We are here, on the other side of this victory cry, our hosanna declaring heart’s lament, to our Victorious One, our Saviour. We are here, on the other side. We see without doubt the faithfulness of our Father, the extent and manner of His love, lavished and given, the bravery and devotion of our Saviour to fearlessly stand for our restoration. The most costly of things, yet it has been given. Given in perfect love, we stand in faithfulness, without doubt, fully convinced whether our feet are on mountains or walking through valleys, whether we are in adversity or promise; we are not bypassed, we are seen, we have been and we are chosen. We are chosen, He is faithful. And, this same love expressed on that great and terrible day when Jesus gave His all for us, this same love, devotion and faithfulness stands firm for us today, no matter where we are or what we are facing.
For true it is that come what may He has made it well with us. What do we do here, as we remember, as we look at the cross, and the empty tomb, as we hear again the words ‘It is finished!’.
He is deserving of our ongoing yes, our faithful devotion. We come this Easter with a fresh offering of ourselves, a renewed response of our lives. We bring our all and willingly, lovingly commit it to Him.
In Psalm 31 David scribes his devotion, his offering in the midst of adversity and affliction, in the valley. He chooses to reaffirm covenant. ‘Unto you I commit my all’, Jesus echos these words on the cross. Often when we find we are at the end of ourselves, it is there we see most clearly the invitation in Him, and connect with our innate desire to fling our all upon the One who is tried and trusted to be Good and Faithful. We live in times and seasons where great is our inner and outer need, and we can live well through it ‘all’ as we learn to yield it ‘all’, uttering in our own adversity and afflictions ‘to you we commit our all’.
Unto you, we, ourselves, come, with our own devotion, to you we commit our all, choosing now to hold nothing back, to withhold no thing. Perhaps we are increasingly aware of the unsettled-ness of our world, our circumstances, and even the unsettled-ness in our souls. We must bring it to the cross. Even as we experience every tension and pull. May we too see the invitation, see here at the cross, provision. Provision for our deep deep needs that swirl within, to experience the full measure of ‘it is well’ and ‘it is finished’ that echo to us and over us from the very heart of heaven. If ever there is clarity it is when we look at ‘Easter’ this passion and see. We see love poured out, we see a ransom paid, we see divine exchange, we see death defeated, heavens loosed, we see redemption, mercy and grace endless in measure pouring forth. We see life and without limits, without sins’ limitations, we see the invitation. The invitation to not simply look, but see, know, return and reunite, restore and receive. We see The Father, and our Way-maker, who tore down every separating wall and became a door home. We see that there is solution and provision and he already provided and already gave. We see once again and we get to apprehend Him and all, and more, of not only what He gave and did but who He is. For it is IN Him, with Him, our lives beat with the echo of IT IS FINISHED.
He is the Author and the Finisher we walk with. ‘Things’ change, change comes and goes, bringing new things, we change, how we see, feel changes day by day. But He does not, the ‘It is finished’ is constant in its proclamation, echoing through time to each of us. It cannot fail. For it was the final word on sin. And as we look we see in the place of the cross was a garden, and gardens grow life. Where Jesus gave himself unto death, to defeat all that death was, life burst forth, from there in the garden eternal life broke in. Perhaps in the place of our adversity and afflictions, we will find our garden, the life He planted there as provision for us. For He is the One who makes good, all things working together for good Even there at the cross, He declares it so. ‘It is Finished, my bride!’. In the horror of the cross, he exerts intent and love, He invites us into the ‘it is finished’ with the revelation it was you and I on his mind, He seals the covenant, making way. He declares love and it’s power for us. He clothed the horror in goodness, He robed injustice with His intent, with purpose, and finished what humanity started. Restoring us and ending death, bringing forth life.
No greater love than this. Love freely, though costly given for us.
May His joy be ours, as we allow our eyes, the eyes of our hearts, to adjust and see rightly.
He is faithful . He is Good, we see it.
Personally, this Easter, I’m coming once again to allow His perfect provision to settle my soul, for His faithful response to the Father to shape more fully my own. I’m coming to offer more and partake in more, because I know there is. In every place of sickness, pain, lack, unrest, sin, death in my midst there is His ‘It is Finished!’, to fully manifest.
And do we not ache to be living sacrifices holy and pleasing unto him? Our hearts ache for the life that has already been brought.
And so, this Easter time we come. We worship, bringing every part of our hearts and lives unto Him, to be a living sacrifice, coming with our unsettled-ness and casting it at His altar hearing Him say it is well with you, it is settled, it is finished.
Our thankful response to Him for such sacrifice and love, is our hearts and our lives, our firm yes in the midst of everything that rises up exalting itself against His name, His victory, His wellness.
This Easter we look upon the cross where He gave it all and we are humbled and broken and then our gaze looks onwards to the glorious victory, power and conquering love we live and breathe and have our being in. May we allow The Spirit to search us and reveal to us any unsettled ness that we can bring to Him, as we choose to posture our everything to be a living sacrifice. We will bring our all in and as worship, our whole lives, to Him who is worthy. Who so greatly loved and lavished it towards us, making us holy and sanctified, restoring and sealing us in His great pleasure. We determine anew to be Holy, set apart unto Him, our lives a melody of love and devotion, our steps in awe and reverence to He who who moves with victory, triumph and power today. Who today sets apart and delivers His people, today redeems and restores, and brings triumphant grace, and mercy and resurrection, to His Bride. The One, who today, has powerful acts for you to receive, who is proclaiming life giving words, and hope for every circumstance, to every heart.
He is our Victorious Good God, His victory is no less, in Him there is no lack, we stand in His faithfulness moment by moment, so let us come.
Dear hearts we urge you to remember and set truth ever before you. Gods power is not finished, He is not weary or depreciated. What He finished on the cross is alive with power for you now. Yes, there is power for you today, for your need, for refreshing for renewal.
May we allow ourselves to be led once again to the altar, to His mercy seat, where we can receive grace and power for our every need. May we hear His declaration over us of ‘it is finished!’ and thus it is well.
May we journey through the door of the cross Jesus generously opened to the Father, who has rest and comfort and will settle our souls in His perfect love and the story He has written of our lives. For from here alone will our tender and wild hearts be prepared for what is ahead, for the adventure, for all He is releasing anew through His love, and our lives. For you are called and chosen, part of the bride, the ‘It is finished!’ tribe of sons and daughters.
As we look at the cross we can say with all conviction it is well with me, for He has been good to me, generous and lavished in love and kindness, unswerving and immovable in faithfulness, and He who began this glorious work, will complete it.
He is here. Breathe deep, He is here, wherever we stand, we get to stand with and in Him and the finished work of the cross. Of His passion, for each of us.