Dear Christian friends:

I. Jesus finished making prophecies happen exactly.

A. Below are Old Testament prophecies about His suffering and death.
1. His betrayal Zechariah 13:7
2. His suffering Isaiah 53:1-13
3. His death Psalm 22:7 & 18

B. By that He proved Himself to be the Christ 1. His suffering and death was no accident. It did not happen only because of the Jews jealousy and hatred or Pilate's cowardice as man think.
2. It happened according to the holy prophets. God planned it! God wanted His Son to suffer and die. Why?
3. Because of us! Our sins, our rebellion. Isaiah 53:4-6. All the Old Testament prophecies happened exactly in the life, suffering and death of Jesus.

II. He finished obeying the law for us.

A. He obeyed it perfectly.
1. His enemies could find no wrong in Him. (John 8:46 "Who of you can prove any sin in Me?")
2. Judas confessed His innocence, "I have betrayed innocent blood." (Matthew 27:4)
3. Pilate judged Him and found no wrong in Him. (John 18:38)
4. Even the devils called Him holy. (Luke 4:34)

B. Through faith in Jesus His perfect righteousness and obedience becomes ours. Jesus' righteousness is the white robe we wear when we stand before God in heaven. "Jesus Thy blood and righteousness, My beauty are my glorious dress." Hymn, "Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness"

III. He finished suffering the punishment of the law.

A. Breakers of God's law must be punished. "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do all the things in the law", "Wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23)

B. Jesus suffered our punishment! Finished it! We are free!

IV. Jesus finished everything God demanded for our salvation.

A. His death was the greatest victory of any in history.
1. Jesus died when He had done everything when He decided, John 10:18, "No man takes My life from Me. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again."

2. His words, "It is finished" is like a great victory song.

Finished! Finished! Finished?
My sins taken away, finished!
I now perfect holy man, finished!
Not need do anything more!
Jesus did it all! Finished!
I now have new life, finished!
I now have heaven, finished!

In the future when you go around and feel depressed and guilty, let Jesus words, "Finished" give you comfort and hope. When you begin to die and realize that still much left to be done, let His words, "Finished!" calm and cheer you.

Because Jesus finished His work, Easter can happen, resurrection is in your future, eternal life is yours.

Now I, too, am finished!

Amen