Now when the sixth hour had come,
there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying,
"Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"
which is translated, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?"
Some of those who stood by, when they heard that, said, "Look, He is calling for Elijah!"
Then someone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine, put it on a reed,
and offered it to Him to drink, saying,
"Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to take Him down."
And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last.
~Mark 15:33-37
So here's the deal. Yes, it is finished! I (and you) no longer have to be bound by the chains of sin! I (and you) no longer have to be separated from the holy God because of a life of sin! I (and you) no longer owe the debt payment of sin, the only payment sufficient enough being death!
For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
For scarcely for a righteous man will one die;
yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us,
in that while we were still sinners,
Christ died for us.
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood,
we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have no received the reconciliation.
~Romans 5:6-11
But it wasn't finished! It wasn't over! A lot can happen in just three days!
As dark and dead as that Friday was, it was only Friday. As hopeless as it seemed and felt and looked, it was a day that would forever transform the course of history and change the life of every single person to ever live from that moment until now and until forever.
It was Friday. Jesus was dead. But it. was. not. hopeless! Hope WAS NOT lost. The same is true today for me and you. No matter what you are going through, it is not hopeless! There IS hope!
You do not have the situation or the circumstance that the Lord Jesus Christ cannot change. You do not have the situation or the circumstance that is too big for the King of kings and Lord of lords. You do not have the sickness that He cannot heal. You do not have the addiction that He cannot break. You do not have the relationship that He cannot restore. You do not have the marriage that He cannot reconcile. You do not have the financial need that He cannot provide for. You do not have the problem for which He does not have the answer. You do not have the sin that is too big and too ugly for Him to forgive!
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,
they eyes of your understanding being enlightened;
that you may know what is the HOPE of His calling,
what are the RICHES of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
and what is the EXCEEDING GREATNESS OF HIS POWER toward us who believe,
according to the working of His mighty power
which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead
and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
far above all principality and power and might and dominion,
and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things . . .
~Ephesians 1:17-22
What's the Friday in your life? What's the big, bad, ugly place that needs the kindness and forgiveness and mercy and grace of the Savior? What's the hurt that needs the healing touch of the Savior? What's the place where it seems there is no hope?
Will you please know today that there is hope! There is HOPE in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ!
I will bless the LORD who has given me counsel;
My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
I have set the LORD always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad,
and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will REST IN HOPE.
For You WILL NOT leave my soul in Sheol,
NOR will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
~Psalm 16:7-11
They might've rolled that stone in front of Jesus' tomb, but there's no stone big enough or rock or pebble or grain of sand that could keep my Jesus in the grave!
It was only Friday.
It was finished.
But the HOPE of Easter had begun.
Sunday's coming.
RESURRECTION DAY!
My prayer is that I (and you) will experience Easter like we never have before.