It Is Finished

 Check out this simple truth.  

We just completed our in-depth study on the Ten Commandments. New Year, new you. What do you want to talk about? How about, since we are in basic mode, why do we not discuss what makes “Christianity” different from ANY other religion out there?

That is what we will be talking about today. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, Lord God, we come before you at the start of the new year, with the desire to grow in faith and to learn your Ways and Will for our lives. We ask for eyes to see, ears to hear, and a spirit to receive the Truth according to God. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

Yes Jesus. It is not just Jesus being here. Many religions recognize the man Jesus. Many hold Him to be a great teacher, prophet, and so on. But His entire life is read out before us in Isaiah 53. I encourage you to read the whole chapter when you can. We are going to focus today on 5-9

“But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”

Now you see where we are going with this?

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.”

We may have to revisit the whole chapter soon. You can read things like this and think that he was simply recording the events around Jesus. Yet, this is some 700 years before Jesus was ever born.

“By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.”

We will do a message about Isaiah 53. This way, you can clearly see where it all lines up. For today, we are discussing Jesus’s death on the cross, rather, what happened after. All these predictions, or prophecies, about Jesus and His death are coming true as they do the things prophesied about them.

Now, we see Him on the Cross. Naked, beaten, bloody, barely recognizable. All those who claimed to love Him? “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way;” They left Him. Out of fear, they ran away, stood afar off, and denied knowledge of their friendship with Him.

Remember this in the Psalms?

“To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?”

What about this is Psalm 22:6-8?

“But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; "He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!" Psalm 22:1

Again, this is NOT depicting the scene we are looking at. Well, it is, but at the time. Remember, the Psalms of David were written hundreds of years prior.

“And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots.” Matthew 27:35

This is Jesus hanging on the Cross.

“And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross." So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, "He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.” Matthew 27:39-42

Divided His clothes, mocked Him, and then.

“And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?' that is, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, ‘This man is calling Elijah.’ And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. ... And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.” Matthew 27:46-48, 50

In John, we read this.

“When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, 'It is finished,' and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” John 19:30

Remember, no one took our Lord’s life.

“For this reason, the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father." John 10:17-18

Therein lies the difference. Muhammad, Buddha, Confucius, and all the rest were born to human parents. You know, through sex and sin. Muhammad, Buddha, Confucius, and all the rest lived, learned, and died. It is only Jesus who came back. Only Jesus, who is still alive.

“When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” Revelations 1:17-18

If whatever church, religion, or person, whatever they tell you, does not include Jesus as the resurrected one. The LORD of Lords, the King of kings. The Way, Truth, and the Life, you are in the wrong religion, church, and the people talking to you are incorrect. Lying, or otherwise.

It really is simple.

“And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” 1 John 5:11-12

With Jesus. With Yeshua, with God, you find the truth. Without Jesus, without Yeshua, you cannot get to God. Again, how do you get to God if you leave God out? How do you understand who Jesus, God, or anything else is? Without reading The Word. The Bible. You cannot. It is not possible. Therefore, if what your religion, church, and person are telling you does not line up with, or goes contrary to this, {Holding up the Bible}, you are in the wrong religion, church, and the people talking to you are incorrect. Lying, or otherwise.

God never wanted nor does He want any misunderstandings. That is why He gave us the Commandments. This is why He sent prophets. That is why He wrote us this love letter {Holding up the Bible}, and this is why Jesus had to come and die for us.

There is no other way. There are no loopholes. Jesus or nothing. God and Life, or sin and death. It really is just that simple. Now, as we go into the new year, we will get deeper in the Word. We will grow in faith and wisdom. We will get closer to God. We will break the lies of the devil along the way.

“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” Jude 1:24-25