Two skydivers. Both free-falling. Their speed is the same. They both seem to be free. Neither is entangled in chords or restrained by safety wires. They are as free as birds – or so it seems.

Ever since the Fall of Adam, our representative, into disobedience to God our Creator, death looms as the great outcome of sin. Scripture plainly states that the “The wages of sin is DEATH” (Rom.6:23). And this has in mind both a spiritual death and a physical death. Everyone faces death, BUT for those of us that are in Christ do not have to fear death…the second death (Rev. 2:11) or grieve like those that do.

Grieving comes in many forms. In 2020, it’s the loss of normalcy – school, jobs, hopes and expectations, of the familiar, loss of connections and our routine. And sadly, many are grieving the loss of loved ones to death itself.

We grieve and this is okay, this is good. Jesus wept and we should too.

But, in our sorrow we must not forget God’s great promises. Instead, we need to tighten our grip on the truth of Scripture and renew our hope in God’s future grace for us.

How does being “in Christ” delivers us from the fear of death and sets us free to live?

In Paul’s letter to the Philippian believers he writes, For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain”…and like Paul our ultimate goal is that Christ will be honored (that is, Jesus would be exalted and glorified), in our body whether we live or die. (Phil 1:20-21).

Hebrew 2:14-15 teaches us this by saying:

 “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood…”

            The word “children” is taken from the previous verse and refers to the spiritual offspring of Christ, the Messiah. These are also the children of God. In other words, this verse is communicating that God has the salvation of His children in mind when He sends Christ.

“…He Himself likewise partook of the same things [flesh and blood] …”

            The Son of God, Jesus of Nazareth, exists as the eternal Word before He took on flesh and became like humanity. He became fully man and remained fully God.

“…that through death…”

            The reason that Jesus was born was so that He could die. That has always been the plan. From the very beginning when God cursed Adam and Eve for believing the devilish lie instead of the truth, and right before He kicked them out of the garden, God whispered a promise saying…ONE DAY… I will send someone to deal once and for all with the snake. The snake will bruise this mans heal, but this Man will crush the snakes head.

As God, before flesh and blood, Jesus could not die for sinners, but united with humanity He could. His mission was to die, so He was born human. Why?

 “…he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil…”

            In dying, Christ took the sting of death. Christ did so by covering our sins with His blood. This means that the “Great Accuser,” Satan, has no grounds to make accusations against us before God. We are justified. Just-as-if-I-never sinned. And not only that but just-as-if-I-always obeyed. Only God can justify. Accusing us of our own sin is Satan’s ultimate weapon, and Jesus took it and rendered him powerless for those who believe.

“…and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”

            So, those that are in Christ Jesus…that is all those who are relying on Jesus’ perfect life and death as their only hope are free from the fear of death. Free from the fear of condemnation. Our verdict is not guilty and perfectly righteous. Satan cannot overturn God’s decree.

Friends, there is one crucial difference between the two skydivers that I didn’t mention…only one of them has a parachute. Does this change the sense of freedom they enjoy? It sure does. Both are free to fall but only one is free to LIVE. The one is a slave to gravity, which will bring him death in the end. Without faith in Jesus Christ we all are slaves to the fear of death.

Praise God for His Salvation! Look to God’s promises, to His hope…our Lord Jesus Christ. Do not lose heart. Yes, our bodies are wasting away, but our inner self is being renewed day-by-day…as you are surrounded by grief and suffering in this life remember that it is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison (2 Cor. 4:16-18).

We have no fear in death and therefore, we can LIVE!!

I want to point out a wonderful truth in John’s gospel regarding Jesus’ first miracle (John 2:1-11) or to be more specific to John’s words, the first of Jesus’s SIGNS (v.11).  

Why do you suppose that John talks about this miraculous event as a sign?

This is an important distinction for us to understand. A SIGN, as you know, is designed to point beyond itself to something of more significance.

John is saying that Jesus did His miracles not for their own sake but to point the observer and now us, the readers, beyond the miracle to something greater…something of eternal significance.  

The short section in John 2:1-4:54 we find a running theme. The Apostle Paul writes about the same thing in 2 Corinthians 5:17saying, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Jesus turning water into wine, is not about the wine. It’s a SIGN saying that God is replacing the OLD with the NEW, through the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Please take a moment and read John 2:1-11

Rather than unpack the whole story, let me draw your attention instead to one little detail. In verse 6 we see that there were six stone water jars that were used for the Jewish rites of purification (ceremonial washing). Each jar held twenty or thirty gallons. That’s roughly 180 gallons of water.

The wedding guests who came had to go through a purification rite before they could enter. If nothing else, they at least had to wash their hands and feet when they arrived for the wedding feast. Jewish law and custom stated that in order to be clean and in right standing before God you must wash yourself.

When the wine ran out (v.3) and Jesus’ mother came to Him for help, Jesus told the servants to take those stone water jars and do two things: “Fill them up to the brim” and “draw some out and take it to the master of the feast” (v.8)and so they did.

This first miracle highlights the glorious truth that water cannot make you clean only Jesus can!  

Why did John tell us they filled them to the brim?

Jesus instructed the servants to fill the stone jars to the brim meaning nothing could be added to them. Jesus filled all the jars completely with the superior wine He provides.

Nothing could be added to those jars. If something was added then what Jesus provided would spill out.

And just like they couldn’t add anymore to the jars, neither can anything be added to the work of Christ to purify us and make us clean before God.

Friends, we are not justified and forgiven before God our Marker and our Judge because of Jesus’ work plus what we add. We are justified by grace alone through faith in Christ.

The groom had nothing to brag about when the master of the feast praised him for saving the best wine until last (v.10)…he didn’t supply the wine.

God supplied ALL of it!

 And as Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “for by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not of your own doing (your own washing); it is a gift from God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Through Jesus’ sinless life, His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead, He completely satisfied God. There is nothing else you can add, nothing else you need to accomplish in order to be right with God. Jesus filled it to the brim and cried out it is finished!!

If anyone is in Christ…that is if you are trusting and resting in Jesus’ work…then you are a new creation…the old has passed away; behold the new has come (2 Cor. 5:17).

And the disciples believed in him – John 2:11

Can I ask…are you completely relying on Jesus today? Do you trust that He is enough for you? Enough to satisfy God’s righteous anger against your sin? Enough that God delights in who you are?  Do you find yourself trying to DO more (Bible reading, devotions, prayer, serving on committees, etc.) to please God? Are you trusting in your performance instead of Jesus’?

If so, confess this to God and run to Jesus our Lord, renew your trust in Him…He is more than enough (2 Cor. 12:9).

Perhaps the best sermon ever preached only required three words. Simple…easy outline…yet gospel saturated, Christ-exalting, God glorifying and completely earth shattering.

“When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, ‘It is finished,’ and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit – John 19:30

Jesus, the Son of God, exhausted from all the morning trials (first with the Sanhedrin, then Pontus Pilot), being accused and insulted. His body flogged and crowned with thorns as they mocked Him. They beat Him with fists and now bloody and broken and they nailed Him to a Roman cross. After enduring hours on the cross gasping for air Jesus proclaims with one last breath and a loud cry…

It.

Is.

Finished.

…just one word in the Greek…Tetelestai! This is what makes today a GOOD Friday.

Notice that Jesus didn’t say, “it has begun.” He didn’t say, “I did my part, now you do yours.”

He said, Tetelestai…which means, “to bring something to an end, to complete, to accomplish.” It signifies a successful end to a particular action.

This word would have been used by someone who just finished paying off their mortgage…payment is complete…I am no longer in debt.  Or it would be used when a worker reports back to their employer after completing their task, saying, “I am done.”

Do you see the significance in what Jesus is saying??

In His dying breath on the cross, the Creator obediently made Himself nothing, took on the form of a servant and could say one last thing…it could have been anything…and He chose to say:

It —- meaning a perfect and sinless life was lived. A substitutionary death penalty was paid. All to satisfy the wrath of God against the unrighteousness of man. Meaning there is now redemption, forgiveness, justification, peace, reconciliation, adoption, hope and eternal life.  

Is —- That is, present tense. Not later…not when you get your act together, not just when you believe, not when you die or He comes again…BUT right now!!

Finished —- all that was necessary to rescue us is complete. Nothing could be added…mission accomplished. There was nothing left for Jesus to do…nothing that you need to do.

Are you trusting today in the “FINISHED work of Christ?”

As Christians, we love to talk about God’s forgiveness and sing that “Jesus Paid IT ALL” and that our sins are washed whiter than snow and that we are completely and totally justified.

But I wonder do we live in the light of this amazing reality?  How many of us daily live thinking Jesus died for my sins, but now its up to me to keep myself in a right relationship with the Lord?

Friends, let me ask you how many sins did you commit before Jesus died? NONE. When Jesus cried out in a loud voice it is finished, all your sins where future sins.

Jesus died on the cross with assurance knowing that His assignment was completed perfectly and eternally. He died without a single regret. He did not need more time to preach one more sermon, heal one more paralytic or create one more loaf of bread.

He cries out and says my obedience is finished and perfect…and now it’s yours…your forgiveness is based on my obedience not your own. He says my suffering is finished…I have taken all the punishment that is meant for sinners.  I finished removing the wrath of God and I took your place. He said, I have finished crushing the head of the nasty Snake…I defeated death once and for all …so that you may live. I have established the new covenant for you…and I am always faithful to my promises.

And I promise you…It is finished!

Brothers and sisters you can have complete assurance…daily confidence…that your salvation is secure…you can be sure that your personal debt to God the Father was paid by Another…Jesus did what you and I would not and could not do for ourselves.

This is our only hope. The good news is that God’s grace is sufficient for you because Jesus finished His work. He proved this by ascending into heaven and sitting down next to the Father.

Do you trust Him? If not, would you repent and believe in the finished work of Christ?

And if you believe…renew your confidence…and live daily with your mind fixed on tetelestai…IT IS FINISHED!!