“It is finished!” (John 19:30)
I had been to visit her several times in the addition her family had built on the back of her daughter’s home for her. She was rapidly approaching 90 in that little apartment that was filled with her impressive doll collection. Each one lined up on shelves and tables, standing guard over her. This time my visit to her would be the last one. Her daughter had called me and asked me to come say good-bye to her mother as she lay in the hospital bed that now sat in her bedroom. As I stood by her bedside making feeble attempts to comfort her, I asked her if she had any questions about heaven. I was certain that she would ask me something about what heaven looked like, or would she see her two husbands who had gone before her. But not my feisty little friend. No. She looked me in the eye and seriously asked the question, “Will I have to take a test when I get there?” With a smile on my face and a twinkle in my eye, I answered, “No, Jesus already did that for you.”
When Jesus proclaimed on the cross, “It is finished” he was not merely talking about his crucifixion being complete. He was referring to the finalization of victory over everything. At that moment, the victory was finished over the devil and his evil powers. The victory was finished over our sins, so we would not have to carry their load on our shoulders. The victory was finished over our guilt and shame so they could not keep us paralyzed in the past. The victory was finished over the multitude of mistakes we would make. The victory was finished over all the times we would disappoint the people we love.
When Jesus said “it is finished” on the cross, he meant everything was finished. Everything was completed. He knew before he came here, exactly what and who he was coming for. He knew all our sin and iniquity before we were even born. He knew how liable we were for our multitude of offenses, wrongdoings, and wickedness. He knew that was what he was coming for. That is why he died. That is what he meant when he said, “It is finished.” He meant it is all finished. The price is all paid.
If any of us are still walking around carrying that load of remorse and humiliation, it is because we do not understand the fullness of what Jesus Christ meant when he said, “It is finished.” My friends, it is time to stop dragging our past into your future. It is time to stop beating ourselves up over our sins. It is time to let go of the guilt and shame. It is time to embrace all that Christ meant when he said, “It is finished.”
My almost 90-year-old friend went home to be with the Lord the day after I visited her. She has been with Him several years now. And no, she did not have to take a test when she arrived in heaven. Jesus finished it for her.
Darlene