What "It Is Finished" Means to Me

On Palm Sunday the choir at First Baptist Church Dallas sang "It Is Finished." Through numerous rehearsals and home practice, my musings on those three words, "it is finished," led to these thoughts. If you read them, I welcome your own thoughts of what is finished in your life.

"It is finished!" I am struck by what those words really mean. This monumental statement--perhaps the greatest statement ever made marked the finish of the work of redemption planned from before the creation of the world. This meaning is enough, but I suspect that every person who has come to Christ in humility, asking forgiveness for their own sins knows specific things which are "finished" in their lives. Of course the conclusion of the work of redemption comes next week when the disciples discover, "He is risen!"

For me the things that are finished are these:

• Having a sin debt I cannot pay
• The inability to forgive others
• Having my life guided by the opinions of others
• Isolation and loneliness
• Hopelessness and fear

With each of these comes a forward movement

• The relief of not being required to pay the sin debt I owe
• The peace of forgiveness and freedom to forgive
• Freedom to obey God in the face of contrary opinion
• Access to speak to God about the most profound or trivial matter
• The empowerment that only hope in the resurrection can give me in overcoming sinful behavior and thoughts