Sweet Accomplishment

If you can't hear the voice of God speaking to you through the account of Jesus' crucifixion, you may just not be listening with your heart. Let's go back to the account in John 19. Michele had a great post yesterday on the fact of Jesus caring for his mother in his final moments. Now let's sit in on the end in verses 28 through 30. Read it two or three times. Can you hear him? Why are these sayings so important?

Jesus said, "I am thirsty." (v. 28)

Why did John include this detail? Maybe it was because he had made a point of emphasizing that Jesus was the cure for that gnawing thirst inside each one of us. Jesus had promised to provide "living water" freely to anyone who wants it, and that we would never go thirsty again (see chp. 4). How ironic that he now thirsts himself.

But this is how it had to be. Only in dying could Jesus give us Life. And only in enduring parching thirst could he become the thirst-quencher. Do you see the symbolic significance in the fact that when his side was run through with a spear, along with the blood flowed water (v. 34)?

Jesus said, "It is finished!" (v. 30)

That's no give-up! That's the exclamation of a man who completed what he came to do. It's in the same category as tossing your graduation cap in the air. It's the Cardinals storming the pitcher's mound as they put an exclamation point on the last inning of the World Series. (Well, multiplied by the power of 10.) Jesus had a life mission, and he wrapped it up in his death on the cross to take the punishment for the sins of all who would accept him as their substitute. He checked out of this life knowing that he had completed his life's purpose.

That's how I want to go out, too. Don't you? Because I was put here for a reason, and so were you. I'm still alive today for one reason--because I haven't finished what God has planned for me to accomplish. Hopefully, I won't be done today! But I want to eventually come to the end of my life with the same kind of satisfaction that Jesus had. I want to be able to say with my dying breath, "I have finished what God put me here to do." I haven't left anything undone. I didn't shirk my responsibilities. I didn't close a deaf ear to my mission. I didn't sit around passively observing other people serving God. I accepted my mission. I let God lead me step by step as I did what he put before me to do. I served his cause.

And when that day comes and I face the reality of death and eternity before me, I will have the deep satisfaction and peace of knowing I did what God put me here to do. Those may be the best last words a person could have: "It is finished!"

It would be great to know how this speaks to your heart and life. Share it with me in the Comments section below. And invite your Facebook friends to join this conversation with God. Share this post by clicking the Facebook button ("f") below. Be blessed!