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Representation of Perfection
In His final moments on the cross, Jesus cried out, "It is finished!" This undoubtedly caught the surrounding crowd off guard. Imagine what those who were within earshot would have been thinking at this point. What's finished? What's He talking about?
The phrase "It is finished" is actually one word in the original Greek, teleo. It's used in the New Testament to describe the complete payment of a person's taxes (Matthew 17:24), the completion of Christ's thousand-year reign in the last days (Revelation 20:7), and even the power of love to fulfill the law (James 2:8).
Teleo doesn't simply speak of finishing something. It actually refers to doing something so thoroughly and so perfectly that that there's absolutely no room for improvement. That's the heart behind Christ's cry, and it's the reality represented by the cross.
When God does something, He does it to perfection...especially when it comes to what He did on the cross. Christ's work on the cross isn't 99.9 percent complete, but absolutely and perfectly finished, lacking nothing. Moreover, it cannot be improved upon by anything that we could ever do or imagine. To try and do so would be a denial of Christ's declaration that "It is finished."
All month long, we've seen that the cross is the culmination and completion of so many things. Every major theme in the Bible converges at the cross. But as we wind up our study, may we always remember that the cross is a representation of God's perfection. What took place there is something so complete, so thorough, and so perfect that it can never be added to or improved upon. It's perfect, it's complete, and it is finished!
Christ's work on the cross is absolutely and perfectly finished. We don't need to add a thing to it!
Think about it...
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
In His final moments on the cross, Jesus cried out, "It is finished!" This undoubtedly caught the surrounding crowd off guard. Imagine what those who were within earshot would have been thinking at this point. What's finished? What's He talking about?
The phrase "It is finished" is actually one word in the original Greek, teleo. It's used in the New Testament to describe the complete payment of a person's taxes (Matthew 17:24), the completion of Christ's thousand-year reign in the last days (Revelation 20:7), and even the power of love to fulfill the law (James 2:8).
Teleo doesn't simply speak of finishing something. It actually refers to doing something so thoroughly and so perfectly that that there's absolutely no room for improvement. That's the heart behind Christ's cry, and it's the reality represented by the cross.
When God does something, He does it to perfection...especially when it comes to what He did on the cross. Christ's work on the cross isn't 99.9 percent complete, but absolutely and perfectly finished, lacking nothing. Moreover, it cannot be improved upon by anything that we could ever do or imagine. To try and do so would be a denial of Christ's declaration that "It is finished."
All month long, we've seen that the cross is the culmination and completion of so many things. Every major theme in the Bible converges at the cross. But as we wind up our study, may we always remember that the cross is a representation of God's perfection. What took place there is something so complete, so thorough, and so perfect that it can never be added to or improved upon. It's perfect, it's complete, and it is finished!
Christ's work on the cross is absolutely and perfectly finished. We don't need to add a thing to it!
Think about it...
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
Scripture
About this Plan
Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, founded in 1985, has grown to be one of the largest churches in the country, and now has nine regional campuses in Florida in addition to the main campus in Fort Lauderdale. The church has established and now operates dozens of ministries to answer the needs for foster care, addiction recovery, and discipleship training. The church's mission is simply, "make disciples."
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We would like to thank Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale for providing this daily devotional. For more information about the church and other media resources it provides for personal discipleship, please visit www.calvaryftl.org
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