JESUS SAID "IT IS FINISHED"

Proclamation:

"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) 

Explanation:

The Apostle John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, records that one of the last words that Jesus said while He was on the cross before He died was "It is finished."  These three words are considered to be the sixth of the last seven saying of Christ on the cross.  This was a reference to having finished the work that God, The Father, had assigned for Him to do for the redemption of mankind.

Application:

Early in His life on earth Jesus said that He must be about His Father's business and He must work the work of Him that sent Him. (Luke 2:49 and John 9:4)  He knew from the very beginning that He came into this world to teach, suffer, and die, so that we could have the choice of salvation. (John 18:37)  Because of His love for us, Christ died for us. (John 15:13-14 and Romans 5:8)  He could have saved Himself or called for legions of angels to do whatever He wanted, but He knew that his death on the cross was the only way that we could be saved and that the scriptures could be fulfilled. (Matthew 26:53-54)  When Jesus said "It is finished" He knew that He had done all that needed to be done in the redemptive process for the salvation of man.  He could now give up His earthly life because His earthly body had served its purpose.  Thankfully, He completed His work and He did not come down off of that cross. (Philippians 2:8)  He paid the price for our salvation.  All we have to do to be saved is believe in Him. (John 3:16)