{"id":3012,"date":"2023-04-15T14:11:44","date_gmt":"2023-04-15T12:11:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/salvationarmy.ge\/?p=3012"},"modified":"2023-04-15T14:12:25","modified_gmt":"2023-04-15T12:12:25","slug":"the-generals-2023-easter-message-it-is-finished-john-1930","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/salvationarmy.ge\/en\/2023\/04\/15\/the-generals-2023-easter-message-it-is-finished-john-1930\/","title":{"rendered":"The General\u2019s 2023 Easter Message \u2018It is finished\u2019 (John 19:30)"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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\"\"<\/p>

This Easter comes as Salvation Army leaders from around the world have been called together to elect a new General. The privilege of serving in the role of international leaders is now coming to an end for Commissioner Rosalie and me, and we seek to complete what we had set out to do. Soon we will need to say, \u2018It is finished\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>

So when I reflect on Easter, I am drawn to the words of Jesus on the cross: \u2018It is finished\u2019.\u00a0But how much more profound are those words on Jesus\u2019 lips as recorded in John 19:30. His earthly life and ministry \u2013 the greatest of all human lives and the most far-reaching of all ministries \u2013 was complete.\u00a0<\/p>

It is finished.<\/em><\/p>

But the words \u2018It is finished\u2019 take on yet deeper meaning when we consider that Jesus spoke them in his own language of Aramaic, so the word he used indicates complete submission \u2013 completed\u00a0before<\/em>\u00a0he died. In Christ, God-who-could-not-die voluntarily and completely submitted to becoming human. In so doing he experienced pain, suffering and death itself. Paul echoes this in Philippians 2:5-8 (NRSV<\/em>) when he writes, \u2018Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited,\u00a0but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form,\u00a0he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death \u2013 even death on a cross.\u2019 Jesus clothes himself with our humanity. He understands us. He experienced the extremity of a public execution with all its humiliation.\u00a0His identification\u00a0with us in the human experience \u2013 including pain, suffering and death \u2013 stands completed.\u00a0<\/p>

It is finished.<\/em><\/p>

When John later wrote his Gospel in Greek, he recorded \u2018It is finished\u2019 as the last words of Jesus, using a word from the world of finance meaning \u2018paid in full\u2019. So the evangelist reminds us that, in Jesus\u2019 complete submission, he paid the debt of sin for all humanity. On the cross, our account has been paid in full.\u00a0Paul connects \u2018paid in full\u2019 with no longer counting our sins and the important emphasis of reconciliation through the cross. He describes this in 2 Corinthians 5:19 (NIV<\/em>):\u00a0\u2018God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people\u2019s sins against them\u2026 .\u2019\u00a0Sin is no longer the issue \u2013 the only thing of importance is how we will respond to a Saviour who has paid the account in full.\u00a0<\/p>

It is finished.<\/em><\/p>

At the start of the year, I affirmed the\u00a0\u2018once and for all God\u2019<\/strong>. In Romans 6:10 we read: \u2018The death he died, he died to sin\u00a0once for all<\/em>; but the life he lives, he lives to God.\u2019 God\u2019s provision for us began with a new covenant, commencing with the cross. Once and for all. Paid in full. Hebrews 9:28 reminds us that Christ was sacrificed\u00a0once<\/em>\u00a0to take away the sins of many, including us, while John 1:29 proclaims, \u2018Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world\u2019 (ESV<\/em>). That is my sin, and your sin.<\/p>

It is finished.<\/em><\/p>

In the truth that Christ died once and for all, there is also the truth that he lives, and because he lives, we can live also. This is the essence of the Easter message. No matter what comes, the truth of God\u2019s action on our behalf remains rock solid. No matter what comes, we are safe in his hands and fully aware of his provision. No matter what comes, we can live as \u2018more than conquerors\u2019 and \u2018overcomers in the midst of all things\u2019, because his grace is sufficient and he is faithful. Romans 5:8 says: \u2018But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.\u2019 It\u2019s done! For once and for all time \u2026 and that changes everything.<\/p>

It is finished.<\/em><\/p>

Commissioner Rosalie joins me in sending you warm Easter greetings.<\/p>

Brian Peddle<\/strong><\/p>

General<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This Easter comes as Salvation Army leaders from around the world have been called together to elect a new General. The privilege of serving in the role of international leaders is now coming to an end for Commissioner Rosalie and me, and we seek to complete what we had set out to do. Soon we…Continue reading The General\u2019s 2023 Easter Message \u2018It is finished\u2019 (John 19:30)<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3006,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe General\u2019s 2023 Easter Message \u2018It is finished\u2019 (John 19:30) - The Salvation Army Georgia<\/title>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/salvationarmy.ge\/en\/2023\/04\/15\/the-generals-2023-easter-message-it-is-finished-john-1930\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The General\u2019s 2023 Easter Message \u2018It is finished\u2019 (John 19:30) - The Salvation Army Georgia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This Easter comes as Salvation Army leaders from around the world have been called together to elect a new General. The privilege of serving in the role of international leaders is now coming to an end for Commissioner Rosalie and me, and we seek to complete what we had set out to do. 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It is the repetition of the sound or word that is supposed to trigger the effect.\u00a0Interestingly, Jesus repeatedly spoke about prayer\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/salvationarmy.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/60363396_1345436272290876_2741086297681559552_n.jpg?fit=903%2C627&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":890,"url":"https:\/\/salvationarmy.ge\/en\/2020\/02\/20\/the-source-of-the-new-life\/","url_meta":{"origin":3012,"position":2},"title":"The source of the new life","date":"February 20, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"I do not think that the \u2018I am\u2019-statements Jesus made in John\u2019s Gospel come in random order. The seventh and last statement is:I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener!John 15:1I am not a gardener, but I know that a plant needs to be alive to bear\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/salvationarmy.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/191123-en.jpg?fit=827%2C1163&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":215,"url":"https:\/\/salvationarmy.ge\/en\/2019\/02\/16\/did-curiosity-influence-gods-now\/","url_meta":{"origin":3012,"position":3},"title":"Did curiosity influence God\u2019s \u2018NOW\u2019?","date":"February 16, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"In the series of reflections on God\u2019s \u2018NOW\u2019, I have come to the second time Jesus said:\u00a0\u201cmy time has not yet come\u201d. It was said in response to his brothers who had urged him to go to Judea for the Festival of Tabernacles\u00a0(1). 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