Lifelines:

“It is finished,” were among the final words that Jesus uttered as life left Him (John 19:30). It was His doing. No one took it. He gave up His spirit. Human hearts rejected Him. Human minds formed the plot. Human hands drove the nails, but humans did not take His life. No, that was at the time that He chose, and it did not occur until everything had been done. The plan was completed. The Scripture was fulfilled, then He died and not a minute before.

The love of God sent the One who called Himself the Son of Man. Seeking and saving the lost (Luke 19:10) was the passion that ultimately consumed Him. It started simply among the animals and ended brutally on a cross. His roots are improbable. His family tree included the good and the bad, but mostly the unknown. He selected an unlikely group of fishermen and tax collectors but mostly, you guessed it, the unknown. To them He handed off the mission of searching for lost folks who want to be disciples but not before He finished what He came to do.

Sin. That is what it was all about. It wrecks everything that it touches, and He came to take it away (John 1:29). This was no band-aid approach. It was a cure, a remedy for everyone who accepts it. He was not just a role model; He was that and more. He was a Savior. Our sins were charged to His account, and He paid the price. This was no partial answer. It was a total cleansing flood of blood to remove it totally. The love of God is amazing. “It is finished,” screams of mission accomplished.

It had all the appearances of defeat. It was not. As He hung suspended between heaven and earth, He was conquering the one who seemingly had the upper hand (Hebrews 2:14). He stepped up to and through the whole experience. His innocence was evident to Pilate and Herod (Luke 23:14-15). His righteousness was obvious to the centurion who watched Him die (Luke 23:47). He completed the sinless life to be the perfect sacrifice for our sin. It was finished, done, completed. Then He hung His head and gave up His spirit.

A lingering look at that event ought to sink deep into our hearts. It is the ultimate expression of just how much the Lord loves us. It was not because we were strong and righteous. We were anything but (Romans 5:6-10). Yet, He took this remarkable action to make a way for us to come back to Him. Blood dripped from the whips and rolled from His body. His love held Him there until it was finished.