“When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” (John 19:30)
Do you know your mission in life?
Jesus did. He knew why He was sent by the Father here on earth and what needs to be done. Whenever I think about the sixth of His last words on the cross, “It is finished.” I am in pain. What Jesus, MY SAVIOUR, went through was that hard, that He had to cite that it’s finally over! It’s finally done! All the pain and shame, all the heavy burdens, the mocking, the betrayal, has come to an end. These words struck me with such meaning that it will always remind me of the sorrow I brought to Jesus by my sins.
But more importantly, I see in these words His love for us. “It is finished” is a statement of His accomplished mission here on earth. His crucifixion is a declaration of God’s love for us, and His great gift of salvation to every single sinner on earth. Because Jesus finished His mission, we are experiencing God’s grace everyday– by dying on the cross, Jesus has opened up heaven for us, and nothing can now separate us from His love.
Maybe I will never fully grasp how tremendous and deep God’s love is, but as I slowly grow in faith, I’m also learning that everything is part of God’s grand plan. As part of that plan, it is our duty to seek our own mission here on earth, so that one day, by His grace, we will also be able to face and tell our Father, “I have lived and fought the good life following your footsteps, Lord. It is finished.”
May this Lenten season be a great reminder for us of the sacrifices of Jesus, and may we have our own sacrifices that will show our gratitude for our salvation.
Note: This reflection was written by yours truly for the Makati Feast Amorsolo Bulletin.