[0:00] In Psalm 40 and verse 16 we read, May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you.
[0:25] May those who long for your saving help always say, The Lord is great. Let's take up our hymn books and sing to this great and glorious God, the only true and living God, 137.137.
[0:43] To God be the glory. Let us pray.
[1:07] Father, God our Father, everything that we have, you have given to us. And we are stewards of all that you entrust us with.
[1:19] Please help us by your Holy Spirit and through your word to be good stewards and to use what you entrust to us wisely and in a God-honoring way.
[1:35] Use, Lord, these gifts that have been devoted to your work here in this place and from this place. May those who distribute it be guided by your Holy Spirit so that your honor and glory will be maintained and it may please you to extend your kingdom.
[1:57] Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. We read from God's word in the New Testament and the gospel record of John at chapter 19.
[2:12] We take up the story of our Lord's crucifixion where he is sentenced to death and he has been ordered to be crucified.
[2:29] From verse 17, this is the word of God. Carrying his own cross, Jesus went out to the place of the skull which in Aramaic is called Golgotha.
[2:52] There they crucified him and with him two others, one on each side and Jesus in the middle.
[3:05] Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened it to the cross. It read, Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. Many of the Jews read this sign for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek.
[3:31] The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, do not write the King of the Jews but that this man claimed to be the King of the Jews. Pilate answered, what I have written, I have written.
[3:51] When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining.
[4:02] This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. Let us not tear it, they said to one another.
[4:14] Let us decide by lot who will get it. This happened that the scriptures might be fulfilled that said, they divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.
[4:32] So this is what the soldiers did. Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary, the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
[4:46] When Jesus saw his mother there and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, woman, here is your son.
[5:02] And to the disciple, here is your mother. From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
[5:13] Later, knowing that everything had now been finished and so that the scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, I am thirsty.
[5:29] A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant and lifted it to Jesus' lips. lips.
[5:42] When he had received the drink, Jesus said, it is finished. With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
[5:57] The subject this morning are the three most important words in the whole of the Bible.
[6:19] but not just the three most important words in the whole of the Bible. The three most important words in the whole world.
[6:35] In the whole of creation. The three most important words, they were uttered by the greatest man, and they're the greatest words on the greatest day of all existence.
[6:58] It is finished. The three English words translate just one New Testament word in the original language.
[7:14] And it's fascinating to know how John recorded that cry. He was well versed in Greek, and he wrote that Greek word in order to express the words of Jesus from the cross.
[7:40] Tetelestai. It. is finished. It's an interesting word because it's in a tense in the Greek language for which we have no English equivalent.
[8:03] It's in a Greek word, it's in a Greek tense called the perfect tense. perfect tense. And it's a combination of the aorist tense and the present tense.
[8:16] I'll not go too far with the instruction on grammar, but it is fascinating that God should inspire John to use this word.
[8:32] Perfect tense linking together aorist and present. aorist the aorist is used to describe something that happens in a moment of time.
[8:48] A real event, a real happening in a moment of time. the present tense is used for something that continues.
[9:00] continues. And so in this word we've got a description. It is finished once and for all in a moment.
[9:11] And it's always finished. It's always finished. It's always finished. It's never going to be repeated. It doesn't need to be repeated. It's done. It's a way of God saying to us emphatically what Jesus did there at the cross.
[9:29] That cry describing his whole life and whole ministry that cry is saying everything that is purposed by God in Jesus the Messiah is done.
[9:47] once and for all forever done. Nothing can be added. Nothing can be taken away.
[9:59] It's finished. It's the most powerful statement that's ever been made or ever will be made. Uttered by Jesus moments before he died.
[10:17] that cry from his lips was in his heart there on that cross. But what is finished?
[10:32] His personal service is finished. He's done in his life and ministry everything that God the Father required of him.
[10:43] his personal service it is finished. His prophetic scriptures the prophecies of the old scriptures the old testament bible those prophecies that speak of the coming one that speak of the Messiah that speak of his first coming they're finished they're done.
[11:15] His perfect salvation it's finished it's accomplished it's done. everyone everyone who puts their trust in Jesus can know their sins have been dealt with by Jesus and the perfect solution to all of creation's problems it's finished because creation has been suffering is still suffering on account on account of human offense human sin and wrongdoing God has cursed the whole of creation but not forever it's going to be done away with because of that cry from the cross it is finished.
[12:15] Let's consider these four the end of his personal service the end of the prophetic scriptures the end of the perfect salvation and the end end of that glorious glorious creation all is done all is finished the permanent solution for all our ills there at Calvary his personal service we can imagine that the Lord Jesus would have been able to reflect in those hours upon his whole childhood into adulthood carpenter's son carpenter itinerant preacher healer miracle worker teaching the people showing kindness and mercy and love to those who are suffering driving out demons to those who are possessed by evil spirits this whole work in Psalm 40 there was a prophecy concerning him and in
[13:43] Hebrews 10 the writer to the Hebrews tells us that when Christ came into the world this is what he says and he quotes from Psalm 40 a body you have prepared for me a humanity a body you have prepared for me lo I come to do your will oh God as it is written in the scriptures the volume I come to do your will oh God and if you glance at John's gospel you'll see that one of the favorite things that he keeps on recording the Lord saying I have come down not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me that was his driving force that was a purpose that gave him his momentum and confidence I've come to do the will of God and he was happy about it delighting in it a body you have prepared behold
[14:51] I come to do your will oh God his personal service at an end he's been the one who came to seek and to save that which was lost he's been the one figured in that shepherd who seeks that lost one until he finds it he's come to speak with a Zacchaeus and a Matthew tax collector he's come to deliver zealots fanatics fanatics political characters but to deliver them from their sins and give them a new life he has done it he is personally certain of God's response to his life of service as Messiah he rests content he can now hand himself over to heavenly father and the final words that will come from his lips father into your hands
[16:14] I commend my spirit it is finished it's interesting that when he cries out in great agony why have you forsaken me those words are found at the very beginning of Psalm 22 my God my God why have you forsaken me and the very last words the very last words of that Psalm are that it will be published abroad that he has done it it is done quite fascinating how God reveals truth about his son and beautifully and wonderfully fulfills it the Lord's personal service has come to an end he's done everything that was required of him it is finished the prophetic scriptures the scriptures that prophesied of his first coming they're complete do not come that I came to destroy the law do not think
[17:40] I came to destroy the law or the prophets he said in the great sermon on the mount I did not come to destroy but to fulfill for assuredly I say to you till heaven and earth pass away not one jot or one tittle will by any means pass from the law until it is fulfilled till it all is fulfilled what glorious prophecies right at the very beginning 4,000 years before the death of the Lord Jesus Christ those prophecies began even as the problem arose God had already a solution at hand before there was any question God had the answer and when we human beings in our first forefather and mother when we human beings disobeyed
[18:42] God and brought upon ourselves that which God had warned death God gave a wonderful promise it wasn't the end of the story by any means he wasn't just going to cast every human being henceforth away from him under his perpetual judgment and punishment he made a wonderful promise the seed of Eve who would come and do battle battle with God's great enemy Satan and succeed it would cost him he would be pain bruised in the heel but he would succeed because he would bruise Satan in the head you can live with a bruised heel you can't live with a bruised head not in the way that God is speaking of it there crushed Satan crushed he's the Shiloh promised to Judah from his father's deathbed
[19:48] Shiloh the peacemaker the pacifier Genesis 49 and 10 he's the one who comes as a son of David the descendant of King David 2 Samuel 7 that promise that was given to King David godly King David with all his faults and failings with all his great stumbling still loved by God God promised him that he would be in the ancestral line of Messiah the son a son of David he is the wonderful counselor the mighty God the everlasting father the prince of peace all of those words there in Isaiah 9 6 wonderful counselor the best counselor in the world scripture the word of Christ is not just those that are written in red brothers and sisters not just those bits written in red the whole of his book it's the word of the father to
[20:56] Timothy 3 16 it's the word of the Holy Spirit to Peter 1 it's the word of Christ Colossians 3 16 let the word of Christ the word of God the word of the spirit dwell in you richly that's what we're urged to do wonderful counselor for here is instruction how to live how to live in every area of life to the glory of God wonderful counselor mighty God Hebrew El Gabor strength power the very word itself the words describing the scent and the power of this one who is Christ he's the great prophet like Moses the one who would see God face to face the one who would declare the very word of
[21:58] God and whose words would be a matter of life and death Deuteronomy 18 18 and 19 oh what a wonder he's the one who comes after the order of Melchizedek you'd have to look at Genesis 14 and compare it with Psalm 110 verse 4 and then Hebrews 7 will explain it all the great high priest that's higher than the Levitical priesthood that one who is both king and priest and he's now seated on the throne of God our high priest interceding for his people past present and future the great high priest who's entered into the holiest of all into the very presence of God bearing the sacrifice his own body before God and there are so many wonderful prophecies prophecies of the coming one the Messiah all fulfilled by Jesus of Nazareth and his mission is to be the lamb the lamb of God the lamb of God as it is shown in the Passover of Exodus chapter 12 the one who takes away the sin of the world as John the Baptist knew well
[23:17] Paul is able to say Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us praise God he's the one who opens that fountain spoken of in Zechariah 13 and verse 1 open for sin and uncleanness that's for justification and sanctification that's to declare us right with God and make us right with God purify us so that we are right with God all through Jesus fulfilling the prophecies there at Calvary numbered with transgressors they make his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death have you ever I wondered what Isaiah would think oh what would you think that great and godly prophet God has given him this word numbered with transgressors his grave made with the wicked and with the rich in his death how can that come about well you need to read the account of the suffering and death of the
[24:21] Lord Jesus Christ and it's there revealed in our opening reading in verse 17 it says carrying his own cross if I remember correctly doesn't it in your version he carrying his own cross well it wasn't his own cross literally it is carrying the cross to himself he made it his own it was somebody else's there wasn't time to make one for Jesus that was made for Barabbas Barabbas Bar Abba son of the father whose father was his the devil he was of his father the devil Bar Abbas and Jesus the holy son of heavenly father took that cross and made it his own took it to himself as though he were grasping hold of it and embracing it to himself for this is why he came his whole life had been geared up to this moment to take that cross and have it laid upon him but taking it actively they offer him wine that's doped to try and deaden some of the pain of crucifixion he just tastes it no he refused it numbered with transgressors his grave made yes his body normally like
[26:12] Barabbas would be thrown into the open grave the open grave for nobodies for slaves for foreigners for Christians nobodies thrown into the pit for the dogs and birds his grave was made with the wicked but along comes a disciple of Jesus Joseph now prepared to risk everything his station in life his position in the community everything now he goes to Pilate and he asks for the body of Jesus Joseph Joseph and Nicodemus also comes out oh praise God for these two now they've got courage and they take down that body and you can imagine yes those two godly
[27:13] Christ loving men taking that body with great dignity and care and laying it in a tomb the tomb that Joseph had had cut out for his body and Joseph was rich grave with a wicked rich man in his death God gives us some wonderful promises and fulfills them in remarkable ways David didn't know what it was like to have his hands pierced hands and feet pierced but he was speaking prophetically in Psalm 22 speaking of the crucifixion of Jesus it hadn't been invented in the days of David they hadn't used it in the days of David crucifixion wasn't invented until years and years later by the Phoenicians and then the Romans oh oh how the Romans used it barbaric but David had no knowledge of that he was speaking in the spirit he was speaking words from
[28:21] God directly to his own heart and soul and it goes on and on the prophetic scriptures beautifully and wonderfully fulfilled even when he cries out I thirst Lord Jesus would know that there was a scripture in Psalm 69 which says they've given me sour wine vinegar for my thirst that was the only thing that was left to fulfill in the prophecies concerning his first coming it is finished his personal service his prophetic scriptures his perfect salvation isn't this good news to every one of us who love the Lord Jesus isn't it marvelous to know that when we've come to him and repented of our sins and poured out our hearts in confession and acknowledgement that we're really no good and we don't deserve his kindness and mercy and we plead for him to have kindness and mercy towards us and show us grace and forgive us that it is forgiven that when
[29:38] God says I will remember your sins no more he means it because of Calvary because he has taken our sins and the responsibility of our sins and placed them upon him his own beloved son in a moment of time in a moment of history he's as it were transferred all the responsibility of every vile horrible loss and sin that you and I have committed and all his people have committed throughout all the world and all the generations he's taken the responsibility from us and put it on him and the Lord Jesus wanted him to do it came here for him to do it loved you and me and others many many more loved us so much as to give himself up for us to take responsibility and be treated by
[30:51] God as though he he the altogether pure one the holy one of God as though he had committed personally every one of those horrid vile loathsome sins that's grace amazing grace kindness and benevolence of the living God he bore our sins in his own body on that tree the righteous for the unrighteous to bring us to God oh we like sheep had gone astray we had turned every one to his own way the
[31:52] Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all understanding this is the greatest motivation to godly living that there could possibly be to think of any sins that we commit having contributed to that suffering should keep us away cause us to die die to sin we might live daily to Christ the perfect salvation we can call upon people to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ we can call upon them to repent we can repeat the words of the Lord Jesus come to me you who are heavy laden and I will give you rest you who labour and have laden come he says and I will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn of me if any man thirsts he says let him come to me and drink and out of his hollow out of his koelios out of his emptiness will flow rivers of living water the Holy
[33:10] Spirit is talking about Christians should have such a sense the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit influencing and inspiring that he flows out from us and touches other lives the perfect salvation you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ your salvation is sure certain as far as the east is from the west so far as he removed our transgressions from us he has cast them into the deepest ocean of the sea so says the scriptures and someone said not entirely large heartedly he's also put up a notice no fishing by that he means don't keep confessing sin you go to God once about a sin it's over it's over
[34:18] God can't forget but he promises never to remember and that's just as good personal service is over it is finished his prophetic scriptures of his first coming salvation they're over they're finished they're accomplished the perfect salvation wrought by Jesus it's over it's finished hallelujah praise God and the perpetual solution all creation described in Romans 8 as aching in pain suffering the tsunamis that have been already mentioned in this service the volcanoes the eruptions the tragedies of nature all come about because of God's disapproval with us human beings for our sinfulness it's the curse of God on his beautiful pure holy good creation for when it finished creating before the curse came
[35:32] God's judgment on his whole creation was it is very good but we spoiled it and we keep on spoiling it but it's not going to be like that forever God is going to put everything right one day we don't know when might be soon or it might be a few years we who love God have got to live in the anticipation of it and look for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and saviour Jesus Christ for when he comes it's going to all come to an end a new heaven and new earth in which righteousness dwells what a prospect what a prospect you know we love people and we want people to join us we who know the Lord and love the
[36:32] Lord we have a longing and a desire to share our faith with others that they might come into these blessings with us here and now and then and there when Jesus Christ cried out it is finished it solved everything it's only a matter of time now in the patience of God a matter of time before he brings into effect everything that was accomplished at Calvary his personal service it is finished his prophetic scriptures salvation it is finished the perfect salvation it is finished and the perpetual solution it is finished praise
[37:40] God for Jesus Amen blessing and honor glory and power be to him who sits upon the throne and to the lamb forever Amen the something to the stand and this is t a cause to and Lily and you are using the much the what you want to serve to