Follow the Light: Day 19 - The Light that Shines on Good Friday
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“It is finished!”
John 19:30a (NLT)
We call it Good Friday. But for Jesus, in His suffering and death, it would be a very bad day. Three hours of darkness came over the whole land from noon until three in the afternoon. (Mark 15:33) It was unimaginably horrific! From the appearance of things, it looked like Satan had won. Just three years before Jesus said, “For I have come down from heaven not to do My will but to do the will of Him who sent Me.” John 6:38 (NIV2011) Now, from the cross, He declares, “It is finished!” John 19:30 (NLT) But wait, Jesus said “It” is finished, not “I” am finished!
It’s remarkable that no matter how much Satan tried to extinguish His Light, it continued to shine, even from the cross! In an hour when darkness reigned, His light still shined! John records three of the last seven sayings of Jesus on the cross. Only Christ could have the concern of others on His mind and in His heart during such agony. We see both His humanity as the Son of Man on display, and His Deity as the Son of God took our place and paid the penalty for our sin on the cross. His death completed the righteous demand of the law. “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23 (KJV) Because He died in our place we can be reconciled with God.
The phrase “It is finished” is one word in the language of the New Testament. It can be translated as “paid in full.” Jesus came to complete the work of redemption and to buy mankind back from slavery to sin and death. He paid the full penalty for our sins and gave Himself as a ransom for all! With His death, the complex sacrificial system of the Old Covenant would end. In John 1:29, John the Baptist called Jesus, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”
Hallelujah, to the Lamb! That’s why we call it Good Friday! His very bad day translates into a very good day for you and me! Because He suffered and died, we can be forgiven! We can be delivered from darkness and brought into His marvelous light! We can be reconciled to God through His death and saved by His resurrection life! Because of His death we can freely approach a holy God and find mercy instead of judgment! Because He finished the work of redemption on the cross, we can be declared “righteous” – right with God! We escape the penalty we deserve because of our sin when we accept His death in our behalf and trust Him as our Savior from sin! Oh, what a Savior!
Read John 19 thoughtfully, with a grateful heart for all that Jesus did for you and me! When Jesus said, “It is finished!” there was nothing more to do. He completed the work of redemption! Salvation is not a goal to be achieved but a gift to be received. Have you received His free gift of salvation? You don’t have to walk in the darkness of sin, separated from God. Step into the light of His love by simply asking Him to forgive your sin and receive His life today. Then follow the light each day as you remain in His love.
Printed copies of the Follow the Light devotional are available at Follow the Light — Kerry Shook Ministries.