We have followed Him from His grand entrance to the cross as the hosanna's turn to cries and shouts of "crucify Him!" He was betrayed and condemned by the Sanhedrin and they crucified Him between 2 malefactors where He bore the wrath of God where He died both a spiritual death (the atonement for us) and a physical death. Now we look at the crossword He spoke..."It is finished!"

What: He uses the pronoun "IT." His life is close to being over most people would say...but do NOT go this direction. We don't hear defeat here from our Lord, but rather a VICTORY cry! We do not have a man that is a luminary crucified by political corruption...we must see who speaks these words. it is the Victor who speaks these words as He has accomplished that which has eternal roots! An endeavor with zeal that He was about His Father's business. The devil may have rung his hands in glee, but it was Christ's victory! It was a completion of His Father's will in eternal redemption! (And it was in His eternal plan!) Peter speaks and puts these events four squarely in the midst of God's eternal council. Read Galatians 4 and Romans 8. No condemnation in our Lord Jesus Christ and creation that was subjected can and may live in hope as He has determined in His whole council. He accomplished EVERYTHING! He lifted us to glorious liberty!

How: As the Son of God! It could not be done any other way. We were not able to keep the law and He fulfilled it! Christ, assuming our flesh was able to take that law to the depth of hell and fulfill it for you and I! Born of the virgin Mary yet able to sustain the FULL burden of God's wrath against our sin! He drank that His tongue could be loosed to cry this very victory cry!

Our benefit: Understand how intensely PERSONAL these things are! Your and my sin (all of them with eternal consequences) were taken off our shoulders and we were fully forgiven! Read the form for the Lord's Supper once. "That we might be the redemption of God in our Lord Jesus Christ!" A victory cry that He finished it! All of it! That we may know here below that these things in the valley of death can no longer touch us! No condemnation for those in Christ!