It Is Finished – God's Fire

Jesus Himself declared His mission; His Message; His Gospel if you like; – His reason for coming to earth when in Matthew 4:17 it is recorded that: “From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Simply put the “kingdom of heaven” started with Jesus demonstrating the power and authority of God right here on earth.

There was nothing that satan could throw at Jesus, no hurdle, no threat, that could in anyway hinder what the Son of God came to earth to accomplish!!!

The kingdom of heaven continues in our day by us also carrying out the works of Jesus as we fulfil the great commission.

In talking about Himself Jesus said that: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,” (Luke 4:18 NIV)

And He proved He had the authority and power to do all of that – proved that the “Kingdom of Heaven” is really at hand – by all the miraculous signs an and wonders and healings and deliverances that He did in the power of the Holy Spirit.

And we are to do this in exactly the same way as Jesus did – in the power of the Holy Spirit!

Isn’t that great news!!!

Jesus came to set us free!!!

Free from sin, free from bondage, free from the addictions and holds upon our lives, free to be healed, but most importantly Jesus died and rose again so that we might be free to have an intimate, a close personal relationship with Him.

Because that is what God desires, what Jesus desires, what the Holy Spirit desires – an intimate personal relationship with each one of us.

In this blog I want to mainly focus on the final three words uttered by Jesus upon the cross: “It is finished”.

The Bible tells us in John 19:30 that: “When He had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, He bowed His head and gave up His Spirit.” (John 19:30 NIV)

Another translation The Message Bible says: “After He took the wine, Jesus said, “’It’s done . . . complete’. Bowing His head, He offered up His Spirit.” (John 19:30 The Message)

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the meaning of the word “Finished” as: “having reached the end of an activity, job, etc.” and as “not requiring more work” and as “entirely done or completed”

The Oxford dictionary says much the same. It says: “A task or activity brought to an end; completed” – in other words it is finalised!

“It Is Finished”!!!

What does that mean?

What, if anything, does it mean for us – for you and me?

Well for one thing the Bible tells us that Jesus has all and final authority of the forces of satan and even of the devil himself.

The Bible says in Colossians 2:15 that Jesus “having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”

The Bible makes another three points in 1 Peter 2:24

that Jesus “Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross,

so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness;

for by His wounds you were healed”.

It Is Finished!!!

Because of the cross of Jesus and His coming back to life, His resurrection; Jesus defeated satan.

He defeated the holds satan may have upon our lives.

Jesus defeated sin, the wrong things we do; Jesus defeated alcoholism; Jesus defeated drug addiction; Jesus defeated gambling; Jesus defeated lying and stealing; Jesus defeated it ALL!!!

For another thing “It Is Finished” means for us that Jesus defeated sickness and disease.

Remember that verse 1 Peter 2:24 “… for by His wounds you were healed”?

Note that ”were healed” bit?

Not that we ‘might be’ healed, or that we ‘may be’ healed, NO! – it is a “done deal” as people say.

The word “were” is past tense. It’s complete! It Is Finished!!!

Jesus can bring us release and set us free.

God has promised that “So if the Son (that’s Jesus) sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36 NIV). Or as another translation puts it: “So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” (John 8:36 Living Bible)

But more importantly than the two reasons I have just given you (authority over bondages and healing) it means for us a way of hope, of salvation and new life in right standing with God.

God knew that there was no way that either you or I could pay the penalty for our wrong-doings, our sins. Some perfect and significant sacrifice, some perfect and significant payment, is required on behalf of us all.

And what could we possibly give God as payment for our wrongs when God made everything in the first place – including you and me – everything belongs to Him?

So because God loved you and me so much He sent His own Son Jesus to die on the cross for my penalty, for your penalty.

And God did that because He desires for each one of us to come to a point of asking Him to be in an intimate relationship with us.

He wants us all to ask Him to forgive all the wrongs, all the badness, all the bitterness, all the fear, all the anger, etc. and make an intentional thinking decision that we want Jesus to come into our life as Saviour.

Jesus died upon the cross for us, died in our place so that we might live with and for God now and with Him for ever after.

That does not mean you won’t be tempted afterwards.

And it doesn’t even mean that you won’t fail – you will.

We are all human and it is recorded that only Jesus had the Holy Spirit without measure – without limit (John 3:34).

But when you do fail, do sin, go straight to God and tell Him – He knows anyway – and ask Him to forgive you – He will immediately.

Pray also for strength to overcome the issue next time, but fully realize that each one of us is responsible for our own words and actions – and to a degree the thoughts that we dwell upon.

In other words to be tempted is not sin.

However to dwell upon the ungodly thought, or to put wrong things into words or actions is most definitely sin. And we all have a part to play – it is not just God doing all the work.

God works in partnership with us.

And sometimes instead of pressing into a closer relationship with God we follow the temptation and fail, once or more times.

But if we fail, we are to get up, ask for God’s forgiveness, then walk daily, hour by hour, closer with Him – reading the Bible, and praying in our native language and in the Holy Spirit, in tongues.

The point is we have a part to play in gaining victory as well!

The two links below open in new browser tabs:

It Is Finished – Petra

From the Petra song:

“He prayed for their forgiveness
And bowed His battered head
And no one knew the meaning
Of the final words He said

It is finished, And the sky grew black as the night
It is finished, And the people scattered in fright

The work had been done
Redemption had been won
The war was over without a fight
It is finished

The provision has been made
The foundation has been laid
He paid the ransom due
And tore the temple veil in two
And opened up the way”

Secret Ambition – Michael W Smith

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