The Sixth Word
By Rev. Mark Breese, Community Missions

“It is finished.”

Knowledge of ourselves is hard to come by. There are always these moments where we suddenly realize that we have not been totally honest with ourselves. For most of us, I think we can safely assume that we are a work in progress. And that’s OK.

For Jesus, however, in this moment, this sixth word, that was not the case. It seems that he had come to the knowledge that what he had set out to do those few years ago when he went to see John at the Jordon River, when he set out on the journey that was the purpose of his life… well, he knew that now he had finished the journey. The cost would be his life, but it was concluded, and he knew it.

I suppose that should bring me some kind of joy, but it just makes me feel a bit sad, and to be honest, guilty. You see, Jesus chose to go through all of this for me, for all of us. And it was a choice! He could have walked away. He had the power to choose that. He could have, on that Palm Sunday, instead of sending his disciples into the city to find a donkey for him to ride, he could have said “Go find some backdoor–some way we can just slip in unnoticed.” He could have taken Judas aside and had a little heart to heart with him to see what he was worked up about. He could have answered Pontius Pilate differently. He could have done a runner instead of letting himself get arrested. But he didn’t. And now all those choices were finished. All that remained was to take the last step in being fully human.

That’s the thing. It was not God in some fake human suit. Jesus was totally human. Like you and me. And he chose his path just like we all do each day. Sure the winds of life buffet all of us around, just as they did Jesus. But we choose how we will respond, if we will live with love or in fear. Jesus chose love… for me … for you… for all of us. All those choices were finished. All that remained for Jesus, like for all of us, was to place the rest in the hands of the loving God. The God who would raise Jesus from the grave, conquering sin and death, so that all may have Newness of Life today, and life everlasting. Jesus was finished with his part and trusted God to do the rest. We should do the same.