Devotion / A winning heart

When Jesus tasted the vinegar, he said, "It is finished!" Then he bowed his head and gave his soul to God (John 19:30). 

As Jesus struggled to breathe on the cross, the words "It is finished" came from his mouth. There is a purpose behind the word.  

Early in Jesus’ ministry, according to the Gospel of John, Jesus said that he had “food to eat, which you do not know” (John 4:32-34). He explained to his confused disciples, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me, to fulfill his will.”  

Soon after, Jesus affirmed, "The works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me.” (John 5:36). In the original text and in our translation, both sentences use the same verb, "to finish." Jesus’ job was to fulfill the Father’s will. 

This is exactly what Jesus did: help, heal, forgive, preach. Every day of Jesus’ life was lived in pure and perfect love, in submission to the will of the Father. Every minute of every day had a purpose: to redeem humanity from the curse of sin. It was not a comfortable life. The Son of Man had no place to lay his head, and opposition often surrounded him. Yet Jesus kept at it. 

The Greek word we translate, "it is finished" describes the end of a difficult contest. When a long-distance runner reaches the finish line, the finish line marks the end of hard work. The long and difficult mission is over. But for the winner, the finish line also marks the beginning of the joyous celebration of victory. End points bring both endings and beginnings. This is what we learn from the scene of Christ’s crucifixion. "It is finished!", the end of Christ's obedient life, is also the culmination of Christ's overwhelming victory over sin and Satan. 

There is freedom in this declaration. Christ's victory will last forever. Nothing in the world can invalidate the perfect race that our Savior ran. Our hearts are filled with great comfort in this tragic scene. It's all over! God is satisfied. Jesus gave his life so that we might never die. When He said, "It is finished," He entered into a celebration of victory.  

While human eyes beheld weakness on the cross, Christ was proving his ability to endure to the end. Indeed, Jesus' dying body was buried, but he rose again to declare his victory over Satan in Hell. We can gaze upon the cross, look beyond the tomb, and gaze upon the victory of Easter morning. Amen.

Prayer

My dearest friend, what language should I use to thank you

For your dying sorrow and your endless mercy?

Oh, make me yours forever, keep me steadfast and faithful;

Lord, let my love for you never fade. Amen.

Note: Asia Lutheran Seminary in Hong Kong published this Good Friday devotion. We translated it from its original Chinese.