The Old Testament system was CONSTANT and TEMPORARY and WEAK

• Constant animal sacrifice (Leviticus 16)

• Priests constantly serving to be the mediator between God and the people

JESUS’ death on the cross was ONCE FOR ALL and FINAL and PERFECT

Three passages that illustrate these glorious truths

• Hebrews 7: 26-28: “For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. 28 For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

• Hebrews 10:11-14: And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
  

• John 19:28-30: 28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

  • Tetelestai (debt paid in full)

    • Roman prisoners – list of debts nailed to the prisoners’ door

    • Judge would write “Tetelestai” on the certificate of debt

    • Prisoner was forever free from those debts
      

• When Jesus cried "TETELESTAI" on the cross, He was saying that anyone who places his trust in His sacrificial death on their behalf, receives in essence a "certificate of debt" with the inscription of "tetelestai", indicating that all their sins (past, present and future) against God have been paid in full!

• Theologians have often said of this passage that: Christ’s RESURRECTION is the Father’s “AMEN” to His Son's declaration “IT IS FINISHED.” 

Jesus’ death has radical implications on our reality and is the core component to fixing the problem of sin that we’ve been talking about tonight…

• In one instantaneous moment, Jesus accomplished our justification

  • Justification = a legal act of God, that happens in the moment of conversion, in which He declares that our sins are forgiven and Christ’s righteousness is ours

This is also known as the Great Exchange which can be seen summarized in 2 Corinthians 5:21 - “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Religion says DO

The gospel says DONE

The curse of sin on our lives is strong; but the work of Jesus is stronger

The Good News of Good Friday

• We deserved eternal death, but in Christ, we get eternal life

• We deserved eternal separation, but in Christ, we are adopted as sons and daughters

• We deserved to be condemned for our sins, but instead, we received the righteousness of Christ

No one could ever love you more or better than Jesus. 

Jesus is the one who knows the worst about you....nonetheless, He is the One who loves you the most.

How do I know? Look at the cross...His perfect and finished work on the cross proves it.

Church - IT IS FINISHED.