"It Is Finished !" - Inspirational Weekend

Resurrection Day is this coming Sunday, as all Christians know.  They will hear sermons and Scriptures concerning Jesus' resurrection from the dead.  He suffered a cruel and painful death; but He did it out of love for us - us undeserving humans that can be so stubborn and self-willed.  Oh how He loves us !!  We should thank Him everyday for His sacrifice because we who believe in Him will have everlasting life !  

For believers, therefore, death is not the end, but the beginning.  The beginning of life in eternity with our blessed Lord Jesus Christ; and in a new resurrected body.  

"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:  And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.  Believest thou this?"   -  John 11:25-26

We have all sinned and deserve death, God's punishment.  ( Romans 3:23).  But God in His great love and mercy, sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins; to die in our place, taking the punishment that we deserved, so that those who believe in Him and in His resurrection may have eternal life. (Romans 10:9,10,13).  

Charles Spurgeon has said, "This love of Christ is indeed measureless and fathomless; none can attain unto it" ......"Herein is love! and truly it is love that "passeth knowledge".  O let this love fill our hearts with adoring gratitude, and lead us to practical manifestations of its power."

Jesus' resurrection is the foundation of the Christian faith.  I urge you to read 1 Corinthians chapter 15.  Also study Isaiah 53 which prophesied about Jesus, and was written during the prophet Isaiah's  later years and he lived till around 681 BC. 

"When Jesus therefore had received  the vinegar, He said, "It is finished": and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost."     -  John 19:30

John is the only Gospel that mentions that Jesus said this.  It is no doubt the cry mentioned at Matthew 27:50 and Mark 15:37.  

The fact that Jesus said "it is finished" signifies several things:

(1)  The work of man's redemption was completed.

(2)  Every obstacle was removed, symbolized by the tearing of the veil.

(3)  The way of mercy was opened.

(4)  Jesus had met man's desperate need as a transgressor.

(5)  He had satisfied the law's demand in God's government.

(6)  He had answered every Scriptural type with an antitype. 

(7)  He had fulfilled every ancient prophecy concerning Himself.

(8)  Thus, in one word, Christ exhaustively discharged that entire 

       former dispensation in a new one.

Christ triumphed over the devil and his cohorts (evil angels) and must have sent unimaginable alarm into hades itself.  (Colossians 2:15).

In ancient times, telelestai  (finished) would be written across invoices to indicate "paid in full".  It is the same word used in John 19:28.  All was finished. Jesus had given His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).  God's will had been done.  The means of the world's salvation had now been provided.

How could we ever become self-important and self-righteous, knowing that we, as sinners, deserve death and punishment except for the love and mercy of the Lord,   We should be very humbled and very grateful for all Jesus did for us, by dying in our place.

Let us sing praises to Him, and in true gratitude worship Him as our Master and Savior !

Following is a worship song you are probably familiar with:

"For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many."   -  Mark 10:45

"And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple."          -         Luke 14:27

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."   -  John 3:3

"For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved."    -  John 3:17

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:  no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."  -  John 14:6

If you are not a believer in Jesus Christ, I urge you to make the choice today to repent of your sins, and pray to the Lord for forgiveness.  Believe with all your being that Jesus is the Savior, and that He is waiting to pardon you if you will turn to Him in faith and repentance.  

Jesus loves you !!   

Choose Him !  Choose Life Eternal !

Romans 10:9,10,13 tells us: (9)  "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

"The Power And The Hope - Resurrection Sunday" - Inspirational Weekend

There is no greater story than that of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection 2000 years ago.  He died to pay the penalty for our sins so that we are redeemed by His shed blood at Calvary; and His resurrection gives us the assurance that we too will be resurrected to life for eternity with Him if we believe in Jesus as our Savior and believe in His resurrection (Romans 10:9-10,13).   

"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.  Believest thou this?"                     -  John 11:25-26

What a wonderful hope!  Christians are familiar with the Scriptures I will quote here and will hear a sermon this Sunday on the resurrection.   This post is also to give lost sinners who may be reading a reason to hope, a reason to live, and a purpose to their lives.   Without faith in Jesus and in the resurrection, things are hopeless for lost souls.   Without Jesus, a dark judgment awaits sinners.  We all have sinned (Romans 3:23) and deserve punishment.  But Jesus.  Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sins (Romans 5:8).  If we repent and confess our sins and live godly lives and put our faith in Christ, there is hope and a sure reason to look forward to being forever with the Lord.

Someone has said, "When Jesus Christ shed His blood on the cross, it was not the blood of a martyr, or the blood of one man for another;  it was the life of God poured out to redeem the world."

When you think about it, Christ's resurrection should be celebrated every day.   Without the resurrection of Jesus, there would be no Christianity!  The resurrection gives life to every other area of the gospel truth.   

Be careful that it is not just head knowledge speaking when you say you believe that Jesus rose from the dead; you need to make sure it is coming from the depths of your heart, a true conviction of the reality of the resurrection.   Remember, God looks on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

How grateful we should be, and how we should thank and praise the Lord for the gift of eternal life, and for a Savior who died so that we may live.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."      -  1 Peter 1:3

"Every single shred of evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ is also evidence for my eventual resurrection."  -  Lee Strobel

Following is a beautiful resurrection hymn:

I pray your focus this Resurrection Sunday is on Jesus and His great love for you and how His rising from the dead shows the hope He gives for all true believers.  (John 3:16)

"But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."  -  Romans 5:8

"That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death; if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead."  -  Philippians 3:10-11

"Resurrection Sunday" - Inspirational Weekend

This weekend, as you know, Christians will be celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.   But not everyone, some Christians included, completely understand the complete meaning behind Jesus' death and resurrection.  

When I was very young, before I became a teenager, it was a time to dress up, wear a hat, and put on your best gloves.   Yes, we used to wear gloves ages ago when I was young.   My family didn't attend church with me, except for a cousin who was a couple of years older than I, but she sat with her friends and not with me.  I learned a bit in Sunday School about this time of Jesus' resurrection and also from the pastor's sermons.   But I was an adult before it all reached my heart and soul and I understood the enormity  of the sacrifice of Jesus' shed blood on my behalf while He was on the cross.  

I prefer to call this Resurrection Sunday because the term "Easter" is of pagan origin; it was an ancient festival of Ishtar (pronounced "Easter")   and this festival celebrated reproduction or fertility, with the symbols of the rabbit and of eggs. The Christian church adopted some of those symbols, which is tragic.  For instance, Easter egg hunts are held on church property.  You can Google for more information on this subject, as I wish to dwell on the Resurrection here.   

Some people want to make a big deal as to whether Jesus was crucified on a Wednesday or a Thursday instead of the commonly accepted Friday.   They claim there were other Sabbath days observed  that did not fall on a Saturday , which is very true.   Here is a  link  http://www.gotquestions.org/three-days.html  which explains each viewpoint as to the day.

The point is not all these above mentioned issues, but the wonderful good news that Jesus died to take the punishment we sinners deserve.  Putting our faith and trust in Him means we may gain eternal life; and since He arose from the dead, we too will be resurrected if we die before the Rapture of the Church occurs.   We should be filled with wonder and awe when we consider Jesus' resurrection, and the great love which He displayed in dying in our place.   His sacrifice enables us to be forgiven of our sins, and to live a godly life in obedience to the Almighty God.   

"Jesus answered and said unto him,Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God"      -   John 3:3

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  -  John 3:16

Think about it, no other religious leader or any other religion  is able to claim a risen Savior.   The disciples saw and communicated with the risen Christ; they were convinced He was resurrected and that He was the prophesied Messiah; so much so that they were willing to be beaten, to be put in prison, and to suffer a martyr's death because of their bold preaching and their strong faith.   

Christians today need to be so bold; we need to live our lives as if we truly believe He is risen and thereby live godly lives and not compromise with the world and its soon to disappear lusts and desires.   1 John 2:15-17.

Below is a lovely hymn about the risen Christ:

"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.  Believest thou this?  

-   John 11:25-26