August 29, 2020

“It Is Finished”

John 19:29-30

Jesus said, “It is finished.”

—  John 19:30

As Jesus prepares to give up his spirit, he utters one final phrase from the cross: “It is finished.” Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, God has made redemption possible for every person who believes in his power to save. Jesus has taken all of the world’s sin on himself, the one final sacrifice for all people, for all time.

At times, you and I will be tempted to believe the lie that we are not worthy enough for God to save us. We may look at our past and think we are too flawed to ever belong to God fully. Or we might get discouraged about a sin that we continue to struggle with, in spite of our best efforts. Or we might compare ourselves to others and think that we are not doing enough for God in comparison to them. It is easy to believe that we must do more or be more in order to deserve God’s love.

But on the cross, Jesus declared, “It is finished.” No matter who you are, what you have done, or what you have failed to do, Jesus’ death is payment enough to cover all of your sin. Though we can never do enough good to outweigh our sin or to earn God’s favor, Jesus has done it for us. It is finished.

The good news is that Jesus is enough. No matter your story, he is enough to make you right with God and to assure your place at his side. Because of Jesus, you can have full life forever with him.

Lord, help me to rest in the knowledge that your sacrifice on the cross is enough to save me. Amen.

About the author — A.J. Gretz

Anthony Joseph (A.J.) Gretz is a pastor in Grandville, Michigan. He has also served churches in Ohio and in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He and his wife, Anna, have three children.

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