and I leave many unfinished things in our lives we start projects and don't complete them.

We go to college and begin a carcinogen and never graduates. We have unfulfilled dreams.

We leave a trail of unfinished business behind us, but that the end of his life. Jesus on the cross is that mighty word, a word of triumph award of victory, a word that reverberates around the world finished everything that I see everything that he had set out to do in accordance with his father's will is fully perfectly and completely finished union is quite finished finished mother cry of helplessness mother cry of defeats mother cry of tragic day, but the cry of triumph the greatest cry of triumph the world had ever had Jesus perfectly finishes all that you come to do and this is why we have to say.

As the Scripture makes it very clear that this then is the only way by which sinners can be saved that try finished for the grammarians.

Here it is in the perfect tense which means it has been and is and will forever remain finished it was finished then and it never ever has to be repeated. That is a once and for all sacrifice as our Savior on that Good Friday voluntarily lays down his life.

Therefore, you can add to it.

Therefore, you can't improve it. Therefore it is audacious. It is the height of human folly to think that you can get to heaven some other way. This is the perfect way we sign. It was my sin that held them there. Do you believe that your sin not just in general I can use it was my sin that held them there until it was accomplished. His dying breath has brought me life. I know that it is finished. I know that this finishes in the cross of Christ is a priceless and perfect masterpiece that is nothing that you can add to it. There's nothing that you can do the father's Is now empty the blog is not a shed. The golf is not abridged, the veil is not for the way of access to God is not opened the way to heaven is prepared.

The day is fully paid. Not finished nothing for you to do.

No wonder we sing hallelujah what's what a Savior was really think you can improve on the finished work of Christ. Religion wants to do something that adds a little bit deeper self respecting blackened get to heaven my own way.

Yes, if you want to believe in Jesus. Go ahead, but I can go my way how foolish basic must the misunderstanding of God's way of salvation authentic Christianity is not for you to do something it is to say, look at Christ believe in Christ embrace Christ who's done everything for your everything is prepared.

No. Confess your sin. Prior to Chrysler, and to save you and hear his word finish nothing to be done. I wonderful that's why we believe so much in grace. Perhaps as the orchestra began with amazing grace as I don't know if that's appropriate Good Friday.

It is let me tell you it's always appropriate that we are saved entirely by grace because grace means that we cannot save ourselves, and must look to Christ and Christ alone finished rescue the Savior project experience of coming to the cross and kneeling fair in seeing the wonder of the father's love for you the wonder of the sons left for you.

The beauty of that perfect sacrifice on the cross that he paid the price for your sins that that that is not paid to get cried out to Christ and say I believe come and save me, and forgive me, inclines me and that is all of your grace, did you notice as I read that when Jesus said it is finished.

John then says he bowed his head and give up his. I like was in the Jesus shunted finished and that is had flopped done no he bowed his head, a deliberate act to his father's will. He bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Usually what you say that it is our Lord in all of the suffering and all of the excruciating pain, physically and spiritually in these hours of darkness were wonderful example to us in life's difficulties.

Some of you as you sit here on this Good Friday for the difficult year.

You've experienced loss, perhaps bereavement disappointment, confusion due to follower of Christ and you say life is hard at it is, I understand Cascio to look at Christ to hear his client finishing music. John and I rejoice in that I am saved, but do you see him no bowing his head, dismissing his be still probably part. How can I stand and gaze upon that had so humbly bending low, and not lament with tears and shame of face by willful ways rebelling motor morning so all for the grace and every earthly loss. The bow the head to God as Christ did on the cross, brother, sister, experience of loss and pain some disappointment you been crushed with something with you tonight you look at the Savior, bow your head and say, not my will but yours be done must again to that amazing try finished that cry echoed throughout the whole universe bringing a message of salvation, a message of triumph. I message of hope to all who wouldn't humbly kneel at the cross of Christ as we prepare our hearts to break bread with you.

Come with me and join me as it were the foot of the cross and humbly bow with me in prayer, eternal God and the father stand amazed at the foot of the cross. This Good Friday some here I think have never yet cry to Christ for salvation. They look to themselves the book to the church the boot to the goodness that looked to turning over a new leaf winter modifying the conduct rather than looking to Christ and Christ the Lord made a lick on them to look on Christ and be saved, but rather see her father who are true followers of Christ and it's a difficult time for them and so I pray that they humbly will bow their head to you as Christ did on the cross and pray, not my will but thine be done such a magnificent Savior.

Father for such a plan of salvation which the world is foolishness, but to us who believe it is the power of God and the wisdom of God strengthen his father, we thank you for the precious Savior Lord Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen