Author | Seth Newman |
Courtesy of Crosswalk
When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “it is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. -John 19:30
This statement is among the most powerful in all of human history. God’s work of redemption, which he had promised thousands and thousands of years before, was complete. Done. A Messiah had been promised thousands of years before, when God said to the serpent in the garden of Eden, “He [Jesus] shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel.” After this God continued working in history, and later chose the Hebrew people to be his own and to follow him. God made a covenant with them to be their God and to send a Savior, but they had to wait. And wait. And wait. Then he came, and it was finished. We now have the gift of salvation, an incredible gift that we often take completely for granted.
While God’s chosen people waited, they had to observe the law, which required frequent sacrifices to make atonement for sin that was really only a temporary way to pay for sin. God’s personal name, YHWH, was so holy and far above humanity that it was not to be spoken aloud, and the people did not speak directly to God except at the temple. Now, however, every one of our sins is forgiven. The book of Hebrews says, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace in our time of need.”
When we pray, we have an audience before God, the infinite, all-powerful Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe (which is so large that I cannot even comprehend its size). He is perfect and just in all of his ways. Out of all seven billion people on the planet, God listens to you and he listens to me and there is not one person he will ignore.
God gave us the Holy Spirit, who is with us all day, every day. He will never leave us, not even when we mess up, run from Him, sin, or are hurting, scared, grieving, or depressed. Deuteronomy 31:8 says, “It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” God, the God of the universe, cares for you. For you. He will always be with you. If you think the world is coming to an end around you, he will still be there for you to fall upon. Live your life not for yourself, but for Jesus, and live like you have the Holy Spirit in you.
How often do you live as though God can’t see you?
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
Have you ever stopped and considered Jesus’ death? He experienced the most torturous form of execution ever devised...we can’t even come close to fathoming. Take something with a sharp point and press it into your palm for a few seconds (without injuring yourself!). Now think about driving it all the way through both hands, hanging by them in public while being ridiculed and insulted, knowing that you don’t deserve any of it. This, however, is not even half the story.
Before his betrayal and arrest, Jesus was praying and asked his Father to remove the “cup” from him. This was a reference to God’s wrath against sin; his unquenchable, unbearable fury. God, because he is God, must punish sin. His wrath had to go somewhere, and in order for us to be saved, that place was Jesus. To get a picture of God’s holy wrath, imagine being thrown in a lake of fire and sulfur and being tormented day and night forever, without end. The punishment that we deserved was put on Jesus when He was on the cross.
The point that I am making is that God loved us so much that He sent Jesus. Jesus was willing to die for us and take our sins on himself so that we can have salvation, which is a gift infinitely greater than anything----- surpassed by none. Unfortunately, we take it for granted. This is my challenge to you: Open up your Bible to the book of Luke. Find chapter 21 and begin reading, all the way to the end of the book. Pray that the Holy Spirit would use the Word in your heart and that he would teach you through it. Read it for what it is, let yourself be caught up in the story and think about the significance of what happens. Thank God for his love and the gift salvation that he has given us freely. Be in awe of Jesus for what he did for you. It is finished.