When Jesus Christ died on the cross at Calvary, the greatest work that ever took place on this earth was accomplished. This work was so infinite, and above all so very hard, that it weighed heavily upon our Lord, even beforehand.

John 19:28-30 reports, “After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

We could sum up the last words of our Lord, “It is finished” with “It is accomplished” or “It is over.” Let us contemplate on these three related expressions.

It is finished; the work is accomplished! When Jesus Christ died on the cross at Calvary, the greatest work that ever took place on this earth was accomplished. This work was so infinite, and above all so very hard, that it weighed heavily upon our Lord, even beforehand. When He still had the whole path of suffering before Him, He spoke the moving words, “I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will 

I, if it be already kindled? But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished” (Luke 12:49-50). The NIV translates this more clearly as follows, “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed!” 

We should never make the mistake of thinking that it was a small thing for the Son of God to begin this great work of redemption here on earth, or far less to finish it! When He spoke of the grain of wheat that had to die in the earth, He said openly, “Now is my soul troubled” (John 12:27). 

Is it surprising that He spoke such words? Even before the cross, He had to suffer unspeakably. The battle in the Garden of Gethsemane cost our Lord sweat, tears and even drops of blood. Such agony came over Him there that He was literally in fear of death. Think of His conviction and all that they did to Him. He had to endure a terrible Roman flogging, such as some men did not survive. A scarlet robe was put on His bleeding back, and a crown of thorns was placed on His head. This would hardly have been put there gently, but with force, so that the blood ran down His face. They hit Him on the head with a reed, so that the thorns penetrated deeper and deeper. And then came the actual act, the cross.

This cross was so terrible, the darkness so great, the pain so awful, the thirst so unbearable that the heart of the martyred Lamb of God cried to the Father, “But you, O Lord, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me. Deliver my life from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs. Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen” (Psalm 22:19-21, quoting again from the NIV). Psalm 22 is the prophetic p\salm of suffering, which portrays this heartfelt cry of the Lamb of God for us.

It was not that our Lord lost His nerve at any time, however, and wanted to avoid this path of suffering. In John 12:27-28 He declared, “Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name.” Our Lord did not want to avoid this path at any time; on the contrary, He wanted to finish the work! The path of suffering was infinitely hard, but He trod this path to His death on the cross and could say from the bottom of His heart, “It is finished”! Yes, it is finished, once and for all. It cost Him enormously, but He finished the work.

It is finished; the task is completed! With the death of Jesus on the cross at Calvary, the greatest task that was ever given to a person was completed. Our Lord died as the Son of God on the cross, but He suffered the torture of His task as man. For hour after hour He was tormented by terrible pain, in order to complete the greatest task that was ever given to a man on this earth.

He was familiar with this terrible task, however, as the Son of God before the foundation of the world. Who was there before the foundation of the world? God the Father. And who else? None other than His Son, Jesus Christ. Micah says in his proclamation of the Messiah, that His going forth had been from of old, from everlasting (Micah 5:2). The NIV translates this, “Out of you (Bethlehem) will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times,” with a note in the margin that says, “Or from days of eternity.” Our Lord Jesus already existed before the foundation of the world. At that time, a deep love characterized the fellowship of the Father with the Son. In His high-priestly prayer, Jesus said Himself, “Thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24). Before anything was created, the Father and the Son were there, united by a deep love. He who was so loved by His Father was made to be the Lamb of God. Revelation 13:8 says that He was “…slain from the foundation of the world.” 

Here we are confronted with an incredibly great contrast: on the one hand, the Father loves His Son above all else. But on the other hand, it is this very Son who is chosen to be the sacrificial Lamb of God. Does a father show his love for his son in this way? Something else took place, however, before the foundation of the world, which turned the world upside down. This event had a deep connection with the infinitely hard task of Jesus Christ. Paul describes it as follows, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world…having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ…” (Ephesians 1:3-5). Before the foundation of the world, God the Father decided, in His unfathomable love, that we human beings should also become His children. In order for this to take place, however, somebody had to complete an unspeakably hard task: atonement had to take place for the sins which we human beings would commit.

Without atonement, we could never have called God “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15). We could never have accomplished this task ourselves, for to a holy God, atoning for sin means death. In this way, we would never have become children of God because we would have died for our sins. So somebody had to atone for our sins who Himself was sinless, and therefore did not have to be punished for His own sins. And there was only One in heaven and earth who fulfilled this condition: the beloved, begotten Son of the Father, Jesus Christ.

No wonder Peter exclaimed in joy, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you” (1 Peter 1:18-20).

Before the foundation of the world, the Father loved His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Before the foundation of the world, we were also chosen, however, to become children of God. The kingdom of the Father was prepared for us as an inheritance. And before the foundation of the world, the beloved, only-begotten Son of the Father was chosen to complete the hardest task of all time: to die as the Lamb of God on the cross of Calvary—for us!

We can only stand in awe and amazement before such a plan of salvation! How did our Lord and Savior react when He was entrusted with this task, a task which would cost Him His life in such a terrible way? His reaction was almost incredible, “Then said I, Lo, 
I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:7-8). “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work” (John 4:34). “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me” (John 6:38). How tremendous it is that the beloved Son of the Father showed such willingness to become the Lamb of God! Jesus Christ died on Calvary’s cross, and thus completed the hardest task of all time. And today, we may all rejoice and testify, the task is completed; it is finished!

It is finished; the battle is over! The work is accomplished, the task is completed, and the battle of the Lamb of God is over, once and for all! What must that have meant to our Lord, when He was able to say the victorious words, “It is finished!”? What must it have meant to Him when His long and painful path of suffering came to an end and the battle was over? We can never fathom this with our finite understanding, but the triumph in heaven was doubtless immeasurable when the Lamb of God conquered death at Calvary. Jesus Christ Himself declared that there would be rejoicing “…in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth” (Luke 15:10). How much greater must the rejoicing have been in heaven, when the slain Lamb of God returned as the victorious hero of Calvary!

We read of this triumph in the new song which the twenty-four elders sing to the praise of the Lamb of God in Revelation 5:9, “Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.”

What was the triumph of our Lord? What is the triumph of His victory? Revelation 5:9 together with verse 10 gives us the answer, “Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” The great triumph of our Lord, that which makes Him so glorious, so great and so incomparable, is us human beings. We are His triumph!

More than this, however, we are also His reward, the reward for his unspeakable pain, “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities” (Isaiah 53:11). Because He travailed, He will be satisfied. He will see many people justified who have received eternal life through His death. Yes, the battle is over, the Lamb has overcome, and His reward will be great.

Do you belong to those whom the Lamb of God bought with His blood? Are you a part of the reward that the Lord will receive for His unspeakable suffering? Does His death mean life for you? Please understand what took place there at Calvary: Christ died for you, for you personally. He died for you because the Father in heaven loves you so much (John 3:16).

Have you already come to Jesus with your whole burden of sin? When Jesus spoke the words, “It is finished!” a worldwide amnesty was declared. From this moment on, every person, however sinful, however wicked they may be, can come to Jesus to receive from Him the assurance, “Pardoned—forever and ever!” These three last words of Jesus on the cross are able to turn poor, lost and erring sinners into happy people. Are you saved for time and eternity through these three glorious words, “It is finished!”?

Can you testify that these three words have totally turned your life around and changed it? When Jesus spoke those three words, His battle was over. Your battle, which you have been fighting for so many years, can also be over. You can find peace in the words, “It is finished!” Because He suffered, bled and fought for you, you may come into peace for all eternity. The work is ended, the task is accomplished, the battle is over. Heaven is open to every one of us!  

(MR0411/488)