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Announcer (00:00:01): It is time to think about the Bible like you never have before. This is Christian Questions. After this episode, go to ChristianQuestions.com to check out other episodes, Bible study resources videos, download the CQ app and more. Today's topic is, "When Jesus Said It Is Finished, What Did He Begin?" Coming up in this episode; seeing Jesus die on the cross must have been a beyond-heartbreaking experience. For the average person to hear him say, "It is finished," that would've instilled a sense of hopelessness and grief. How could someone so wholesomely good meet such a terrible end? Fortunately, the story continued. Here's Rick, Jonathan and Julie.

Rick (00:00:42): Welcome everyone. I'm Rick. I'm joined by Jonathan, my co-host for over 20 years. And Julie, a longtime CQ contributor is also with us. Jonathan, what's our theme scripture for today's episode?

Jonathan (00:00:53): John 19:30: "Therefore, when Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished! And he bowed his head and gave up his spirit."

Rick (00:01:05): "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, well, what did he really accomplish? If we're really living God's plan, it sure seems disjointed and broken and worthless. For 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 that 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. And folks, this is thoroughly inspiring.

Julie (00:02:01): Let's take a moment and look at the last events of Jesus's human life on the cross that surrounded these three words, "It is finished." We're going to read from a compilation of the four Gospels. We're going to put these in order to the best of our ability, and we'll be reading from Matthew 27:45-51, Mark 15:33-39, Luke 23:44-49, and John 19:28-30, all from the New American standard version, 1995 edition.

Jonathan (00:02:31): "Now From the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, his mother's sister, Mary, the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene."

Rick (00:02:45): "When Jesus then saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, Woman, behold, your son! And he said to the disciple John, "Behold, your mother!"

Jonathan (00:02:58): "From that hour, the disciple took her into his own household."

Rick (00:03:03): "About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice saying, "ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI? That is, MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME?"

Julie (00:03:14): "When some of the bystanders heard it, they began saying, "Behold, he is calling for Elijah."

Rick (00:03:21): "Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the scripture said, I am thirsty."

Julie (00:03:29): "Someone ran and filled a sponge with vinegar, put it on a reed, and gave him a drink, saying, "Let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down."

Rick (00:03:38): "Therefore, when Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished! And crying out with a loud voice, he said, Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT."

Jonathan (00:03:50): "Having said this, he breathed his last and bowed his head and gave up his spirit."

Julie (00:03:56): "When the centurion, who was standing right in front of him, saw the way he breathed his last, he began praising God, saying, Certainly this man was innocent. Truly this man was the son of God!"

Jonathan (00:04:10): And all the crowds who came together for this spectacle, when they observed what had happened, began to return, beating their breasts. And all his acquaintances and the women who accompanied him from Galilee, were standing at a distance, seeing these things. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth shook; and the rocks were split."

Rick (00:04:35): That is probably one of the most dramatic things you'll ever hear in terms of world-changing events. And those words, "It is finished." Those three words were an outward verbalizing what Jesus already knew. So let's go back to the John 19 scriptures and get a little bit more of the context, and begin to understand the depth here. So Jonathan, let's go to John 19:28-30:

Jonathan (00:04:59): "After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the scripture said, I am thirsty. A jar full of vinegar was standing there; so they put a sponge full of vinegar upon a branch of hyssop, and brought it up to his mouth. Therefore, when Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished! And he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." The word for finished is the same word in verse 28, "been accomplished," which means "to end; that is complete, execute, conclude, discharge, a debt."

Julie (00:05:37): The Bible commentary from David Guzik on that says this; "This verb teleo, 'to finish,' was used in first and second centuries in the sense of fulfilling or paying a debt, and often appeared in receipts. Jesus's statement, "it is finished," could be interpreted as paid in full. Isn't that beautiful?

Rick (00:05:57): That's powerful. Jesus had finished what he set out to do because there were many aspects to this work that he finished. We want to consider a few fundamentals here. But you know, the idea of "paid in full;" let's understand that when he says "it is finished," that means this piece. There is absolutely no more conversation, no more discussion, no more unfinished business. There's nothing, no detail left, hanging out somewhere. It's over. This is powerful. This is so powerful. So what we want to understand is--and there are many, many aspects, we're just going to touch on a few today--but what was finished? Julie, let's start with that. What was finished?

Julie (00:06:41): And there's many aspects to the work that he finished. It's going to be both legal and emotional. The first one is a very fundamental big-picture piece. What was finished? The sentence of death being a final consequence for every human being who ever lived. We remember that the penalty for sin is death, brought on by Adam in the Garden of Eden.

Jonathan (00:07:01): But the satisfaction of God's justice gets counterbalanced with love and mercy, as God sent His only begotten son to be a ransom substitution for Adam.

Julie (00:07:11): And we know this from 1 Timothy 2:5-6. It says, "For there is one God, one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time." So that word "ransom" means a corresponding price.

Rick (00:07:28): So Jesus discharged the debt that imperfect humanity could not pay. It is finished. It is paid. You owe this. If you've ever been in an experience where you're in over your head, and you work and there's nothing you can do, and somebody comes along and says, look, I know you're struggling. I know it's really difficult. Let me pay that debt for you so you can get back on your feet. You look at them because they have taken away a legal responsibility that you couldn't handle. And that's what Jesus did for humanity. He took away the legal debt of death and said, Nope, I've got this covered for all of you. So he legally fulfilled a debt that humanity was buried under. Adam sinned and thereby introduced certain death for all of his posterity. And we know that by going back to Genesis 2:16-17.

Jonathan (00:08:25): "And This is from the Young's Literal Translation. "And Jehovah God layeth a charge on the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden eating thou dost eat; and of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou dost not eat of it. For in the day of thine eating of it, dying thou dost die."

Rick (00:08:44): So what you have in the Genesis scripture is the institution of the debt. You don't obey and dying, you will die. That's where the debt began. And folks, please understand, this is a very simple equation. Obey and live, disobey and die. And once Adam took the step to disobey and die, that meant every single one of his children would be inheriting his death. And so this is a big, big part of what was finished; the sentence of death being the final consequence for every human being. So the next thing we want to know is, okay, if it's such a big thing, we see what was finished. Why was it finished? Jonathan, why?

Jonathan (00:09:32): Because of Jesus's perfect obedience to the Father's perfect plan. Hebrews 5:8-9: "Although he was a son, he learned obedience from the things which he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became to all those who obey him the source of eternal salvation."

Rick (00:09:50): So you have perfect obedience. Isn't that interesting, that the test for Adam was what? One of...

Julie (00:09:58): Obedience.

Rick (00:09:59): Obedience. The test for Jesus was one of...

Julie (00:10:02): Obedience.

Rick (00:10:04): <Laugh>. You see how simple justice is? Adam disobeyed. Jesus obeyed. Jesus canceled what Adam did. It's a beautiful picture. So it was finished because of Jesus' perfect obedience. So we've got what was finished. We've got the "why." Now, and here's the thing. In God's plan, nothing ever ends without something else beginning. So when we look at what is finished, what was finished, when Jesus said those words, we always want to look forward and say, okay, what did that open the door for? So our next question is, what can now begin? Julie, what can now begin?

Julie (00:10:45): The methodical turning of events to prepare the entire world for resurrection and the needed learning process of reconciliation so that they can have eternal life. And here's a great question that we hear a lot. If Jesus died thousands of years ago to release everyone from sin, why is the world still sinning and dying? And the answer is, his own personal sacrifice was finished. This debt that we've been talking about has been paid, but there's still another phase. There's the work of converting the world back to God that still remains. There's different phases to this work.

Rick (00:11:18): And so something finishes, something begins. Jesus was the Lamb of God. We also have Jesus prophetically as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. The Lion, the ruler, comes after the work of the Lamb. You've got to put those things in place. You put the sacrifice on deposit to be redeemed at a later time. So we see how this works over time. So just because it's finished doesn't mean instantly something starts. It opens the door. It opens the door for the methodical turning of events to get there. The apostle Paul summed this inescapable penalty up very clearly by showing us how God's plan corrects this dark result of sin. And Jonathan, let's go to Romans 5:18-19:

Jonathan (00:12:01): "So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one the many will be made righteous."

Rick (00:12:20): You can see the absolute clarity of the equation. The many were made sinners, and we know that means everybody. Therefore, the many being made righteous means that means everybody. Yes, nobody is left out because he paid the price in full. It's very clear. And then Jonathan, let's go down to the next chapter of Romans, Romans 6:23:

Jonathan (00:12:41): "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord."

Rick (00:12:46): It's a free gift because he paid the debts. You see the beauty of this? So when we look at "it is finished" the sentence of death being the final consequence, we see the beauty of God's justice being fulfilled. So as we go through the different aspects that we're going to cover today of what was finished, we want to always be looking for new beginnings in each ending. So Jonathan, let's get started with that. What are the new beginnings in this particular ending?

Jonathan (00:13:15): God's plan is never-ending. Whenever we see something end, it will inevitably make room for another phase of His plan to begin. Jesus's work as a man was no exception. He came to begin a redemption work, accomplish its goals, and finally die as its full payment. God's plan would now enter another phase.

Rick (00:13:38): So you have the justice part of this being put on the table saying, "it is finished." Jesus now would allow the plan to enter into a new phase, a new way of doing things. This ending was a remarkable event, as Jesus dying by crucifixion looked like such a defeat. God, however, had other plans.

Jonathan (00:14:02): We have just looked at the big picture of what Jesus finished. What about other finished tasks that Jesus could now put away?

Rick (00:14:10): Well, let's step back from that glorious big picture of Jesus paying the debt that the world could not pay and focus on some of the personal things that Jesus also accomplished. We don't often think about the magnitude of the price that Jesus paid on his own personal level. Remember, he was in heaven with the Father for an eternity of time before coming to Earth. So there was a tremendous relationship there. So we want to kind of back up and just pause and consider that for a moment.

Julie (00:14:45): We know Jesus had a pre-human existence with the Father from several important scriptures. John 1:14 for example: "And the Word (that's Logos in Greek) became flesh, and dwelt among us. We saw his glory as the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."

Jonathan (00:15:02): And Jesus had a level of glory, and he was in a very unique position as the only begotten from the Father. He was the first and only direct creation of God. That's what only begotten means. How do we know? Because Colossians 1:16-17 tells us after he was made, all things were created through him. For more on this read Proverbs 8:22-30.

Julie (00:15:25): Jesus praying before he was crucified, you remember John 17:5, he said "Now, Father, glorify me together with Yourself with the glory which I had with You before the world was." We can see from this, Jesus was a spirit being. He underwent a change in nature to become human. And this was different from the angels. They appeared as men to deliver messages, but were never actually human. Jesus was born and lived as a perfect man.

Rick (00:15:53): So when we talk about "it is finished," there is a phase of the existence of Jesus who had previously been the Logos that is ending. And with that ends a whole unique, incredibly unique set of experiences. So let's go back to our initial theme. Julie, let's go.

Julie (00:16:13): What was finished? What we have is the unjust disrespect of being overlooked and not recognized as representing his Father's will.

Rick (00:16:24): Now, this isn't something that we would normally think about in this context. So the prophecy in Isaiah 53 is going to give us a lot of reminders. We're going to be looking at Isaiah 53:1-12. We're going to break it into a lot of little pieces. And each time we go to a new, what was finished question with, in this case, the unjust disrespect of being overlooked and not recognized, Isaiah 53 explains it to us in a prophetic way long before Jesus came and became the man Christ Jesus. So Jonathan, Isaiah 53:1-12, let's start with 1-2:

Jonathan (00:17:01): "Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground. He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to him."

Rick (00:17:19): Now remember, this was previously the Logos, the Word of God. Now that's a pretty high place in the whole creation thing, right? I mean, <laugh> you're the word of God, the representative of God Almighty Himself, and he would be reduced to this human being who would be seen as nothing special. Think about the cost there. Think about that for a moment. Let's look at John 1:43-46:

Jonathan (00:17:46): "The next day he proposed to go into Galilee and he found Philip, and Jesus said to him, Follow me. Now, Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. Nathaniel said to him, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Phillip said to him, come and see." Well wait. He grew up in Nazareth? Say, no more. <Laugh> He came from the wrong side of the tracks. He's one of them, a blue collar worker. He had no formal education. You mean his father was a carpenter? Really?

Rick (00:18:30): And see that sums up and that's the way we as human beings think. And Jesus would've been looked upon as, oh, one of those guys over there, they're always dirty. He smells like wood. You know, just let's leave them alone. What could he possibly have to offer us? And the scripture shows us the incredible value. Well, the Logos, Jesus in his prehuman existence, willingly went into this unknown. We know that by Isaiah 6:8:

Jonathan (00:19:00): "Then I heard a voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us? Then I said, here I am, send me."

Rick (00:19:07): And that just, to me, that just gives us the sense of this willingness to do whatever the Father would ask, whenever the Father would ask it, however the Father would ask it, with whatever consequences the Father saw fit. It was just this overwhelming acquiescence to, "I will do what you would have me to do. Here am I. Send me." So we've got this, what was finished, the unjust disrespect of being overlooked. So Jonathan, what comes next?

Jonathan (00:19:41): Why was it finished? You know, Rick and Julie, it's the same answer as the first time; because of perfect obedience to the Father's perfect plan.

Rick (00:19:51): And we go back again to Hebrews 5:8-9: "He learned obedience through what he suffered." So it was finished, the unjust disrespect was finished because he decided to do exactly what the Father put in front of him without question. And it was a difficult thing. It was disrespect, being overlooked and unrecognized when he was the most recognizable creation in all of God's creation. And he goes to this being that is just one of those dirty people over there. So here's the thing, you've got that. So what can now begin?

Julie (00:20:30): The glory of his deserved recognition as Lord of all mankind.

Rick (00:20:35): The glory of his deserved recognition in contrast to the unjust respect of being unrecognizable to mankind. And again, prophecies described this to us. Jonathan, let's go to Daniel 7:13-14:

Jonathan (00:20:48): "Keep looking into the night visions and behold, with the clouds of heaven one like a Son of Man (Jesus) was coming, and he came up to the Ancient of Days (God) and was presented before Him. And to him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and his kingdom is one which will not be destroyed."

Rick (00:21:18): I'd say that's pretty recognizable. <Laugh> You know, being this dominion which will never pass away. He was given dominion, glory and a kingdom. Everybody knows who receives that. So you can see that what was finished was that unjust disrespect. So again, what we want to do is, we want to see the new beginnings in each ending.

Jonathan (00:21:40): Jesus willingly became a lowly human being and grew up in a family of no reputation and had no place of honor in society. This apparently average life would allow God's power to be more easily recognized as from above.

Julie (00:21:58): And we want to ask a mirror question, look at ourselves in the mirror and ask this; am I willing to accept whatever lowliness might come my way so that God's power can be more easily recognized? It's interesting how the more average and ordinary you are, the more God's glory can be recognized, as in what? How is that even possible? Just like something great coming from Nazareth. It's a stark contrast like you were talking about, Rick.

Rick (00:22:23): And that's why God set it up that way, because it would show that it's His power overruling things that don't look right. No, it can't possibly be that way. Oh yes, it can, because the Heavenly Father has His will behind the whole thing. So again, we've gone through this process of what was finished, why was it finished, and what can begin. The unjust disrespect replaced with the glory of his deserved recognition. What's our next step?

Julie (00:22:56): All right, let's move on to our next "what was finished?" What was finished? The unjust disrespect of being misunderstood as being sinful and wrong, as he bore the hardships of others without being able to eternally heal them.

Rick (00:23:09): So we went from being overlooked and not recognized, to being misunderstood as being sinful and wrong. And you've got to think about this, because this is a lesson in absolute integrity. Jesus had complete integrity toward the will of God, toward the law of God. He never did anything wrong. And yet there was this unjust disrespect cast upon him because people saw it differently. And because they saw it differently, he was made to be the one who didn't have integrity. Untrue. But think about being at the height of glory that he was and having to handle that. Let's look at Isaiah 53:3-4:

Jonathan (00:23:52): "He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face, he was despised, and we did not esteem him. Surely our griefs he himself bore, and our sorrows he carried; yet we ourselves esteemed him stricken, smitten of God." In other words, to the people he appeared to be suffering for his own sins and afflicted. But he was a perfect man. This was an enormous contradiction.

Rick (00:24:23): And his integrity was put out there and stepped on and muddied and confused. The integrity didn't change, but people's view of it was absolutely skewed. Good example of this is the account of healing the woman with the 18-year infirmity and the synagogue official's response because Jesus did this on a Sabbath. Let's look at Luke 13:13-14:

Jonathan (00:24:47): "And he laid his hands on her; and immediately she was made erect again, and began glorifying God."

Julie (00:24:54): Can you imagine? Here, this woman has been sick for 18 years, so much that she's bent over and can't even stand up straight. Can you imagine the backache to that? This is huge. She's healed. And what does she do? She starts giving God the glory. What a wonderful thing to happen in the synagogue.

Jonathan (00:25:10): Well, let's go to verse 14: "But the synagogue official, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day."

Julie (00:25:28): Okay. So instead of being amazed and happy for this woman, Jesus is being criticized in front of everybody on a legal technicality that isn't even correct because you can pull your oxen out of a ditch on the Sabbath, but you can't cure this woman in pain for 18 years. Jesus rightly calls him a hypocrite.

Rick (00:25:47): And so you see that you're right, her healing, the beauty of the glorifying act of her healing, is looked upon with disdain. Jesus was looked upon with disdain, this unjust disrespect of being misunderstood and being sinful and wrong. You broke the Sabbath. No you didn't, but it was perceived that way. See, Jesus knew he was here to fulfill prophecy. And he knew what prophecies he was fulfilling. Let's look at Matthew 8:16-17:

Jonathan (00:26:16): "When evening came, they brought to him many who were demon-possessed; and he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill. This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, He himself took our infirmities, and carried away our diseases." We often talk about Jesus's broken body, but we know no bone, not a bone of him was broken. See John 19:36. So what was broken? He carried the burdens of the world by exhausting himself. This was the giving of his vitality to others. He himself took on our infirmities and carried away our diseases. He bore the weight of all of those things, which cost him greatly.

Julie (00:27:01): That's right. And I look at that scripture where it says, "And he healed all who were ill, all that were brought to him." I love how he didn't stop until all were healed.

Rick (00:27:10): Yeah. It wasn't like, do you have this big long line? And he's tired because he would've been tired. And he says, okay, you know what, 13th from the end, you're the last one. Everybody else just go home. <Laugh> So you know, next time, get here earlier. There was none of that. The scriptures say several times, "And he healed them all." That means every last one. And again, the integrity of Jesus' character shines out in setting out to heal and not stopping until the work was entirely done. So we have this beautiful integrity that was being insulted by those around him. This unjust disrespect of being misunderstood as being sinful and wrong. So Jonathan, where do we go from there?

Jonathan (00:27:57): Well, why was it finished? Because of perfect obedience to the Father's perfect plan.

Rick (00:28:04): And I bet you're going to talk about Hebrews 5:8-9, right?

Jonathan (00:28:07): Always. <Laugh> He learned obedience, didn't he?

Rick (00:28:10): He learned obedience by what he suffered, and it says, "And having been made perfect." Now the word means "made complete." He was perfect already, but was gathering the experience of having to deal with the difficulties. And this was one of them. Fulfilling the Law and being criticized for and being called wrong for doing it. So you have got this, and you say it's because of his obedience, because of his tenacity to never stop doing the right thing. And that brings us to the conclusion of this "what was finished" piece. So what can now begin, Julie?

Julie (00:28:47): The glory of understanding the eternal power given to him because of his lowliness. This is huge.

Rick (00:28:54): So you had him being unjustly disrespected and being misunderstood as being sinful and wrong. And now what can begin is the understanding of his internal power. What a difference. What a difference. Philippians 2:7-11:

Jonathan (00:29:10): "Jesus emptied himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in the appearance as a man (which means not a spirit being in any sense), he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross. For this reason, also, God highly exalted him, and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven (meaning angels) and on earth (living humans) and under the earth (those who will be resurrected from their graves), and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Rick (00:29:52): So you have this emptying out of himself, this sacrificing of that spirituality, then taking on the human form and sacrificing that. And what he's given as a result is every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that he is Jesus Lord, to the glory of the Father. There's this incredible glory and understanding of the internal power given to him. What was finished was the Ignominy of being labeled and misunderstood, and what is given instead is the power of God himself at His right hand. So what we want to see in each of these experiences is new beginnings in each ending. Jonathan?

Jonathan (00:30:34): Jesus willingly accepted being seen, labeled and harassed as one who disrespected God's law in order to fulfill that very law in his everyday life. His higher purpose never left his heart or mind.

Julie (00:30:49): Here's another mirror question. Do I have that higher purpose so firmly entrenched in my own heart and mind when I may face disrespect while doing God's will?

Rick (00:30:59): We need to continue to ask ourselves that question, because if you're a disciple of Jesus, you want to know, am I reacting in the best way as I can in this imperfect humanness of myself to follow what he did? He finished these things so others can start. Where are we seeing ourselves in that whole picture? Jesus was considered a nobody when he was in fact THE somebody, and was considered as disrespecting the law that he actually fulfilled. You see, somebody was confused.

Jonathan (00:31:34): So Jesus paid the price to redeem all humanity while being disrespected. What else did he endure?

Rick (00:31:43): For many of us, being judged by the place you come from and being categorized as a wrongdoer while only doing what's right and godly would create a very troubling disconnect in our own minds. Can't these people see the obvious good here? Can't they just accept the plain truth before them? And that's kind of the way we would think. Such a disconnect can easily lead to prideful reactions. We need to continually focus on Jesus because he always did it the right way and he always did it in a way that we can understand and that we can in some small way emulate. Julie, where do we go from here? I'll bet I know, but go ahead.

Julie (00:32:21): We're going to move on to our next "what is finished" when he said "it is finished;" the requirement of the self-sacrifice needed to redeem all from Adam's sin and provide an offering for the sins of men so reconciliation could reach its full potential. Now that's a mouthful. Remember Jesus's death as the ransom price for Adam's sin bought back the race. This guaranteed a resurrection for every man, woman, and child. But then what? They all need to be educated and reconciled back to God. How is that accomplished? Through this offering for sin.

Rick (00:32:57): What does that mean, this offering for sin? Well, you've got the ransom, the paying of the price. First Adam died and Jesus is called the second Adam, brings everybody, "in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive." If he just left it at that, you'd have the world brought back from the dead and then be stuck on their own again. So Jonathan, you talked about the breaking of his body and no bone was broken, but the sacrificing, all of that put the price in place for reconciliation. And that's why the true church is given the ministry of reconciliation. That's the other part of the equation. So you had this incredible self-sacrifice needed to not only redeem, but to provide reconciliation. It was an amazing amount to give for one man. Let's look at Isaiah 53:5-6:

Jonathan (00:33:53): "But he was pierced through for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the chastising for our well-being fell upon him, and by his scourging (in other words, by his suffering, not by his death), we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him." I have to stop here. Look at what the cost was for Jesus. He willingly went through such pain and anguish, it's hard to imagine. What was his mindset? Hebrews 12:2: "Who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame." What a savior.

Rick (00:34:41): For the joy set before him. That means it wasn't an easy thing. That means it was painful, it was hard, it was difficult, it was trying, but he had the joy of accomplishing his Father's will set before him. So what was finished? This requirement of self-sacrifice needed to provide the ransom and the reconciliation. Let's never forget the depth and power of selfless character, the selfless character of Jesus. This next scripture occurs while Jesus is on the cross. And this is the Pharisees and the scribes and the elders. They're talking amongst themselves. Matthew 27:41-43:

Jonathan (00:35:17): "In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him and saying, He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God rescue him now, if He delights in him; for he said, I am the son of God."

Rick (00:35:38): Now, these chief priests and elders quoted from Psalm 22. They quoted scripture here. "He Trusts in God, let Him rescue him now, if He delights in him." That's a direct quote from Psalm 22. My question, our question is, why didn't they pay attention to the context of Psalm 22? Because well, let's read a few verses. Psalm 22:6-8:

Jonathan (00:36:03): "But I am a worm and not a man, a reproach of men, and despised by the people. All who see me sneer at me; they separate with their lip, they wag the head, saying, Commit yourself to the Lord; let Him deliver him; let Him rescue him because He delights in him."

Rick (00:36:20): So this is the context, the few verses before, and it's describing Jesus being crucified on the cross. Now they're fulfilling the prophecy. They're saying the words that are in the Psalm. So they're standing there and they're saying these words. Now hold that thought for a second. Let's go to Psalm 22:24:

Jonathan (00:36:43): "Where He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; nor has He hidden his face from him; but when he cried to Him for help, He heard."

Rick (00:36:53): Why didn't they read that verse? Because that verse shows God rescues. When he cried for help, he heard. Now you look at this and say, well, Jesus died. Yes he did. And three days later he was raised and he became immortal. He became the right hand of the power of God. Why didn't they read that part? They fulfilled the negativity in the psalm by knowingly quoting the scripture. It blows my mind, how they just fell right into this because they were so blinded by their own ambitions.

Julie (00:37:24): And that's another reason why we know the Bible is true. There was no way Jesus could have set that up and forced them to say that exact psalm, when they themselves are the sneerers. It's really interesting. You know when you read Psalm 22:6 where he said, Jesus is speaking prophetically, "I'm a worm and not a man." Why would Jesus be described as a worm? This is really special because not only does this show extreme humility and lowliness of a worm, but it refers to this special kind of worm called a Tola worm used to make scarlet dye in biblical times. It lays its eggs, it dies, it releases a scarlet fluid that stains the children red. In other words, they receive their identity as scarlet worms by the death of one who gives them life. Sound familiar? What a wonderful picture of our crucified Lord Jesus and his shed blood of redemption and the resulting salvation, the Tola worm.

Rick (00:38:20): And so these doctors of the law, these intellectuals of the time, fulfilled the portion of the prophecy that sneer at their own Messiah. It's an amazing thing. So you look at this and you say, man, this is a hard thing. The self-sacrifice needed to redeem all. Jonathan, why was this part finished?

Jonathan (00:38:43): Again, because of perfect obedience to the Father's perfect plan. Hebrews 5:8-9.

Rick (00:38:49): You keep giving the same answer.

Jonathan (00:38:51): Well, that's because it's true.

Julie (00:38:51): You keep asking the same question.

Rick (00:38:54): <Laugh> Okay, but see, understand that's the core of the issue. It's always the same answer. Adam sinned because of disobedience. Jesus was faithful because of obedience. We need to understand that is the pivot point for the entire world of mankind. And that's a hint as to how we should be. He learned obedience from the things he suffered. That's our job also. Learn obedience, not only from what he suffered, but from what our experiences are as well. Having said that, the conclusion of this piece; what can now begin? Julie?

Julie (00:39:32): The glory of the recognition that proclaims finally Jesus as savior.

Rick (00:39:38): The recognition that proclaims Jesus as Savior is what can begin. Because what is ending is the self-sacrifice needed to redeem all. Let's look at Isaiah 9:6-7:

Jonathan (00:39:51): "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulders; and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." You know, after reading this prophecy with the titles Jesus is given, many can be confused thinking these titles are for God himself. Well, when the scripture says the Mighty God, the word for "God" here is the Hebrew word "Elohim." Angels are called Elohim; mighty ones. This is saying Jesus is the mightiest of the mighty in heaven under God. He and his bride, the church, from heaven, will be parents to humanity teaching them righteousness in the kingdom.

Rick (00:40:49): And you can wrap that up by the last phrase in that verse, "The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." You've got all of these descriptions of Jesus glorified and it says the zeal of God Almighty performs all of that. So you see that very, very clear distinction. So we've got this being finished, the self-sacrifice being finished and the recognition that proclaims Jesus as savior being the final end result. How do we see new beginnings in this ending?

Jonathan (00:41:19): Jesus willingly laid down his own human will, even though it was perfect, to do the sacrificial work that God had set before him. This was a costly and painful decision and he never once wavered in it.

Julie (00:41:34): Time for a mirror question. Is my determination and focus so pure as to endure whatever hardship may come my way as a result of being called to walk in his footsteps?

Rick (00:41:46): What am I going to do with what I'm seeing? Am I going to be determined? Am I going to take this as inspiration or am I going to look at it and say, well you know what, it's kind of hard. Well yeah, of course it is, but I have to be inspired because I'm a disciple of Christ.

Julie (00:42:04): We've been answering these questions. What was finished? When Jesus said "it is finished," what does that mean? We're touching on just a few of the more emotional aspects of the answer. Jesus completed other aspects that we're not going to talk about for time, like how various Old Testament promises and prophecies were completed, and the age of the Jewish Law was finished. The gospel message would now be sent forth. One had to end for the other to begin.

Rick (00:42:30): What's the next "what was finished?" Go ahead.

Julie (00:42:32): You want to know what was finished. The need for humble silence before his accusers while God's name and plan were being reviled. I'd like to go to Romans 15:3: "For even Christ did not live to please himself; as the scriptures say, The insult of those who insult you, oh God, have fallen on me." That was the fulfillment of Psalm 69:9. Think about this, how Jesus had to have extreme discipline and self-control to not defend himself, but then to stand by as God was being insulted? That's painful. Think about how we feel when God is misrepresented.

Rick (00:43:09): Yeah, and that doesn't even scratch the scratch of the surface to understand what Jesus would've felt. It really. So what was finished? The need for humble silence. Listen to how it describes it. In Isaiah 53:7-8:

Jonathan (00:43:26): "He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that has led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due?"

Rick (00:43:49): He did not open his mouth. How hard would it have been to not speak out for the truth of God's plan? How hard would it have been to absolutely be silent while God is being maligned? Matthew 27:12-14:

Jonathan (00:44:04): "And while he was being accused by the chief priest and elders, he did not answer. Then Pilate said to him, Do you not hear how many things they testify against you? And he did not answer him with regard to even a single charge, so the governor was quite amazed." Well, he was silent exactly like the prophecy said. He acquiesced to the Father's will.

Julie (00:44:28): With one command, he could have had legions of angels just come down and obliterate anyone who disrespected him. What a great self-control to just stand there and take it.

Jonathan (00:44:38): Well, who would not speak up on their own defense? That is lamb-like. The work of the Lamb had to be completed before the future work of the Lion from the tribe of Judah could begin.

Rick (00:44:51): He just did what was necessary, even at his own expense and even at the apparent expense of defending his Father. Apparently he let that go. He didn't, because it was part of the unfolding of all of this. And Jonathan, why was this finished? I know what you're going to say, but I'm asking anyway.

Jonathan (00:45:09): Because of perfect obedience to the Father's perfect plan. Hebrews 5:8-9 says it.

Rick (00:45:16): He became to all those who obey him, the source of eternal salvation. One of the ways he did that was to be silent before his accusers. So we see that this need for humble silence was finished and that gives us the opening for what can now begin. Julie, what is it?

Julie (00:45:34): The glory of every human being hearing his voice.

Rick (00:45:39): Every human being. You've had the humble silence, but this is going to change in a dramatic way. John 5:28-29:

Jonathan (00:45:48): "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in their tombs will hear his voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, and those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment." Jesus is giving even those who accused him the opportunity for life everlasting. Just like Lazarus came forth when he heard the voice of Jesus, all humanity will also be resurrected from their graves. The people who accused him now and even those who never knew him, it is finished. "It Is paid" is a world-changing statement. I paid the price. It is done, it's over.

Rick (00:46:28): And his voice, his voice will be heard by every single human being who ever lived. The glory of every human being hearing his voice. How did he get to that point? By being silent when he needed to be silent. Seeing new beginnings In the ending; what do we have, Jonathan?

Jonathan (00:46:48): Jesus willingly stood silent before those who lied about him. He did not answer those who had the power to release him. While his silence may look like it cost him his life, it actually gave all of the world an opportunity for life. His silence would, by God's grace, give his voice eternal power.

Julie (00:47:10): Am I willing to be silent even when it's justifiable to speak for the sake of appropriately representing Jesus?

Rick (00:47:16): And the point is, for the sake of appropriately rep. Sometimes it is appropriate to be silent. Just ask Jesus. He knows. We have to put these things in perspective. What an incredible example. The further we go with understanding the cost and challenges of Jesus' sacrifice, the greater our appreciation becomes of all that he did.

Jonathan (00:47:41): Jesus endured a bad reputation, being misunderstood, hard self-sacrifice, an amazing resilience in the face of evil. What more could there have been?

Rick (00:47:53): What follows are the results of those hardships. All of these things were contributing factors to the very specific and dramatic end result of Jesus' life. God designed the rescuing of the world to be accomplished through the spectacle of the torment and torture of unrecognized innocence, hanging helplessly on a cross on public display. Let me say that again. God designed the rescuing of the world to be accomplished through the spectacle of the torment and torture of unrecognized innocence, hanging helplessly on a cross on public display. This was so dramatic because it needed to be a lesson for the ages.

Julie (00:48:38): What was finished? The unjust disrespect of misrepresentation, of being labeled as a criminal who stood against the righteousness of God. This is similar to our last "what was finished," which was the need for humble silence before his accusers when God's name and plan were being reviled. But this takes it a step further. Jesus is now shamefully being labeled as a criminal. And that would soon end.

Jonathan (00:49:02): And he would literally be crucified between two actual criminals.

Rick (00:49:07): And so let's go back to Isaiah 53:9-10 and round out or understand this misrepresentation of being labeled as a criminal:

Jonathan (00:49:19): "His grave was assigned with the wicked men, yet he was with a rich man in his death; because he had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in his mouth. But the Lord was pleased to crush him, putting him to grief; if he would render himself as a guilt offering, he will see his offspring, he will prolong his days, and the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in his hands." Let's understand this. Jesus offered himself as a guilt offering or sin offering, but he never sinned. This guilt offering is the same word found in Leviticus 6:6, where the priest offered animal sacrifices for sins.

Rick (00:49:57): So we have the pictures in the Old Testament, Old Testament sacrifices, paint a very detailed picture of what Jesus the man actually came to do. And when he accomplished all of these things as the Lamb of God, each little detail was then finished. And we're breaking down his sacrifice and saying this part was finished, that part was finished, this part was finished. And there and there; Julie, as you said before, there's many, many things we haven't even talked about that were finished. But we're focusing on what it cost Jesus at this point in his human life. So we've got this unjust disrespect of misrepresentation, of being labeled as a criminal. The disrespect of being labeled as a criminal came with mockery. Now mockery is a tool of the ignorant, and it was on full display with Jesus as its focused target. Matthew 27:28-30:

Jonathan (00:50:53): "They stripped him, and put a scarlet robe on him. And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head, and a reed in his right hand; and they knelt down before him and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! They spat on him, and took the reed and began to beat him on the head." How sick is man's injustice to man? Some people are so ignorant. Humanity needs to be saved from themselves.

Rick (00:51:22): They do. And that's why Jesus did what he did, and that's why he could say "it's finished." And when he said "it is finished," that's what was finished. All of that will come to an end. So Jonathan, a question that I don't even know if you think is coming; why was it finished?

Jonathan (00:51:39): Because of perfect obedience to the Father's perfect plan. Hebrews 5:8-9.

Rick (00:51:44): So you'll look at this and again, what we see is the clarity of the profound need for complete obedience. It's the need not for partial obedience, mostly obedience, doing it when it's convenient, but complete obedience in every little aspect. This Isaiah scripture, this prophecy tells us all of these things he had to finish. And we don't normally stop and think about this. It's profound, what his obedience accomplished. So having accomplished it, the question is, what can now begin? Julie?

Julie (00:52:21): The glory of righteous judgments and actions which bring, finally, reconciliation. At this point, everything is made right and all of the suffering is over.

Rick (00:52:32): You have everything made right. Now, it doesn't appear right yet because it is the beginning of all of that. But that's what can now begin. And so you've got the misrepresentation of being labeled a criminal contrasted with the actions which bring righteous reconciliation. 1 Corinthians 15:24-26:

Jonathan (00:52:56): "Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when he has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death."

Rick (00:53:11): So you have a very clear-cut process laid out in this scripture and many other scriptures to show us what ends up happening, putting all enemies under his feet. You've got the glory of righteous judgments and actions which bring reconciliation. Why? Jonathan, you keep telling me; because he was obedient. Let's again, what do we gather, seeing new beginnings In this particular ending.

Jonathan (00:53:38): Jesus willingly accepted being unjustly and outwardly labeled as one who blasphemed God. This brought public shame and ridicule and led to horrifying beatings, scourgings, mockings and crucifixion. He accepted being seen from the outside in this way so he could forever remove the evil that causes such unjust treatment.

Julie (00:54:03): A mirror question is, am I willing to stand for Christ in the face of public ridicule no matter what the cost? And Rick, a quick question. Our previous mirror question was being silent for the sake of Jesus. Here we are supposed to stand for Christ in the sake of Jesus. When's which one?

Rick (00:54:20): That's a really good question. And the answer is, it depends on the context of the experience. Jesus knew when to speak out and he knew when to be silent. Remember he went after the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23; "Woe unto you, scribes and pharisees, hypocrites." He was as vocal as he could possibly be because it was time to be vocal. When he is being prepared for the cross, he went completely silent because that's what it was time for. Now I know I didn't answer the question, but what I'm saying is, by Jesus' example, we can see that we need to perceive when it's important to speak up and when it's important to just let things go. That's a hard one. That's a whole other conversation. That's a really good question. So as we go through all of this, what we want to do is, we want to understand, where do we go from here?

Julie (00:55:10): What was finished?

Rick (00:55:12): Yes.

Julie (00:55:12): The need to experience the anguish and the heaviness of the price of disobedience. Not his own disobedience. But remember, Jesus was taking the place of the sinner. He was the corresponding price or ransom sacrifice. Remember our theme text of John 19:30? After he said "it is finished," he bowed his head. This is in defeat. This was a humble bowing, complete acquiescence to the heavenly Father, as in prayer.

Rick (00:55:38): So the finishing, this final finishing that we're talking about, is the experiencing of the anguish and the heaviness of the price of disobedience. Isaiah 53:11-12:

Jonathan (00:55:52): "As a result of the anguish of his soul, he will see it and be satisfied; by his knowledge the Righteous One, My servant, will justify the many, as he will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will allot him a portion with the great, and he will divide the spoil with the strong (his faithful followers); because he poured out himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors." This is the inheritance with which he and his faithful followers receive. Because of his faithfulness, his faithful followers have a part in helping all the families of the earth. See Genesis 22:18. What a privilege.

Rick (00:56:36): It is a privilege, but that privilege includes this anguish and this heaviness of the price of disobedience. You can't make light of what it cost. That's why we're looking at the life of Jesus and at the cross and honoring the things that he finished and the cost to himself. See, Jesus, knowing what would happen, had through it all an unbreakable confidence in his Father's power and plan. We know that this from John 10:17-18:

Jonathan (00:57:10): "For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from me, but I lay it down on my own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from my Father."

Rick (00:57:26): So you see Jesus, understanding that I am supposed to lay my life down, and after being faithful, I am supposed to take it up again. Why? Because my Father explained that. He instructed me to do that. And by the way, all I ever do is the will of my Father. Because why was it finished, Jonathan? I know you know the answer.

Jonathan (00:57:47): Because of perfect obedience to the Father's perfect plan, Hebrews 5:8-9: "Although he was a son, he learned obedience from the things which he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became to all those who obey him, the source of eternal salvation."

Rick (00:58:03): So we have referenced that same scripture throughout this entire episode. Folks, do you see why? Because it's the obedience that is the core of everything. Perfect obedience to the Father's perfect will in the perfect timing revealed the perfect results, were the perfect payment of sin and all of those other things. And when we see that we've got all of these things happening in the weight of the heartache and the anguish that he had to carry, the question we need to ask ourselves is, okay, that's finished. What can now begin?

Julie (00:58:43): The glory of the results of his worthy sacrifice. I just wanted to read commentary by David Guzik, "Jesus died with the cry of the victor on his lips. This is not a moan of the defeated nor the sigh of patient resignation. It is the triumphant recognition that he has now fully accomplished the work that he came to do."

Jonathan (00:59:06): And in John 19:30, it ends with, "and he gave up his spirit." No one took it from him. This was a voluntary death.

Rick (00:59:15): And that's such an important part of this whole equation. It was voluntary, which means he had a choice, and that is one of the reigning principles in the entire plan of God. Choice is always there and Jesus shows us what the choice of loyalty to God's will and way produces, and it's always something good. It's always another new beginning. And we look at this and we say, this was the work of the Lamb of God. Now let's look at a scripture in Revelation that just absolutely heralds that work of the Lamb of God. Revelation 5:11-13:

Jonathan (00:59:57): "Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing. And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, To him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever."

Rick (01:00:33): All of that because of the worthy Lamb. How was the Lamb made worthy? Through perfect obedience and through a willingness to lay everything down so that we all can benefit from that paying of that price. One final scripture, Jonathan, 1 Corinthians 15:28:

Jonathan (01:00:55): "When all things are subjected to him, then the son himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to him, so that God may be all in all." God will be all in all. Jesus turns the perfect heaven and earth in perfect harmony over to the heavenly Father.

Rick (01:01:13): So when we look at the whole picture, what we see is it all starts with God and it all ends with God, and you have the big mess in between, and that's where Jesus comes into play and he takes the mess and he rights the ship, and then he hands that righted ship, once it's all in perfect order, back to the Father. There is an incredible harmony as God's plan unfolds. We need to really appreciate "It is finished" for all of these things that it means. So one last, seeing new beginnings in this particular ending, Jonathan, what do we have?

Jonathan (01:01:52): Jesus endured the incalculable burden of bearing all of these sinful accusations and actions in his heart. He understood everyone's pain, sorrow, discontent, fear, and trauma, and willingly carry that weight upon his very being. He bore these things so he could eventually remove them forever.

Julie (01:02:13): How willing am I to help others bear their pain and suffering as a footstep follower of Christ?

Rick (01:02:18): Ask yourself the question, am I truly a footstep follower of Christ? Am I willing to in some little way? Now, look, we can't do what Jesus did. We all know that, but am I, in some little way willing to extend myself with that same obedience, with that same loyalty, to be able to put things in perspective as they should be in my own life. As we look at this, this whole experience, again, we go back to the beginning. Jesus paid a debt that he did not owe because humanity owed a debt they could not pay. Through the sheer force of his obedience, loyalty, and honor to God's will he never once faltered. Let us take his gift of redemption and shake off whatever lethargy or challenge or divided focus we may have and run the race set before us. You see, it's now our turn to be faithful. Jesus said, "It is finished." We should say, "Now let it begin with me." Think about it. Folks, we love hearing from our listeners, we welcome your feedback and questions on this episode and other episodes at ChristianQuestions.com. Coming up in our next episode, "Will the World's Pain and Suffering Ever End?" Talk to you next week.

Final Notes (01:03:39): Copyright @2023 Christian Questions. In addition to this transcript, we provide comprehensive CQ Rewind Show Notes for every episode. They include every scripture quoted during the podcast, as well as graphics, illustrations and bonus material. Click the "CQ Rewind Show Notes" button near the audio player or sign up to receive these weekly at ChristianQuestions.com. This transcript was created using artificial intelligence. While we believe it to be accurate, we apologize for any errors that may exist. Be accurate, we apologize for any errors that may exist.