John 19:28-30 Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

I came to the United States decades ago and one of the most surprising things to me was that Good Friday was not a national holiday and that Easter seemed to be all about Easter parades and hats and, Easter bunnies, eggs and baskets. This was in stark contrast to my home country where it was the most sacred of all observances. It was about Christ and his crucifixion and resurrection and the redemption or reconciliation with God that it makes possible. In time I came to realize that in fact in this country too these bedrock beliefs are held dear to the hearts of those who practice Christianity in a pluralistic society like none other.

When Jesus was crucified his shed blood satisfied the standard of purity and righteousness which God requires of all men but which none of us can meet. Jesus died in our place. To the believer, this allows access to God through prayer and praise, power to live an abundant life now and eternal life in God’s kingdom after death. The verses above describe the scene at the cross as Jesus took his final breath and tell us that the culminating events were a fulfillment of Scripture written many, many years prior to that day. When Jesus said “It is finished” it meant not only that his purpose in being born was fulfilled but that it was complete in such a way that no human effort can add to it or make it more perfect.  No one can work to earn redemption. You and I are simply called to believe that he is God’s Son who died in our place for every sin you and I ever committed or will commit. God did not take the death of his Son lightly. The Holy Spirit affirms:

“In that hour I broke into human history to display my great love for mankind. In that hour I chose you over my Son. Do you have any idea how excruciating that was for Him and for Me? Thus when I ask my children to fall down and worship Him, I do so because the full price has been paid for your redemption. It is indeed finished! The worship I now desire is total surrender because nothing else is enough.”