Wednesday, November 20, 2013

It Is Finished - Part 3

The payment for sin is complete. God shed the blood 'of His own' to accomplish it. One offering was made and it is paid in full. No other offering will be made. No offering can be made.

"...the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood." Acts 20:28c ESV

"Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him" Hebrews 7:25a ESV

I love that little phrase 'to save to the uttermost' in the Greek the phrase is Eis (Strong's G1519) Ho (G3588) Panteles (G3838). 'Bring them to complete perfection' would be a good alternative translation.

When Jesus said 'It is Finished' in John 19:30 he used the word Tetelestai (G5055) which comes from the same root word uttermost comes from that is Telos (G5056). Telos is the end of something. The termination point. The last payment on your car is the Telos payment. The last stoke of a paint brush on a canvas brings it to completion. When something can't go any farther because there is no farther to go it has been brought to it's termination point.

That is what Jesus did. He completed salvation. There is no farther to go. No more needs to be done. No more can ever be done. It is finished.

If are drawn near to God through Jesus our salvation is finished. No more needs to be done. No more can be done.

"For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, 'Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.'... then he added, 'Behold, I have come to do your will.' He does away with the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." - Hebrews 10:1-6, 9-10 ESV

It is a big chunk of scripture... I know... each line has such great meaning.

God took away many sacrifices and replaced them with one sacrifice. He took Israel's many sacrifices and He takes away our many sacrifices. The things we do to assuage our conscience are taken away and replaced by one man giving Himself for us. Jesus made peace with God quickly. God saw the meaning of that sacrifice and the veil in the temple was rent from top to bottom. God opened the access into Holiness almost instantly.

It takes us puny shortsighted beings longer to understand. We are blinded in our traditions and routines. Our self justification is over! Oh, that is good news. Dance, sing and laugh... cry with joy as I am now... It is finished!

"And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." Hebrews 9:21-22 ESV

I like how it says almost everything. Not everything required blood but the sin issue did require it.

"Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." Hebrews 9:25-26 ESV

Not only is this only done once but once done it puts the issue to bed once and for all. Sin is put away. It was put away 2,000 years ago. It was planned before the world began but it was enacted on the cross. The ruling came into full enforcement when Christ's blood was shed in time.

Jesus said this on the cross. We may need to say it again and again. We can take a deep breadth and then exhale saying 'It is finished.' We say it to ourselves... We say it to God as worship and praise. As we say it the tension leaves our brow... stress melts... things fall into perspective... not everything requires blood but the things that do are taken care of... we are free to live now.

We say it to the hopeless person... the condemned person... It is the best news possible for everyone to hear. They may not get it at first. We still don't understand the full ramifications of it. I think it will take all of eternity to grasp it.

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