Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• Quote from Phillip Yancy and Cisero
• Yet we celebrate Good Friday
• Maybe it was once known as God’s Friday
  • Yet it is a good Friday!!
  • Why?
• Looking at what Jesus accomplished – from one of Jesus’ sayings "It is finished" (v30)

"It"

• Examples
  • Something we have done
  • Something done to us
• Something Jesus did and something done to Him
• He did not say "I am finished"
• He said "It is finished"
  • He had fulfilled Old Testament prophecy (v28)
  • The Old Testament is full of promises and grand statements about Jesus
    • Isa 53/Ps 22
  • Jesus lived His life conscious about God’s word (John 1:1-3, 5:36-39, 4:34)
  • He performed many miracles – yet these were of a minor nature compared to His work on the cross
  • John 18
• It – thinking of all the Old Testament but also the work He had to do
• Jesus is utterly unique

"Is Finished"

• Example of learning foreign languages
  • Present/imperfect, future/conditional tenses, perfect/past tense
• Not "was" finishing, "is" finished, "may" finish
  • But it "is" finished
  • Only said on the cross
• A perfect tense – completed action
• He cried out – satisfied that it was done
  • We know when a task is completed – examples
  • Not a cry of defeat
• Jesus says "it is finished"
  • There was physical suffering
  • There was unseen spiritual suffering
    • Evidenced by that lack of sun shining for 3 hours
    • The Roman Centurion declares Jesus was the Son of God
    • He fully drunk the cup of wrath
  • Then He cried "it is finished"
  • Quote from ‘Song Alas and did my Saviour died’

Closing Remarks

• We could never deal with our sins
• Jesus has finished His work to deal with our sins
  • There is nothing we can add
  • Whatever we try – we will fail
  • The price is too great for us to pay
• Justice has been satisfied
• Mercy has been showed
• Sinners can be saved
• The invitation is for you to accept
  • Will you confess Jesus as your King
  • He has shown the depths of His love for us – He died for us whilst we were still sinners
• The cross speaks of Jesus’ character – examples
• What have we accomplished?
• What can we accomplish without Jesus
  • With Him we have everything
  • Without Him we have nothing
• What is you hope in life and death?