Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Finished?


"It is Finished."
-John 19:30

+

Finished.
Done For.
Down for the Count.

So was Jesus.

Hanging
Helpless
Bloodied and Beaten

The words, "It is Finished" on His lips.

And yet

And Yet,

That agonizing utterance precipitated
The Greatest Beginning
in History.

When we, too, are hanging,
When even that all-important Last Thread has snapped,
When the dreadful feeling fills our hearts,
the one in our terrified bewilderment that we barely dare to utter,
"My God! My God?!  Why have You forsaken me??!"

We may also be,
Paradoxically and Providentially,
At The Beginning.

...and this very paradox, agonizing as it is,
would dictate that when we, too, are Finished
what has been Authored can finally come to pass

In this Divine Economy,
Death sets the stage,
becomes the Doorway,
and is servant to,
Always
and Ever,

The Resurrection.

"Life comes back.  Life Always comes back."

+

"Death is swallowed up, utterly vanquished forever, in victory.  Oh death, where is your victory?  Oh grave, where is your sting?  Thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory and makes us Conquerors with and through the Lord Jesus Christ."
-1 Corinthians: 15:55-57

1 comment:

Jennifer Richardson said...

done for:) I love that. I've felt done for at times the past month and am SO grateful for the finished-ness of the cross, for the faithfulness of the one who will perform all the stuff I find myself struggling with. Will perform all the finished-ness. Oh thank you thank you for this reminder.
Apart from this amazing grace, I'm surely done for:)
-Jennifer
(oh! you won the giveaway over at my blog! Can you message me your snail mail address at ripplespeak@yahoo.com!)