Jesus Did All That Was Needed

What Did Jesus Do?

Jesus Did All That Was Needed

“It is finished.”

                                                                        John 19:30

How much that needed to be done did Jesus leave undone?  Nothing.  Trust me, the Lord’s final words upon the cross were not hyperbole!  The Father did not send the Son to get 50% of his plan for redemption and restoration accomplished.  Not 75%.  Not even 99.9%.  The Father sent the Son to do everything necessary for the his will to be done, for righteousness, for the salvation of the world, and when Jesus said the work was finished, it was.  So, then what is there for us to do?  Nothing at all, and much!

Here’s the thing, if we can do all things through him who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13), then there is much that can, and should, be done—in Him!  But, apart from Jesus, what is there for us to do?  Well, nothing.  At least nothing worth doing.  Without Christ all we do amounts to so much vain effort, so much chasing after the wind (see Ecclesiastes Chapter 1).  The very best humanity can accomplish, all our most “righteous” works apart from the Lord, amount to nothing more than a foul and filthy wardrobe (Isaiah 64:6).  In this fallen world, it is, to put as fine a point on it as possible, all or nothing—and Christ is ALL!

Joshua didn’t just challenge the Israelites who had taken possession of the Promised Land, he challenges all of us who have received the promise: Choose daily to live for the Father in and through the Son, or invest the day in, well, nothing. Either we do all things in, through, and for Him (Colossians 3:17), or what we do is nothing,  isn’t worth doing at all.  After three score years I have to confess that most of my life has added up to nothing because so much of what I’ve done has been me, and not Him.  Of course, that’s why the Father sent Jesus in the first place.  None of us could live for Him if He hadn’t died for us!  None of us could live in Him if the Father didn’t send the Spirit of the Risen Christ to live in us!   None of the Father’s will can be done through us, but through Christ we can do all things, even the will of the Father!  How and why can this be?  Because Christ finished his work, he did all that was needed.  Therefore, we can feed the hungry today because in Him—it is finished.  We can house the homeless because in Him—it is finished.  We can visit those who are sick or in prison because in Him—it is finished.  The lost can be saved through our proclamation of the Gospel because in Him—it is finished.

So we should not despair, in Him our work is not in vain.  Yes, doing the will of the Father, righteousness, salvation, these are “mission impossible” for us.  But. what is impossible for us is possible for Him (Luke 19:27).  Which means that, for all who are in Christ, what needs to be done, the will of the Father, righteousness, salvation, is not just possible, it is, and continues to be fact—it is accomplished.  For we are his workmanship (Ephesians 2:10), and, even though it continues on us, and through us, believe it:  His work is finished!

Christ Is All!

Jim

Marion, NC

PS 37.4