Over And Out

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.

Mission accomplished.
Jesus had come to earth to model for us what a life directed by God's Holy Spirit would look like. But the main emphasis of His coming was to be a sacrifice. From the manger in Bethlehem at His birth, all the way to the hill outside the walls of Jerusalem the cross cast a long shadow over His life. 

Now here in John 19:30 He proclaims that His earthly mission has been completed. It is finished. What is finished?
Well, for starters, Jesus' death opened the way for sinful man to have relationship with a Holy God. Jesus became the bridge between us and God.
But more than that.....
The penalty for sin had been dealt with once and for all time.
No longer were people born under the shadow of a life of darkness.
No longer were we condemned to march through life all the way to the grave with no hope or way out.
The payment for sin had been made, in God's eyes, once and for all time.

The past would no longer haunt us.
Our past deeds would no longer define us.
IT IS FINISHED!
The power of sin had been broken.
The penalty of sin had been paid for.
And the presence of sin had an enemy in the blood of Jesus that would wash away ever stain sin had created in the life of an individual.

What does it take to be brought under the effects that Jesus' blood has on sin?
First off, listen, with your heart, for God's urging for a change in your life.
This is more than just doing right or acting right.
This is a giving of your will and your life over to His care.
A kind of "Step #5" if you will as you confess your sin to Him.
Then a verbal acknowledgment that you don't have all the answers to what lies ahead, but you are willing to let Jesus be Lord of your life. Your confession and acceptance of this sin-blasting life He is giving you puts Him in the place of being Savior of your life.
Now your daily following of His directions will make Him Lord over your life.
Oh yeah...
One last thing...
With the prayer to receive Jesus' work into your life, He does something really cool.
He fills you up with the Holy Spirit.
I can't explain how all of this works. I just know that in my own life things changed once the Holy Spirit was introduced into me.
Is that cool or what?
Now....
Go do more than exist.
Live!
Why?
Because Jesus has declared your old life to be over and done.
After all, didn't He say "It is Finished" ?

God on you.
mb