Resurrection Sunday

Sermon

Resurrection Sunday 2024

 

Today is the day set apart in the Church calendar to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus the Messiah, Jesus the Christ, Jesus the Atonement of all who know they need atonement for their sins, Jesus the Redeemer of all who want to be redeemed.

 

But even from that first resurrection day, liars and seducers and scoffers and mockers of all that is holy have tried to refute the historical and undeniable evidence that Jesus rose from death. They’ve come up with all kinds of preposterous reasons the eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ resurrection are false. Many of you have heard some of the attempts to discredit the truth: The disciples went to the wrong tomb; Jesus never really died on the cross; The disciples stole the body of Jesus and said He’d come back to life.

 

Each of those absurd rationales is easily shredded when we look at both the historical and biblical evidence. I won’t spend much time examining that evidence now – perhaps at a later time, I will. But for now, just consider these simple points:

 

If the disciples had gone to the wrong tomb, the Pharisees and the Romans would have immediately brought everyone to the correct tomb and put to rest the resurrection story.

 

Second, to believe Jesus didn’t really die is really laughable. I mean, the Roman soldier stuck his spear into Jesus’ heart! That’s why blood and water seeped from the wound because the tissue surrounding the heart – called the pericardial space – is full of a clear fluid that can look like water. The fluid protects the beating heart from causing friction with each lub-dub. And, of course, the heart itself is full of blood. So, when the spear pierced Jesus’ heart, blood and what looked like water oozed from the wound – which is exactly what the biblical record tells us happened. You’ll find that account in John 19:34.

 

And as for the idea that the disciples stole the body – history tells us that each of the disciples – except for John who was exiled to a salt mine – each died horrible martyrs’ deaths. To choose to believe those men willingly went to their painful deaths for what they each knew was a lie is an embarrassingly pathetic thought at best.

 

By the way, does it not seem odd to you that those who saw the resurrected Christ only a couple of days after His merciless beating, flogging, and crucifixion – and having had a Roman spear thrust into His heart – does it not seem odd that when Mary and the others saw Him, that NO ONE thought He looked beat up, disfigured, bloodied, and tortured?

 

I mean, He looked pretty much NORMAL. Why? Because He was now in his glorified Body – just like the one you and I will have if we die in Christ.

Mary Magdalene thought He was a simple gardener. The two on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24) thought He was your average stranger walking along the road. Those in the upper room when Jesus suddenly appeared said NOTHING about His physical appearance other to mention of the scars in His hands and side.

 

Why? Because He was now in his glorified Body – just like the one you and I will have if we die in Christ.

Now, it shouldn’t require a medical degree to realize a human body does not appear ‘normal’ after what the malicious Roman soldiers inflicted on Jesus. Their flogging left wide strips of skin hanging from His back and side and buttocks. Their scourging exposed His ribs, and probably portions of His diaphragm, intestines, and other organs. Historians tell us many people died from the flogging before they even got to the cross.

But, enough of that for now. Let’s move on to what really happened on Resurrection Sunday because what really happened is critically applicable to our own lives and our own eventual deaths. Here is how John recorded the event:

 

(John 20:1ff) Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”

 

“So, Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. So the disciples went away again to their own homes.

 

“But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher). 

 

I’ve been walking with Jesus for 51 years. And in those 51 years I’ve heard at least 51 Easter sermons. But many of you have been walking with Christ for a lot longer than I – God bless you. And in your own 60, 70, and even 90 years, you’ve heard a lot more Easter sermons than I have.

 

So, what can I say today that you haven’t already heard? Probably not much. HOWEVER, just as when we read a text of scripture 100 times and the Holy Spirit highlights something new about that text for us on the 101^st time, so I ask Him that He will today use something I say to sharpen your focus – and MINE – to a truth about the Resurrection of Jesus; Something we’ve forgotten, or unveil an element about His resurrection in a way we’ve never before considered.

 

The disciples – not just the 11, but ALL of them – were despondent. And they were frightened. They were terrified. It would not be wrong to say they were living through the darkest days of their lives. They believed darkness had overcome Light. But they didn’t yet know the truth of what John would later write:

 

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:1-5, NIV)

 

They didn’t know on that Friday, nor the following day, Saturday – they didn’t know Sunday was coming. If they had, they’d have been able to make at least some application to themselves of the prophecy in Isaiah: “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them.” (Isaiah 9:2)

 

Before we move on, we need to ask ourselves if there is some personal application of that resurrection text in John’s gospel, and the prophecy of Isaiah – to OUR life today on Easter Sunday? Is some darkness overshadowing you? Some despondency? Some melancholy? Have things not turned out as we expected, and as we hoped? Are we close to despair – especially at our ages and after so many of our expectations have NOT come to fruition – are we close to despair as darkness tries to overshadow our life? Has hope dwindled to barely a dying flicker?  

 

Please, all of us – including myself as I preach this message – listen to this word from the Holy Spirit as He reminds us of the heroes of faith listen in Hebrews 11: “All these died in faith without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.” 

 

To all of us here who are Christians, strangers and exiles on the earth – Listen!  Sunday’s coming. That unalterable truth is only one of the lessons inherent in the Resurrection of Christ from the dead. Darkness can never and will never overcome Light. Our sovereign God has forever ensured that to be the case.

 

You and I might never in this life see the fulfillment of our fervent prayers, our hopes, and our longing for the salvation of our loved ones. We might never see in this life the fulfillment of those prayers. But never forget this: The disciples were lost. And frightened. And hopeless. And desolate. But they didn’t know at the time that Sunday was coming. And neither do you and I know when OUR Sunday will dawn. But we must know this: Satan’s darkness can never overcome Christ’s light.

 

Speaking of Satan – I will do that very briefly now, but this is important – the devil certainly did NOT expect Christ to rise from the dead. If he had, he never would have seduced Judas to do what he did. And he never would have incited the Sanhedrin to do what they did – because in crucifying God's Son, Satan forever lost his war over the eternal destiny of those who would turn from his spiritual Darkness to Messiah’ spiritual Light.

 

Listen! God blinded even the devil to His plan. Even though the Messianic prophecies were wide open for him to see, God blinded the Prince of Darkness to those prophecies so that Satan would unwittingly bring those prophecies to fulfillment. And by blinding the enemy of our souls to God's plan, Satan’s treachery brought salvation to the world.

 

The resurrection undeniably demonstrates the sovereignty of God over all creation – seen and unseen – as well as His inconceivable mercy to embrace dead and putrefying sinners to Himself.

 

That’s what the unregenerate man and woman is, by the way – spiritually dead and in a state of putrefaction. Listen to this word from St Paul to the Ephesian Christians: “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”

 

When the apostle said they – and we – were dead in our sins, he used the Greek word from which we get the word ‘necrotic.’

 

Of course, the Holy Spirit didn’t stop with those verses. Because of the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus, Paul could continue: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

 

Resurrection. Not just of Christ, but because of Christ, you and I who love Jesus will also experience physical resurrection to eternal life.

 

If you’ve ever smelled a necrotic and putrefying animal, you’ll remember the smell. It is nauseatingly unforgettable. And so, when Jesus told those gathered at Lazarus’ tomb to remove the stone, Martha objected, saying, “Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.” 

 

I’ll never forget years ago, as I jogged along the road, I smelled the cat before I saw it. As I rounded the corner, there it was. It’s grotesque mask of death rotting in the San Diego sun. I guessed it had been there for days, considering how badly decomposed its body was.

 

Like I say, I smelled the cat before I saw it. And as I passed it by, this strange thought dropped into my mind: No amount of cologne would have been able to mask that scent. We could’ve dressed it up in the finest of cat clothing, placed a gold chain around its neck – but nothing would have removed the stench of death from that poor creature.
 
Isn’t that what the scoffer, the unbeliever, the mocker of Christ – isn’t that what they try to do for themselves? As St Paul wrote, scoffers and unbelievers are all spiritually dead and rotting in their sins.

 

Yet, they strive to dress themselves up as best as they can. They dab perfume or cologne on themselves. If possible and according to their circumstances, they add to all their finery educational degrees, they increase their bank accounts, drive the nicest cars and live in luxurious homes . . . But there is nothing they can do to remove their stench – the smell of spiritual death that God can smell even on the other side of the universe.

 

And only God Himself can remove that stench of death – and that only through the cleansing blood of the resurrected Jesus. When Christ calls our names from spiritual darkness and spiritual putrefaction into His light and life, we become to God a fragrant aroma. As St Paul tells us: (2 Corinthians 2:15-16)  “For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life.”

 

Christians listening here to my voice, Jesus called you from Death’s stench to Life’s fragrant aroma. He called you, and you responded by confessing your need for His atoning blood sacrifice to cleanse your soul from sin’s darkest blot.

 

And if you are NOT a Christian – you might be religious, but you’ve never acknowledged to your Creator that your sins have made you unworthy of eternal life – if you are NOT yet a Christian, then Easter Sunday – Resurrection Sunday 2024 – is a great time to move from darkness to light, from death to eternal life.

 

Everyone, listen. Please. God is calling your name. He is calling MY name. He calls all of us – child of God or not-yet-a-child-of-God – He calls our name again and again.

 

So, will you come – again and again? Confess to Him your sins. ROUTINELY confess to Him your sins and repent. Turn from sin’s darkness to the light that follows repentance. And so I now close this message with a few lines from the hymn I am about to play. Let these words be part of your prayer:

 

Out of my bondage, sorrow and night, Jesus, I come; Jesus I come.
Into Thy freedom, gladness and light, Jesus, I come to Thee.
Out of my sickness into Thy health, Out of my wanting and into Thy wealth,
Out of my sin and into Thyself, Jesus, I come to Thee.

Palm Sunday: The Veil

Palm Sunday 2024

The Veil

 

Today is Palm Sunday. Next Sunday is Easter Sunday – I prefer to call it Resurrection Sunday. Of course, Good Friday occurred between Palm Sunday and Easter.

 

Before I get into today’s Palm Sunday message, I want to first read a text that describes what Pilate did when he crucified Jesus on Good Friday. You’ll find it in John 19:17-20:

 

“They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. There they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between. Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It was written, “JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” Therefore many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin and in Greek. 

 

Pilate wrote the accusation against Jesus – the King of the Jews – in all the languages of the area. But notice that the text says many – not ALL of the Jews – read it. Some didn’t read the message, probably because they were at home, too busy taking care of children, taking care of sick loved ones, taking care of their own daily affairs, and for their preparation for the Passover celebration. They didn’t have time to see a criminal hang and die on a cross.

So, they missed the message – just like the Pharisees and Sadducees and the laity at the foot of the cross missed the message that Jesus told them when He repeatedly quoted from various messianic psalms. We talked about those psalms several times in the last few weeks. But they kept missing the message.

Which brings us to today’s message – to another text that describes an extraordinarily important event that occurred on Good Friday. Most of those in Jerusalem missed that message, too. Many STILL miss the message of the torn veil.

 

 
The event is recorded in each of the synoptic gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke. And if you’re not careful as you read the account of the Lord’s final moments, you can miss it because it is mentioned so briefly.

 

I read now from Mark’s account, “And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed His last. And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” (Mark 15:37-38)

 

“The veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” We must not miss the eternal significance of that event. Certainly, the educated Jews of the first century IMMEDIATEY recognized that significance – but we must not miss it.

 

But first, I need to make sure we all understand what the veil of the temple was. As many of you might know, the instructions God gave Moses for the construction of the Tabernacle in the wilderness included the separation of the Tent into two parts – called the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. The two rooms were separated by a thick curtain, called the veil. (see Exodus 25).

 

The furniture in the Holy Place consisted of a lampstand, a table for the 12 loaves of bread, and the altar of incense. The smaller room, called the Holy of Holies, held only one piece of furniture – the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark was a wooden chest overlaid with pure gold. The lid of the Ark, called the Mercy Seat, was also lined with pure gold, and on top of the Mercy seat were two sculpted golden cherubim which faced each other. During Israel’s 40-yar trek through the wilderness, the Ark contained the tablets of the Law, a jar of manna, and Aaron’s almond branch. We don’t have time now to get into more detail than that.

 

Let’s pause here for a moment. It’s important to the point of today’s message that we understand that only the priests who were sons (or later progeny) of Aaron were permitted to enter the Holy Place to conduct their daily ministrations. Zacharias – the father of John the Baptist – was of the lineage of Aaron.

But only the HIGH PRIEST could enter behind the veil into the Holy of Holies. He did so each year on the Day of Atonement when he sprinkled the blood of the sacrificial animal on the Mercy Seat. The Hebrew word for ‘Mercy Seat” has the same meaning as the Greek word ‘propitiation.’ It means ‘to cover sins.”

 

We’ve seen that word, ‘Propitiation’ several times as we’ve studied the New Testament. For example, here is Romans 3:23-25 “[F]or all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation [a covering of sins] in His blood through faith.”

 

And now 1 John 2:1-2b “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation [i.e. the ‘covering’] for our sins.”

 

No priest had more religious authority than the High Priest. All other priests were subordinate to his authority. A modern analogy might be the authority of the Pope in Roman Catholic practice.

But back to the Tabernacle in the wilderness: The basic pattern of the wilderness Tabernacle continued into Solomon’s Temple and to the Temple as it existed in the days of Jesus.

 

The veil in the Temple of Jesus’ day was some 60 feet high, 30 feet wide, and several inches thick – it was that massive veil which served as a daily reminder that God was separate from His people – EVEN HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE. And it was THAT veil which God tore in two, from top to bottom, at the very moment Jesus cried out, “It is finished!”

 

Which now brings us to the whole point of today’s message. What significance – if any – does the torn veil of the first century have for us in 2024?

 

As I said, the veil served as a constant reminder that sin separates us from our holy God. It served as a constant reminder that only a special class of people could enter the holy place and represent the average person.

 

But – ALL OF THAT changed when Jesus cried out, “It is finished,” and the veil of separation was immediately rent asunder. That torn veil dramatically and visually demonstrated that the shedding of Messiah’ precious blood was the full atonement for our sins. That torn veil vividly fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah about the New Covenant which God would implement when He did away with the Old Covenant. You’ll find that prophecy in the 31^st chapter of Jeremiah and referred to in Hebrews 8.

 

When the Father tore that veil from top to bottom, He declared to all humanity that the way into the very Holy of Holies was now and forever open to all people, for all time, both Jew and Gentile.

 

Entry into His Throne Room. Let’s look at that for a moment. You might remember the story of Queen Esther who was terrified when her cousin Mordechai insisted that she approach the Persian King to stop Haman’s plan to annihilate all the Jews. If you’re unfamiliar with the story, I urge you to read the short ten chapters in the Old Testament.

 

Anyway, Queen Esther reminded her cousin that there was only one law for those who entered uninvited into the king presence – and that was death, unless the king held out his scepter in invitation. If you know the story, God moved on the king to invite the queen to approach his throne.

 
So, the application to 2024?

 

Many Christians through the ages, especially those who were not very literate in biblical truth, many believed they had good reason to avoid directly approaching God. They thought – and many in church pews STILL think – that they needed to go to God through the intercession of another person, such as a pastor, a priest, or a Saint.

 

And Christians developed a variety of excuses that have kept them from coming close to God, such as, “God's too busy for me.” Or, “I’m not holy enough.” Or, “He loves others more than He loves me.” But each excuse is utterly unsupportable by scripture.

 

Let’s look at this point from another angle. Those of you who have had children in your home, wouldn’t you feel terrible if you knew your son or daughter felt uncomfortable coming to you because they felt unworthy? Or that you were too busy? Or you didn’t really, really love them?

 

Wouldn’t you take him or her into your arms and assure them they didn’t need to ask someone else to approach you on their behalf? And isn’t that what our Lord Jesus tells us? Didn’t He say to us: (Matthew 11:28) “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest”?

 

Is that not what the Father tells us through the Psalmist (27:10): Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me”?

 

Isn’t that what God tells us through Isaiah: (49:16) “Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands? In other words, Our God always keeps us closely in His presence.

 

Christian, please hear this in the depths of your soul: You are engraved on Jesus’ hands. Do you really think the Father will not receive you directly into His Throne Room? To stay with the Esther illustration, do you really think the King of kings will not extend to you His scepter?

 

The veil has been torn. Don’t piece it back together again. You are His beloved son and daughter. Indeed, the Father loves you JUST AS MUCH as He loves Jesus. How do we know that? Jesus Himself said so. Listen to this portion of His prayer to the Father. You’ll find it in John 17 (verses 22-23): “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.”

 

The veil has been torn. The work of reconciliation between God and sinful men and women was and IS finished. There is nothing to add to it. Indeed, when we try to add our works – even our good works – to the finished work of Christ on that cross is to tell Jesus He didn’t do enough to complete the task.

 

Reconciled. Two parties who were enemies are now brought together in loving embrace. Listen to the Holy Spirit through St Paul: (2 Corinthians 5:17-18a) – “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ . . . .”

Now listen again to Him in Colossians 1:19-22  For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach.”

 

THAT is what Good Friday is all about!  Reconciliation. Please hear it again: The veil is torn. The Old Covenant under which the priests acted as a mediator between God and the people no longer exists – and I repeat myself for emphasis. Every child of God, adopted into His eternal family through their faith in Jesus the Messiah, now has direct access to the Throne of God – who is not only King of kings, but is ALSO our loving, merciful, gracious Father.

 

And so, God tells us through the writer to the Hebrews: (Hebrews 6:18b-20) “We who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil [of the heavenly Tabernacle), where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

 

We cannot take time now to discuss Melchizedek. You can read about him yourself in Genesis 14 and in Hebrews chapters 5-7. But the main point of all this is that under the New Covenant promised by God in Jeremiah 31—under the new covenant, Jesus is our High Priest. It is He who “is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25)

I’ll say it again: The veil has been torn. Don’t put it back together again. That’s why the Holy Spirit tells us in chapter 4 of Hebrews, “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16)

 

Confidence to enter directly into God's Throne Room. No longer does any child of God through faith in Jesus need a parent or pastor or priest to bring us into the very presence of Almighty God.

 

And so, as I bring this message to a conclusion, we need to make personal application of this message of the torn veil.

 

Do you believe you have immediate access to your Father who art in heaven? If you are NOT a true Christian, then you do not have that right to enter His Presence. But if you have come to God through your baptismal and obedient faith in the finished work of Jesus on that cross, if you know you need His forgiveness and His power to enable you to live a godly, holy lifestyle, and if you practice confession and repentance as often as the Holy Spirit brings your need of both to mind – then I am here to tell you, on the authority of God’s word alone – you DO have immediate access to the Father when you come through the only mediator between God and man – the man Christ Jesus. (1 Timothy 2:5)

 

God Himself tore that veil asunder. He eliminated the Old Covenant with its tabernacle, its temple, its religious system of priests and sacrifices – and He established the New Covenant which centers around Jesus, our High Priest, who through the sacrifice of Himself makes us perfectly – PERFECTLY – acceptable to God.

 

“But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:4-7)

 

Please, don’t try to piece the veil back together again.

Fifth Sunday of Lent: It is Finished

Sunday Sermon March 6, 2022

It is Finished!

 

Today is the fifth Sunday of the season in the Church calendar called ‘Lent.’ During this season we’ve been focusing attention on the seven last words of Jesus as He hung dying on Calvary’s cross.

 

At first, we turned our attention to His cry: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Then we turned our attention to His promise to the thief hanging next to Him: “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”  We then heard Him say: “I thirst.” And, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” Last week we heard these words directed at His mother and His disciple John: “Woman, behold your son” – and to John, “Behold, your mother.” Finally, last week, we heard Him say: “Father, into your hands I commit My spirit.’ 

 

Today, we finish this series with the Lord’s final words, just before He breathed His last. Our text comes from the John 19:28-30 - “After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, *said, “I am thirsty.” A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”

“It is finished.” According to John, those were the Lord’s last words. But those words beg the question, don’t they? Exactly WHAT did Jesus finish when He bowed His head and died?

It is critical that we remember this point: Jesus was in complete control of the timing of His capture, of His scourging, and of the time of His death. Earlier, He had told His disciples (John 10:14-15, 17-18a): “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. . . .  For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.”

The Lord and Ruler of heaven and earth could have at any time called for 12 legions of angels to rescue Him (Matthew 26:53).  But He didn’t call for them. He resolutely set Himself to complete the course set out for Him from the beginning of time itself. And perhaps no other statement of Jesus on Golgotha’s hill means so much to so many people as His cry: “It is finished.”

Millions of Christians through the millennia have focused on those words – on that PROMISE. Christians, whose lives before Christ were lived as complete reprobates, as shameless sinners, discovered such amazing grace as to mystify not only themselves, but also all those who could not help but notice their changed lives.

 

It was for reprobates like me – and YOU – it was for us that St Paul’s words ring ever true: (1 Timothy 1:15-16) “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.  Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.”

 

“It is finished!”  When Jesus spoke those final three words, He did not say them with weary resignation, with a sense of defeat. No, not at all.

 

In my mind’s eye I see Him arch His back, lift His face toward heaven and shout with such a voice of triumph that even the centurion stopped what he was doing and in amazement stared at Jesus who had just trumpeted: IT. IS. FINISHED!

 

So, I don’t think anyone in history has ever – or could ever – know the full extent of what Jesus meant when He said, “It is finished.” But I will tell you some of what it means to me, as I study the Scriptures.  

 

When Jesus finished His work on Golgotha, He finished the Father’s plan initiated before the ages began. We know God is holy. We know He is utterly righteous. And we know that His unalterable purpose of Justice ALWAYS judges sin – the wages of which are always, without exception, death. Eternal death.

 

But we also know God is a merciful and loving Father. So, how could the utterly holy and righteous Judge of sin extend mercy to sinners? By spending His wrath against sin on His sinless Son, whom we know as Jesus. It was when Jesus became sin for us – as St Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 5:21—when Jesus BECAME sin, God spent His wrath on Jesus and at the SAME TIME extended His mercy toward the sinner who comes to Jesus as his or her atonement for sin.

 

And THAT is why, when the Lord finished His work of Calvary, spilling His blood as our substitutionary payment for our sins, He PURIFIED – He made spotless, unstained, unpolluted – all who seek Him for the cleansing of their sins.

Listen to what St Paul wrote to the Christians at Rome about that point: (Romans 3:23) “[F]or all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Him God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.”

 

Propitiation: A fifty-dollar word which simply means Christ’s blood completely covers all – ALL – of our confessed sins. And the word ‘remission’? That means God has completely erased from His own memory all, all, all of our confessed sins. The writer to the Hebrews, quoting from the prophet Jeremiah about the New Covenant, gives us God's view of His forgiveness: (Hebrews 8:12) “For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And I will remember their sins no more.”

 

Wow! Think of that for a while. God has chosen to FORGET all of our confessed sins. Forever. No need to fear any punishment or purging of our sins. As far as the eternal Judge is concerned – those sins no longer exist.

 

But there is yet more to Jesus’ finished work. When He breathed His last, He gave – and gives – everyone on earth who trusts and obeys Him the right to become a child of God. We are no longer a child of sin, a child of rebellion, a child of the devil – but a child of Almighty God, adopted into His family.

 

Now think of that truth as it applies to YOU who trust and obey Christ. (Ephesians 2:19-20) “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens [to God], but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone.”

 

Listen now to this word to the Christians at Galatia (3:26) “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” This is because God's infallible word assures everyone who puts his or her faith in Christ’s sacrificial atoning death on that cross – God assures us: “As many as received [Christ], to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13).

 

I love to remember the day when I told Him I was His! That I belonged to Jesus. That I would from that day follow Jesus.

 

Do you remember the day YOU told Him you were His? Even if you were baptized as an infant, there must – there HAD to have come a time when, as an adult, you committed yourself to Him. It is as St. Paul wrote: “When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.” (1 Corinthians 13:11) So, when Jesus said, “It is finished,” in that moment, He opened the door for all who wish it to be called children of God.

 

But there is yet more. When Jesus said, “It is finished,” He set us free from the fear of death because we now belong to Him. Listen to this promise from the book of Hebrews: (Hebrews 2:14-15) “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.”

 

No wonder St. Paul was able to say: (1 Corinthians 15:54b-57) “Death is

swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

 

Christian – listen to this important question: Are YOU afraid to die? If yes, then why? There is no real ‘unknown’ about death. I mean, what is it we REALLY need to know except that the true follower of Christ will forever enter into eternal joy and peace and love in that place we call heaven? No pain. No sickness. No loneliness. No fear. No heartache. And we will enjoy our ‘forever’ with our family and friends who also died with Christ in their hearts.

 

Listen to His promise through the prophet Isaiah: (Isaiah 25:8-9) “He will swallow up death for all time, and the Lord God will wipe tears away from all faces . . . . And it will be said in that day, “Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”

 

I’ve only known Jerry Feola for the last few years, but I consider him a friend and a great man of God. During the time I’ve known him, cancer has been slowly stealing his life, and now Jerry’s battle is coming to a close. He told me a few weeks ago he’s tired of the fight. He no longer has the energy to continue. He is now in Home Hospice, medicated only to control his pain.

 

You might remember what I said several weeks ago as we started this series of the Lord’s last words on the cross. I said that the ‘last words’ of the one dying often reveal something important about their character, about their heart, and their relationship with Christ.

 

During the week I spent meditating on this message, I received an email from Jerry, sent to a few dozen friends. In the email he told us of his and his wife’s decision to stop all cancer treatments and await the Lord to bring him home. I want to read for you his ‘last words’ as he awaits his death because his email reveals his heart for God. It reveals his desire to win souls to Christ, while he still has the breath to do so. Here is his simple email written for his many friends – some even attend church, but do not yet know the Savior: 

 

“As many of you know I (we) as a family have made the decision to be placed on home Hospice. That means all cancer treatments are stopped. Hospice takes over my pain management. [So], my dear friends, I'm not aware of when I will die, but my death will bring several guarantees with it. [Here are only a few]:

“John 3:16 For GOD loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whoever believes in Him will not die but have everlasting life; Romans 3:23 ...for ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

“My friends please read these verses several times because I would love to see you in heaven when you die, which is where I'm headed. Blessings, Jerry.”

Jerry’s email reflects in large degree what St. Paul wrote to his readers in Philippi: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better.” (Philippians 1:21-23)

 

Jerry’s heart also says this along with St Paul: “Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord — for we walk by faith, not by sight— we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore, we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:6-9)

 

God's promises through the apostle are all true for Jerry – AND they are true for you and me, and for all who look with confidence to the appearing of our Lord and Savior – because we know that Jesus meant what He said and said what He meant when He cried out: “It is finished.”

 

But there is yet one more point I want to mention today – and this is a repeat of the point I tried to make at the beginning of this message. I repeat it because we HAVE GOT TO GET THIS deeply into our spirits. Our spiritual health and maturity DEPENDS on how well we understand and believe this:

 

Our sins earned us God’s wrath, and like the sword of Damocles, it hung over our heads. Listen to St John’s warning: “He who believes in the Son,” Jesus said, “has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (John 3:36)

 

But when Jesus declared, “It is finished,” God directed His wrath due to us onto His Son. That means that you and I who so worthily deserve (present tense) – who so worthily deserve God's wrath are now forever safe.

 

Isaiah wrote these words 700 years before Jesus died on that cross: “But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.”  (Isaiah 53:5-6)

 

As I said at the beginning of this message, who can really know ALL that it meant when Jesus said, “It is finished”? But of this much we can be sure:  

 

First: The righteous and utterly holy Judge of creation has finally and forever judged the sins of all who come with obedient faith to Christ. They – we – all receive complete purification of our sins and God’s promise to forever forget those sins. Second: Because it is finished, everyone who comes to Christ in obedient faith becomes adopted into God's eternal family. Third: Because it is finished, death is utterly and forever defeated for those who faithfully follow Christ. And fourth: Because it is finished – and to repeat the point for emphasis – God directed His complete and full wrath against our sin onto Jesus, His Son. That means God will NEVER spend His wrath on those who follow Christ Jesus. Never.

People might ask YOU why you are so passionate about Christ. But how can we NOT be passionate about the one who did so much for us on that bloody cross? How can we not be passionate about the One who has never stopped loving us, no matter what we’ve done or how often we’ve done it? Even at our worst, His love for us never diminished one iota.

 

As Jesus hung on that cross, He reached out His nail-pierced hand and pulled us from our trajectory toward inevitable self-destruction. He saved us even when others might have thought we were not worth saving. And best yet, what He did for us, He wants to do for anyone – for everyone. Our Jesus has never refused the desperate cry of any penitent. All you and I need to do is thank Him and offer Him our lives in growing obedience.

 

Won’t you do it now? For the first time, or the hundredth time, won’t you do it now?