Done!
John 19:30
When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. KJV
When my middle school students would be given an assignment in class, they would call out, “I’m done!” when they had finished it. Quality was not the issue for them, but getting through the requirement.
Jesus had a goal–an assignement, a task–and He set His face toward Jerusalem (Luke 9:51) to complete His assigned task. His task, and His commitment to that task, however, included quality. Perfection was His aim.
According to this verse in Luke, Jesus understood that it was time for His “being taken up.” The Ascension–His being seated at the right hand of the Father–was the ultimate goal.
He knew that the way to accomplish this also included the cross, yet He set His face toward Jerusalem. He was so determined in His demeanor that the people did not try to dissuade Him from His course.
Do you have that sort of determination about the things the Lord gives you to accomplish? Are you so determined to fulfill the will of God in your life that neither people, places, nor things can distract you?
I’m not there yet; but I am moving in that direction. Are you?
When Jesus had accomplished all that the Father had given Him to do, He said, “It is finished.” And with that, His earthly life and ministry was completed.
Done.
That was not all that was finished, however.
God’s plan for eternal redemption for a lost humanity was also completed, for that was the purpose of Jesus’ ministry. (Luke 19:10)
When that was completed–when He said, “DONE!”–all was accomplished.
When all was accomplished, I was included in that statement.
Were you?
NOTE: for other insights into this chapter of John by other writers who have the Spirit of God, go here.
Practical Bible Teaching 
I am far from Done… God has a lot of work to do on this mortal man. His will is good pleasing and perfect (Romans 12:2)… I on the other hand am not. My imperfection clouds His will in my life. As I draw closer to God, the clouds are clearing.
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Oh yes. As much as I see so much lacking … He sees so much finished. 🙂 And the rest is just an adventure. He gives hope, peace, and joy for the journey.
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Amen Dale! The Redemption plan of GOd from the beginning was finished, and now offered to those who will believe…how precious those words are to me.. It is finished!
I am inprogress but alot has to do with believing the the redemption plan is finished…I am redeemed! nothing I can do on my own for that..HE already did it!
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Yes I was. My redemption and reconciliation is complete. As a believer, I am growing, however. It is a process. What was completed was my ability to enter into a relationship with God through Jesus. I thank Him daily for that. Now my spiritual self continues to mature as I am willing to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and obey.
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Now that’s weird. I know I read this the day you posted. I must have commented on the other post and missed this one all together. 😳
“Do you have that sort of determination about the things the Lord gives you to accomplish? Are you so determined to fulfill the will of God in your life that neither people, places, nor things can distract you?”
I get distracted. I must continually ask for help to persevere. I know all is secured in Him, just getting through the storms can be rough. I don’t want to be pulled away from His calling.
Thanks for the push, Dale. 😉
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“According to this verse in Luke, Jesus understood that it was time for His “being taken up.” The Ascension–His being seated at the right hand of the Father–was the ultimate goal.”
Jesus’ ultimate goal was to sit at the Father’s right hand?
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Within the context of what I was writing–commenting on this particular event, ie, setting His face–yes. He was not looking to the cross, but rather beyond it.
See Hebrews 12:2
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I have always considered Jesus setting His face toward Jerusalem in light of what would happen there in obdience to His Father’s will, which was to die for man’s sin – the cross. The New Testament is full of statements in which Jesus reflected He would do the will of His Faher and only the will of His Father. Earlier in the text we find this:
“Luke 18:31f., “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written of the Son of man by the prophets will be accomplished.”
I see His supreme goal in obdience to His Father’s will was his obedience and lack of wavering in His mission to die for sin, and be subject to His own Father’s wrath – a propitiation for our sin.
Heb 12:2 speaks of both, the cross and His present location at the right hand of the Father. His ultimate destination was to again share the glory He had in the beginning with the Father. His goal in coming to earth was to die for sin.
“who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and cis seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
I can find nowhere in scripture where He set His face ‘like flint’ to the ascension, but always to the cross. His propitiation for our sin, the reason He came to earth was what was ‘finished’.
Heb 12:2 speaks of His ascension as “the joy set before Him”, which is not the same thing as a goal, if that is what you are referring to. I assume that is your connection – you see the ‘Joy set before him’ as the goal of ‘setting His face’ in the Luke passage.
Do I understand you right?
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Yes. That is correct. You understand me rightly.
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Thanks Dale.
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