Tag: finished
Truly the Son of God
Scripture reading for February 5th: Mark 15
Key Scriptures: Mark 15:34-39 “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” Which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, He is calling Elijah.” And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to Him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take Him down.” And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed His last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing Him saw that in this way he breathed His last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God.””
As Mark concluded the story of Jesus’ crucifixion and suffering on the cross, he includes one of the last prayers of Jesus. It is a question for God the Father. Jesus asks the Father why He has left Him alone. Bystanders thought Jesus might have been calling for Elijah to come take Him down. Another ran and gave Jesus a sedative in a sponge filled with sour wine. At three in the afternoon on Friday before the Sabbath, Jesus cried out His last cry in a loud voice. “It is finished!” was recorded by another Gospel writer. As the tough Roman Centurion watched Jesus and heard His last words, he came to an amazing revelation of truth. “Truly this man was the Son of God.” He is near to saving faith!
Psalm 22:1 “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are You so far from saving me, from the words of my groanings?”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for suffering shame, torture, and death and the feeling of separation from God on my behalf. Truly, You are the Son of God Who finished the work needed for the salvation of all who will believe.
John 19:30 “When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished,” and He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”
“It is finished”
Scripture reading for November 17th: Daniel 7-9; Psalm 91; John 19
Key Scriptures: John 19:25-30 “So the soldiers did these things, but standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to His mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished,” and He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”
Jesus was alert and in command, even from the cross. He was aware of Scripture being fulfilled as the soldiers gambled for His garment and as He called out, “I thirst.” He was aware of His mother and honored her by assigning the disciple He loved, John, to care for His mother as if she were his mother. As He drank the sour wine, He knew that in this bitter cup all had been completed to purchase mankind’s salvation from sin and death. He cried out, “It is finished” and gave up His spirit as His final sacrifice, tasting death for all. What a beloved Savior we have!
Psalm 91:14-15 “”Because he holds fast to Me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows My Name. When he calls to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.””
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for Your faithfulness to fulfill Scripture and fully finish the work necessary for my salvation and that of the world. I will hold fast to You in love, trusting You to be with me and protect me and bring me into Your everlasting kingdom.
Daniel 7:13-14 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came One like a Son of Man, and He came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him; His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall never pass away and His kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”