Those are words I remember hearing as a little girl sitting next to my mom during a Sunday morning church service in a small town in Texas. I have memories of watching people rejoicing with tears of joy and singing as the preacher would tell of this man named Jesus. He had come to the earth to die for our sins, and He was no longer dead, but was alive! Every time the part of the story was told when Jesus declared, “It Is Finished”, such emotion was expressed by those around me that I couldn’t help but wonder what those words meant. The last few words that Jesus spoke carry more weight than a little girl could comprehend; and even now the depth of it leaves me in awe. We were created in the very image of God and given an assignment on this earth to guard what our Father had created and to protect it from the evil one.

At the beginning of human existence Adam disobeyed, and in doing so, gave Satan the authority that God had entrusted to him. But our Father didn’t leave us to be lorded over by Satan! No, He immediately went to work righting the wrong that Adam had done, to bring us back into fellowship with Himself and ultimately restore us back to our original assignment! God Himself, came into the earth as a man and shed His blood on a cross so that the penalty for what Adam had done would be satisfied. Just as Jesus (God in the flesh) is taking His last breath, He declares, “It Is Finished”! Everything that was taken from us by Adam’s disobedience has now been given back to you and I through the sacrifice of Jesus. What was brought into the earth through the curse, has now been resolved by the blood of Jesus! Do you see the weight of those beautiful words declared by our loving Savior? Do you feel the freedom that it brings? As we come into the time that the Church celebrates the gift that our Father gave through His Son Jesus, meditate on the fullness of what has been given to you! Allow yourself to express to Him just how thankful you are; and don’t allow the evil one to steal joy from you one more day!