Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 302

October 28;   John 19:30;   87/260(II);   ‘It Is Finished’

John 19:30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

 These are the last recorded words of the Lord Jesus, before He died physically.  Notice what this verse says. ‘Jesus gave up His spirit.’  No one could take His life, He freely gave it for us.  Jesus did not give up His spirit, until everything He had to do concerning our salvation and well being was accomplished.  On the cross, Jesus took upon Himself our sins and our sicknesses.  He redeemed us from the curse, by becoming the curse for us (Galatians 3:13).  Poverty, sickness and spiritual death were all part of the curse Adam brought upon this world, when Adam disobeyed the Lord.  Additionally, the Lord Jesus was our Example of how to live a victorious life on this earth.  Jesus was empowered by the Holy Spirit, when the Holy Spirit came upon Him, when Jesus was water baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist.  Teaching, preaching, healing, miracles, signs and wonders were all part of what He did on a daily basis.  Jesus told us that He sends us to minister just as the Father sent Him (John 17:18).  Think of that, we have been commissioned by our Lord to live the most exciting and rewarding life anyone could ever have.  When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, He, by the Holy Spirit puts His love and the fruit of the Spirit into our spirit.  That means we have the character and ability to love others and care about them just as He did.  Jesus also tells us to be baptized in the Holy Spirit so that the Holy Spirit empowers us just as He did the Lord.  As Jesus said from the cross ‘it is finished,’ but in reality, His ministry was about to begin in us.  ‘It has started.’