The Word of Victory

4/2/2023

"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).

COLLECT OF THE DAY for Palm Sunday: 

Almighty and everlasting God, in your tender love for us you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon himself our nature, and to suffer death upon the Cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and come to share in his resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

COLLECT OF THE DAY for Ash Wednesday: 

Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made, and you forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (We typically read this prayer throughout Lent along with the Collect of the Day).

What is finished?

Among the final words Jesus uttered before he yielded up his spirit was the phrase, "It is finished." This could sound like a recognition of defeat or merely an announcement that the end had come, but more is going on here. [1] Jesus, in the words "It is finished," is declaring that he has accomplished everything he came to do. He is treating his death as good as done. He has drunk the full cup of the wrath of God for sinners. He has conquered death through death. In his commentary, D.A. Carson quotes a poem by S. W. Gandy: "He hell in hell laid low; / Made sin, he sin o’erthrew; / Bowed to the grave, destroyed it so, / And death, by dying, slew." [2]

What does this mean for those who have faith in Jesus Christ? This means that there is no more righteousness to accomplish in order to be saved. This means that by faith in Jesus Christ we receive the full righteousness of Christ. God "made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (1 Cor 5:21). We experience what the Letter to Diognetus calls "the sweet exchange" (Diog 9:5) of "the Holy for the lawless, the innocent for the guilty, the righteous for the unrighteous, the incorruptible for the corruptible, the immortal for the mortal" (Diog 9:2). [3] This would not be possible if there was more work to do. We would be left to bridge the gap between our imperfect righteousness and the infinitely holy and righteous God.

This also means that our sin was nailed to the cross finally and fully. God canceled the record of debt that stood against us. He “set it aside, nailing to the cross” (Col 2:13-15). Not only do we have the full righteousness of Christ by faith, but our sins can never again be held against us. The accuser of the brethren has been thrown down (Rev 12:10). If you are a child of God, every single sin you have ever done or ever will do has been fully and finally canceled.

This does not mean that we must not live righteous lives or that sin is not a big deal. The new life inside of us and our faith in Jesus Christ will most certainly transform us so that we live in a radically different way. This is so much so the case that someone whose life has not been transformed and is not walking in increasing righteousness might not have new life at all. Someone who continually returns to the cross to retrieve the sins that are supposed to be nailed there, might not have actually had their sins nailed to the cross. [4]

Application

So, how should we respond? First, we should believe and receive the glorious promise that in Jesus Christ, all our sins are nailed to the cross and we receive his perfect righteousness. Second, we should forsake the sin that our Savior Jesus Christ died for. That sin is dead, don't try to resurrect it. Third, we should walk in righteousness. We have a perfect righteousness applied to us and we have a right standing with God. Will we fail? Yes, but our relationship with God does not stand or fall on our success or failure. What glorious freedom this gives for following Jesus!

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[1] My thoughts in this post were significantly shaped by D. A. Carson, The Gospel according to John, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans, 1991), 621–622. 

[2] D. A. Carson, 622.

[3] Rick Brannan, trans., The Apostolic Fathers in English (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012).

[4] I got this illustration from Nathan Metcalf, Pastor for Youth at South Cities Church, Lakeville, MN.