March 20, 2008 Maundy Thursday
"It Is Finished"
John 19: 28- 30
What's your favorite holiday? Think about that question. Is it Christmas? Easter? Thanksgiving Day? How many here this evening would say that your favorite one is the holiday we celebrate tomorrow, Good Friday? Good Friday! Isn't that like celebrating December 7, the Day of Infamy, when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, plunging our nation into World War 2, or September 11, the day the terrorist destroyed the Twin Towers and killed all those people.
Certainly, when we think about what our Lord suffered, there is much that makes us deeply sad about this day. I remember when the film The Passion came out a couple of years ago, a whole group of us from church went to the local theatre to see it. I remember how it just sickened me that the people in front of us were munching on popcorn. It seemed so inappropriate and out of place. Tears were coming to my eyes at what seemed such an awesome, terrible, and holy moment. And these people were treating it like just another day at the movies.
And it's not only what Jesus suffered that make us sad. As Christians, we believe we were responsible for his suffering and death. Not the Jews or the Romans... not the guy who wronged me... not my neighbor... not my father or my mother.. not my brother nor my sister... it was me. I was the guilty. I brought this upon thee. I crucified thee.
No, I can't make the case that Good Friday should be anyone's favorite holiday. But, God comes to us today to tell us that what happened on Good Friday not only made that day good, but made every other holiday good. Indeed, for us as believers, it made every day of our lives good. Without it, Christmas would only be the beginning of Jesus' suffering, Easter would bring us no hope of resurrection, and we would have nothing to be thankful for on Thanksgiving, because all our blessings would end in curses. Yet, because of what happened on this day, we can know joy, hope, and peace on saddest most tragic days of our lives.
And did happen? What happened was what Jesus declare to be completed when he said, "It is finished." Three words in English, only one word in Greek, tetelesetai; yet one of the most important words ever uttered.
Why? What was finished? Verse 28 is helpful here.
"Knowing all was now completed, and so that Scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty."
All was completed-all that was predicted by the prophets, all that God had previously determined. This refers to everything that was needed to satisfy God's just requirements. Jesus thirst physically and spiritually was the final requirement.
Jesus' suffering was finished. (No, not his humiliation-he still needed to submit to the grave.) His suffering that began with leaving his heavenly home to be born in a barn in Bethlehem; his suffering that continued every day he spent on this sin cursed planet; his suffering that included being despised and rejected by those who should have welcomed him, being tortured and beaten and crucified, being forced to endure the depths of hell, separated not only from people, but from God his Father; that suffering was finished.
And was the reason for all his suffering? What does Isaiah 53: 5 say?
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
So, everything that brought us forgiveness, peace with God and others, and wholeness and healing was finished. There is nothing more anyone must endure in order for us to have these blessings. It is finished.
Because of that, we know that if we are trusting in Jesus' sacrifice to pay for our sins, then nothing we endure in this life can be a punishment for our sin. It is finished. Our sins are paid in full. Never will God demand anymore payment than what has already been made. Never!
Now there may be other reasons for why we suffer. God may use our suffering to bring us back to him-to bring us to faith in Jesus Christ. Or God may use our suffering to strengthen our faith. I Peter 1: 6 tells us,
These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
God may use suffering to increase our hope, as Paul explains in Romans 5: 3- 5,
Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
God may use our suffering for other people's benefit. In Ephesians 3: 13, Paul writes,
I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
And God certainly has other reasons for why we suffer. Yet, for those who trust in Jesus sacrifice, suffering is never payment for sin. It is finished.
Without Jesus' sacrifice on the cross even our blessings would only result in curses. And what James writes in James 5: 5 would be true for us.
You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.
We would be like the rich man who enjoyed his riches for a few years on earth, only to spend an eternity of suffering in hell. And we really would have nothing to celebrate on Thanksgiving Day.
It is just the opposite for us who know that the truth of Jesus' words, "It is finished." We know that all our days of blessing and suffering will end in eternal joy. Because Jesus paid the full price to satisfy God's justice, we can know that the God who loves us truly will make everything turn out for our good, as Romans 8: 28 declares,
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him who have been called according to his purpose
Some have falsely understood this verse to teach that in this world God will make everything turn out for the believer. That is not what Paul is saying here. These words come after what Paul declared in verse 18,
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Clearly in that verse Paul is speaking of eternal glory.
Many of us have read about the fruitful ministry of Corrie Ten Boom, who was released from a Nazi concentration camp because of a clerical error. And maybe could use her story to show how God always makes things turn out for good. But, what about Corrie's sister Betsie who died in that camp? We celebrate how to gospel came to Waodani people because of the sacrifices of people like Jim Elliot and Nick Saint. But, we shouldn't forget that these men died a violent death, separated from their loved ones. The fierce battle against sin can mean real suffering in this world. But, the fact that Jesus declared "it is finished" means that we know what outcome of the battle will be. And we can trust that all our suffering (and all our blessings) will end in glory in a new heaven and earth.
We can also trust that our sufferings are really wounds have received in battle for our Lord-sacrifices we have made for his kingdom. And the God for whom we have made these sacrifices promises not merely to give us a medal, like a purple heart-though he does promise us a victor's wreath, but he also promises that we will rule in heaven. John sees this in his vision, which he records in Revelation 20: 5,
And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
There is something else that was finished on the cross. The communion we just celebrated reminds that we are one with Christ. As those who are one with him, we also died with Christ. Paul refers to that in Romans 6: 6- 7
For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin- because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
Our old self was finished on the cross. Our old self that was an enemy of God; our old self that was a slave to sin; our old self that was destroying our lives was finished on the cross.
Earlier in our service, we confessed our sins. As those who trust in Jesus, we declared that we often don't do the good things that we want to do, but instead we often do the evil things we really don't want to do. Our entire life is a struggle.
Without the cross, our struggle would only have ended in our own destruction. What Paul says in Philippians 3 about the enemies of the cross would be true for us.
Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things
But, our old self has been crucified and our new self has been born. So as Paul declares
Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
Someday our bodies will be transformed to be like Jesus. Today he is already transforming our spirits. Another way of saying that is to say what Jesus did in John 3: 7, we are born again. We have a new life in Christ. And everyday we live we are growing up to be like our big brother Jesus.
This life is a time of training for us. We are like little toddlers in a new life that Jesus has saved to live. Many of us have children, grandchildren, or younger brothers and sisters. They have to learn a lot in order to function in the world. And so we teach them to talk and walk and eat with a fork and spoon. We teach them how to get along with others. We teach them about right and wrong. Similarly, in this world we are like toddlers, being taught by God's Word and Spirit. Even though we constantly fall and need to be picked up, we know that someday we will walk with our Lord. We know that in the new heaven and earth our training will be over and we will be like Jesus.
People of God, in this life we are troubled by many things. Our struggle with the sin around us is real and strong. Our struggle with the results of sin is extremely painful. Our struggle with our own sins is often very frustrating. But today we hear the word of our Lord, "It is finished."
I don't remember many of my dreams. But, one reoccurring nightmare that I have had is that I imagine myself back in college. I'm in one of the halls at Calvin College on my way to class. Suddenly I realize that I was scheduled to be in a math class that I had not attended all semester. That thought scares the daylights out of me. I'm thrust into panic. My heart starts pounding as I wonder how I'm going to ever get out of this mess. And then I wake up and realize that I graduated college over 30 years ago. Everything that caused me so much anxiety in my nightmare is really finished.
Way back in 16th century the Christian poet John Donne wrote Holy Sonnet #10, better known by the title, "Death be not Proud." The poem ends with these words,
"One short sleep past, we wake eternally,
And death will be no more;
Death, thou shalt die."
Beloved in the Lord, the truth is that someday we will all awaken from our sleep and we will know what today we can know only by faith, death is already dead. And the Friday that marked our Lord's death was the Friday the marked the end of eternal death for all who believe. Indeed it is "Good Friday, for on that day our Lord declared, "It is finished." Amen.