Is. 52:13 to 53:12; Heb. 4:14-16, 5:7-9; Jn. 18:1 to 19:42
Broken dreams is a story of a father who has made extraordinary sacrifices for the happiness of his daughter. There was a small family consisting of father, mother and one little girl. Father was the only person earning and it was just enough to fulfill their basic needs. Even when they didn’t have enough money, he used to dream about making his daughter the best doctor in the world.
Her high school result came. She stood first in the state. Father was very happy and said to her, “Today I am proud of you and happy. Ask me anything you want me to buy for you.”
The daughter replied, “Papa, I want a dress, which I showed you that day…. but it costs Rs 1500. I didn’t ask you to buy that day, but please will you buy that for me!”
The father knew that he did not have enough money to buy that dress for her, but he agreed to gift her that dress. The next day the father came home with the same dress.
Mother saw that and knew that there wasn’t enough money with him. So she asked him, “Where did you get the money to buy this dress?”
Father replied, “I had some savings and I sold my blood”
Today we are here remembering the great sacrifice, the blood shed by Jesus to bring, happiness to the whole creation. The bond that was broken in the garden Aden is brought back with this great sacrifice.
Long before Jesus’s birth ancient prophets foretold many events related to His role and mission. These prophecies were given so people would recognize Jesus when He came and have faith in Him as their Savior. Isaiah in the Old Testament wrote about Jesus 700 years before His birth: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). He further declared, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
Isaiah foretold how Jesus would be mocked, spat upon, and struck (see Isaiah 50:6). The prophet Zechariah knew that Jesus would be crucified and yet would pray for His enemies (see Zechariah 12:10). Most importantly, prophets throughout the Bible taught God’s message that Jesus Christ would be resurrected (see Isaiah 25:8) and that because of Him, we will be resurrected too (see Isaiah 26:19; Job 19:26).
Today Jesus is hanging on the cross declaring to the world, “It is finished.”
Cecil Rhodes, the British mining magnate and politician in southern Africa who served as Prime Minister of the Cape Colony, said as his last words, "So much to do, so little done." This had been the regret of most of the people at the death bed. But from the cross, the death bed of Jesus we hear the mighty, triumphant shout of Jesus from the cross: "It is finished." Probably the first and last man to shout out with great satisfaction that “It is finished.”
Les Brown, one of the world's most renowned motivational speakers said: “The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid to take that first step, keep with the problem, or determined to carry out their dream.” There is only one tomb in the world that has no unfinished work, that has no unfulfilled dream, that has nothing left to be done. “It declares, “It is finished.”
All the days of his life, Jesus spoke of his hour. He said it at Cana: "My hour has not come." Like the striking of a clock, he said, "My hour has not come, my hour has not come." He lived as a man knowing that over his head there hung some awesome hour that he would face. At the very early part of his ministry, he spoke of the time when the bridegroom would be taken away and the disciples would be saddened. Six months before the cross, he began to predict to them that the Son of Man must go up to Jerusalem, must be arrested, must die, and must be raised.
Here is the Son of Man, the Son of God, who lived out his life in ministry knowing that moment was coming, and all of that was bound up in that final triumphant cry of "It is finished."
In the face of human suffering Jesus swung into action and healed all kinds of sicknesses; he raised the dead and consoled the afflicted and comforted the broken-hearted; he forgave sinners, liberated those in the power of the devil, and welcomed the oppressed and rejected.
Jesus comforted people when they were in agony. Jesus went to Mary and Martha's home. He comforted them and told them that their brother would live again. Then He raised Lazarus from the dead.
Jesus fed the people when he knew that they were hungry. Today from the cross Jesus tells us if you are my disciples, do as I have done.” Then with Jesus we will be able to declare, “It is finished.” With St Paul we will be able to say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race.”
Satish