And this is life eternal, that they might know
Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ,
whom Thou has sent. I have glorified Thee
on the earth: I have finished the work which
Thou gavest Me to do. and now, O Father,
glorify thou Me with Thine own self with
the glory which I had with thee
before the world was.
John 17:3-5
Yesterday's blog was all about thankfulness and here is more: "It is finished!" There is nothing more to be done. The work that Jesus was sent to do was now completed. When was it completed? Was it to wait until the cross? Partly, but this is not what Jesus said in His prayer to His Father. The Greek word translated "finished" or "completed" is aorist, active, first person and means that at some time in the past all was completed. Jesus had yet to be crucified. It was active that it was not only completed in time but active and applied in the present and in the future. This word of Jesus sent to earth by the Father was a done deal as it was already considered as a done work. Jesus came to earth to reveal that God was true to His word and that He would send the One that would bring to end sin. The death of Jesus on the cross was the final blow, so to speak, the ax that cut through sin. The death of Jesus was the end to sin, a death of death, and was the very purpose of God to send His Son Jesus Christ to earth.
Is the to say that Jesus was a martyr? In the way we use the word "martyr" in our English is no! As the Greek understood the word "martyr" yes! The word "martyr" in Greek is to be a witness so the answer is yes! Jesus was not a "martyr" as we know the word for Jesus died even though He had all the power to stop this from happening, He could have prevented it: "Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He shall presently give Me more than twelve legions of angels? but how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be" (Matthew 26:52-54)?
Are you building your salvation, your forgiveness on the fact that God will save you because He loves you? If you are then the work of Jesus to come to earth, to die on the cross was unnecessary and even the redemption is much to do about nothing. So how does and can God forgive sin? The only way this is possible because of the death of Jesus Christ. God can forgive men in no other way, and then for Jesus to be exalted after His death back to the place of honor, to be the Savior of men, and be at the right hand of God the Father. The Word of God became flesh, and now the Word of God now returns to be with God forever making intercession for all who believe upon His name. The word of God is not another god, nor another angel, it is God Who is the One that came to earth, and it is God who saves and redeems, and it is only God that can ensure that salvation is done, is complete, is eternal. Jesus is no longer mere man, for He is now even more: He is Savior and Redeemer a work that was completed in time and continues forever: "It is finished!"
To think of this in any other way is to obliterate the holiness of God due to a false view of the love of God, and is untrue to the revelation of God given to us by Jesus Christ. Do not allow yourself any thought that Jesus is with us against God, out of pity and compassion for us: Did He not become a curse for us? Yes! But not by pity, rather by Divine decree. What are we to do? We are realize the meaning of all this, this terrific meaning of the curse is our realization and conviction of our sinfulness and are in need of a Savior. We are given a gift of faith, Authentic Christian Faith, but more: we are given shame and penitence and can fall on the mercy of God knowing that God hates sin so much that He came, Jesus Christ, the Word of God, came to earth and went to Calvary. Can you not see God's hatred of sin?
"It is finished!" Oh! We have so much to be thankful for that God would hate sin so much, and by His hatred bring death to sin, and by death to sin, we can receive the free gift of faith so that we can come to the One whom He sent to die for sin and then to make intercession for us, for all who come to Him and repent, and receive the Holy Spirit a seal to you that can never be broken.
Thankfulness!
Thou hast turned for me my mourning
into dancing: Thou hast put off my
sackcloth, and girded me with gladness:
To the end that my glory may sing
praise to Thee, and not be silent,
O LORD my God, I will give thanks
unto Thee for ever.
Psalm 30:11-12
Sing, shout, dance: be thankful to God
Richard L. Crumb
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