The work of the Cross is complete, accomplished and absolute. The last words which Jesus uttered on the cross were, “It is finished” (John 19:30). In the original Greek there is only one word “tetelestai” which can be translated, “finished, complete, accomplished and paid in full”. By His sacrifice of Himself on the cross Jesus has finished, completed and accomplished the work He was called to do. He has paid in full the penalty for our sins. “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:14.)

1. He has taken our sin upon Himself and given us His salvation. “For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him (and continues to obey, believe and trust in Him) should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16).

“All we like sheep of gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6). Through the blood of Jesus Christ we are cleansed from all sin. “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7).

2. He took the punishment due to us and has given us God’s forgiveness. “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him.” (Isaiah 53:5). He has paid the penalty for our sins.

3. He was punished so that we could have the peace of God. “The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him.” (Isaiah 53:5). “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7).

4. He has taken our sicknesses and pains and by His stripes we are healed. “Surely he ca preploded has borne our sicknesses and carried our pains. (Isaiah 53:4). “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief.” (Isaiah 53:10.)

5. The soul of Jesus became a sin offering for us so that we might receive the righteousness (right standing) of God. “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin…” (Isaiah 53:10). Under the Old Covenant, the person was instructed to bring a sin offering which was a sheep or goat to the priest. He then confessed the sins of that person over it and this transferred the sins of that person to the animal which was then killed. By giving Himself as a sacrifice on the cross, Jesus took upon Himself all our sins. His soul became the sin offering because He became sin for us. He became the lamb of sacrifice. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21). The believer in Jesus Christ is no longer guilty for past sin. “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” (Romans 5:9). We can now say with full belief; “Because Jesus Christ shed His blood for me I am justified, .made righteous, just as though I had never sinned.”

6. He took upon Himself our poverty to give us His abundance. As Jesus hung on the cross, He was hungry, thirsty, naked and had nothing. He became a curse for us. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, for your sake He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9). They crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots for them. (Matthew 27:35). “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8).

7. Jesus was rejected that we might have His acceptance. “Now from about the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice saying “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:45-46). God could not look on sin favourably. Jesus had taken our sin upon Himself and had become sin for us. So deep and great was the sin of mankind that Jesus took upon Himself that God could not bear to look at it. Jesus died of a broken heart. (a) Jesus felt our rejection. He took this rejection and gave us His acceptance. (b) The veil which had separated us from God was torn down as Jesus took upon Himself our rejection and gave us His acceptance. We can now enter the Holiest place by the blood of Jesus. “By a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh”. (Hebrews 10:20). (c) We are no longer unwanted, we are accepted by God. By fully appropriating this truth we can be healed from all manner of sickness and disease.

8. He took our shame th that we might share in His glory. “He is despised and rejected by men.” (Isaiah 53:3). “If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.” (1 Peter 4:14). “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 3:18). Shame for past sins can hang like a cloud over us. It can be a barrier between us and God. Even though we know we have been forgiven for our past sins, often we can still feel shame. As we appropriate the truth that Jesus Christ has taken this shame upon Himself and we need no longer bear the burden. Suddenly we will come into the real liberty of the Holy Spirit then we will be able to draw even closer to God. Realising we are free from our past shame is a wonderful path to full acceptance and healing.

9. He was made a curse that we could receive His blessing. “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” (Galatians 3:13-14). The reasons for generational sin coming upon us are set out in Deuteronomy 27:15-25 and include idolatry, not honouring our mother and father, removing a neighbour’s landmark, causing the blind to wander off the road, perverting justice, incest, bestiality, attacking a neighbour secretly.

10. Jesus suffered that we might be sanctified, made holy, set apart to God. “Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate.” (Hebrews 13:12). On the day of Atonement when the High Priest went into the Sanctuary with the blood of an animal for sin, the body of the animal was burned outside the camp. This was a type of Jesus. That is why He had to suffer on the cross outside the gate of Jerusalem.

11. He took our sorrows and gave us His joy. “A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” (Isaiah 53:3). “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11).Rejoice the Victory of God on the cross of Calvary. Amen.