In John 19:28-30, we find Jesus upon the cross, bloody, exhausted, disconnected from his father, rejected by his friends, and dying. 

“Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture, he said, ‘I am thirsty.’ A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. When Jesus had tasted it, he said, ‘It is finished!’ Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” 

Three little words hold so much weight, “It…is…finished”. As Easter is fast approaching, we must pause and ponder the single greatest expression of love the World has ever and will ever receive. 

Jesus walked this earth as a poor humble carpenter, an authoritative teacher, a miraculous healer, and a sacrificial lamb. 

He left His throne to experience the pain, the suffering, the heartache, and hurting of mankind. A curse that began because of a single rebellious act in a garden. Yet, He also left His throne with a purpose to overcome the pain, the suffering, the heartache, and the hurting to offer hope and a way forward. 

It is in His last words upon the cross that we can find hope that the curse that we walk under can and is defeated. The curse that causes us to hate, to lust, to pursue selfish desires, and to rebel against the one that loves us most intimately, is no longer our default state. Because Christ declared three words, it became finished upon that cross. 

Easter is a beautiful time for us to celebrate that death is no longer our end result. Rather, because of the cross and the empty tomb three days later, we are offered freedom from the curse of our sinful nature. We are offered the eternal, abundant life. We are offered an intimate relationship with God. We are offered to be made a new creation. 

Paul declares in 2 Corinthians 5:17 “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 

That is what three little words mean, the last words of a dying man, the last words of the divine Son of God. Our old self is finished, never do we have to live under the curse again. Never do we have to experience hopelessness. Never do we have to fear death. Never do we have to be separated from our Heavenly father again. No, all we have to do is declare with our mouths and believe in our hearts that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. 

All we have to do is accept that “it is finished.” 

Shaun Courtney is the Pastor of Connection Point Church located at 700 E. Sycamore in Monett. He can be contacted via email at cpcmonett@gmail.com, or by phone at 417-235-3129.