Day 12 – Christ’s Finished Work

The Heart of the Gospel

The Gospel is not a story about humanity trying to climb up to God.

It is the story of God coming down to us.

We have already seen:

• We need salvation.
• Salvation is by grace through faith.
• We are justified by faith apart from works.
• We must personally receive Christ.

Today we come to the very heart of the Gospel:

“It is finished.”

Three words spoken by Jesus from the cross.

But these were not words of defeat.

They were words of completion.

Jesus was declaring that the work He came to accomplish was reaching its appointed completion.

The price had been paid.

The sacrifice had been offered.

The mission had been fulfilled.

Christ had completed the work necessary for our salvation.

What Was Finished?

Jesus did not simply say:

“I am finished.”

He said:

“It is finished.”

Something had been completed.

The work the Father had given Him to accomplish was reaching its appointed conclusion.

Jesus had come into the world for this purpose.

He came to give His life.

He came to bear our sin.

He came to offer Himself as the sacrifice.

He came to reconcile sinners to God.

And at the cross, He completed that work.

The Cross Was Not an Accident

The crucifixion was not a tragic accident that happened to Jesus.

It was part of God’s redemptive plan.

Jesus knew what was coming.

He repeatedly told His disciples that He would suffer, be killed, and rise again.

He willingly went to Jerusalem.

He willingly faced the cross.

He willingly gave Himself.

The cross was not evidence that Jesus had lost control.

The cross was where Jesus accomplished His mission.

Jesus Bore Our Sin

Sin brings real guilt before God.

And we cannot remove that guilt through our own efforts.

We cannot work our way out of it.

We cannot perform enough religious activities to erase it.

We cannot become good enough to undo it.

But Jesus came to bear our sin and accomplish what we could never accomplish for ourselves.

Peter writes:

“He Himself bore our sins” in His body on the cross.

Jesus took our place.

The innocent One suffered for the guilty.

The righteous One died for sinners.

The Lamb of God gave His life.

The cross was not merely an example of suffering.

It was where Christ gave Himself for sinners and bore the judgement our sin deserved.

The Lamb Gave Himself

Remember what we learned in Day 5 – The Lamb of God.

John the Baptist saw Jesus and declared:

“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

That declaration points directly toward the cross.

Jesus is the fulfilment of the sacrificial system.

The Old Testament sacrifices pointed forward to Him.

The blood of animals could never ultimately remove sin.

They pointed toward the greater sacrifice that was coming.

And that sacrifice was Jesus Christ.

The Lamb gave Himself.

“It Is Finished” — The Sacrifice Is Complete

Under the old covenant, sacrifices were repeatedly offered.

But Jesus offered Himself once.

Hebrews says:

“He sacrificed for their sins once for all when He offered Himself.”

This is crucial.

The sacrifice of Christ does not need to be repeated.

Jesus’ sacrifice is sufficient.

His work is complete.

His payment is complete.

His victory is complete.

Nothing needs to be added to Christ’s finished work to make salvation possible.

We Cannot Add to What Christ Finished

This truth should radically change how we understand salvation.

If Christ finished the work, then we cannot say:

“Christ did His part, and now I must complete salvation through my works.”

No.

We do not complete Christ’s work.

We receive it.

We trust it.

We rest in it.

We live because of it.

Our good works have an important place in the Christian life, but they do not complete the cross.

Christ’s work is finished.

Good works are not the price of salvation.

They are the fruit of a life that has received Christ.

Religious Works Cannot Add to the Cross

This is one of the most important messages of The Open Gospel.

Religious practices cannot improve Christ’s sacrifice.

Human tradition cannot complete Christ’s sacrifice.

Our prayers cannot add to the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice.

Our good deeds cannot complete Christ’s sacrifice.

Our suffering cannot complete Christ’s sacrifice.

Our religious achievements cannot complete Christ’s sacrifice.

Why?

Because Jesus already said:

“It is finished.”

The Gospel directs our confidence away from what we can do and toward what Christ has done.

Does This Mean Good Works Do Not Matter?

No.

Good works matter deeply.

But we must understand their proper place.

We do not perform good works to finish salvation.

We perform good works because Christ has saved us.

We do not obey to make Christ’s sacrifice sufficient.

We obey because we are grateful for His sacrifice.

We do not serve God to purchase His love.

We serve because He first loved us.

The order matters:

Christ saves → grace transforms → faith responds → obedience follows.

Not:

Human works → earn salvation → become acceptable to God.

The difference is everything.

The Curtain Was Torn

Matthew tells us that when Jesus died:

“At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.”

This was deeply significant.

The curtain represented separation.

But when Jesus completed His sacrifice, the curtain was torn.

The way into God’s presence had been opened.

And notice the direction:

From top to bottom.

God opened the way.

Humanity did not tear the curtain open.

God did.

The torn curtain points to the access to God that Christ opened through His sacrifice.

We Can Now Approach God

Because of Christ, Hebrews tells believers:

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence.”

Think about what that means.

The sinner who trusts Christ can approach God.

Not because he is perfect.

Not because she has earned the right.

But because Jesus has opened the way.

Christ is our Mediator.

Christ is our High Priest.

Christ is our righteousness.

Christ is our access to the Father.

We approach the Father not because we are worthy in ourselves, but because Christ has opened the way.

Do Not Add to the Gospel

When Jesus says:

“It is finished,”

We must never place human requirements alongside Christ’s finished work as though they were necessary to complete His saving work.

Paul warned the Galatians about creating another gospel.

The Gospel of grace must remain the Gospel of grace.

Christ must remain at the centre.

Faith must remain essential.

Scripture must remain our authority.

And God alone must receive the glory.

The Invitation

What does “finished” mean for you?

It means you do not have to live your entire life trying to earn God’s acceptance.

Come to Christ.

Trust Him.

Receive His grace.

Rest in His finished work.

Then follow Him faithfully.

The Christian life is not about trying to convince God to love you.

It begins with receiving the love God has demonstrated through Christ.

You do not have to add to Christ.

You do not have to complete His work.

You are called to trust Him.

Christ has finished the work.

Christ alone saves.

His sacrifice is sufficient.

Grace is God’s gift.

Faith receives it.

And all glory belongs to God alone.