When Jesus Said, “It is Finished,” What Did He Begin?

“It is finished.” When Jesus said these three words, he signaled an ending. He proclaimed to those who were gazing upon his beaten and crucified body that he had completed a specific set of tasks successfully. He had done what he had set out to do. Looking back on this event, some may wonder, what did he really accomplish? If we are living God’s plan, it sure seems disjointed, broken and worthless. But all they can see are the tragedies of human choices and experiences. As we look more deeply into the final moments of Jesus’ earthly life, we will see how they were a catalyst to change the downward sin and death-ridden course that Satan had begun so long before. We will see that Jesus proclaiming, “It is finished” was also a victorious proclamation of what was to begin! Jesus approached death after hanging on the cross for about six hours. Before that, he had been through an all-night ordeal of betrayal, illegal trials, beatings, mocking and scourging. At the very end he said two things: * “It is finished.” * Afterwards came the loud proclamation of putting his own spirit into God’s hands. What did he mean? Though we can’t be sure, “It is finished” seems to have been meant for those around him as he was expiring. While one can look at this statement as a very negative resignation, we think Jesus meant it as a comfort and as a sign of victory. The list of what was actually finished at this moment of Jesus’ death is surprisingly long. His mission to become “the man Christ Jesus” was a complex mixture of doing unlikely and miraculous things, teaching revolutionary ideas and standing against the religious leaders of his time. In all of this, the theme was always the same. Do, say and stand for only what the Father had put before him. We typically think about “It is finished” in relation to all of these things. But have we ever paused and considered it in relation to what all of this cost Jesus? Clues in Isaiah 53 The 53rd chapter of Isaiah was a prophetic preview of what the sacrifices of Jesus’ earthly life would entail. Much of what Jesus went through on a personal basis is listed in its verses. When we begin to look at these scriptures just a few at a time, we realize they are showing us a series of very significant personal costs. Check out our April 11,2023 podcast, “When Jesus Said ‘It is finished,’ What Did He Begin?” for more. Whenever there is an ending in God’s plan, there is always a beginning that follows. Jesus’ crucifixion was no exception. Join us as we examine the many challenging endings Jesus completed and uncover many glorious beginnings he brought about as a result. This journey through his personal sacrifices will deepen your appreciation of just how much Jesus gave to save us all from sin and death.