‘Finished Work’

‘Finished Work’

I have glorified thee on the earth:
I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

John 17:4

God works in stages to complete His overarching plan. Every scene of history in which we can see God at work reveals to us that He is moving all things toward the appointed end which He has ordained.  Christ, His Person and His Work, figure largely in accomplishing these ends.  As Christ prayed His ‘High Priestly Prayer,’ He was keenly aware of His mission.  He speaks to that point when He says, ‘I have finished the work which You have given me to do.’  Christ had finished the work which God had given Him to do to that point.  Later, hanging upon the cross He would utter the cry, ‘It is finished.’  By this, He would signify that He had completed all that was necessary for Him to do regarding His sacrifice.  If we take these two statements together, we conclude that Christ finished everything which His Father had sent Him to do, by His perfect life and by His atoning death.  Having said that, if Christ has, thus far, finished this portion of the work which His Father has sent Him to do, then He will continue to perform the remainder of His work in us by conforming us to His Image.  This should bring us great encouragement as we seem so often to be so far from what we desire to be.  Christ will finish all His work , and that includes us.

Our Good and Faithful God,
we rejoice that Christ is the Author and the Finisher of our faith.
We praise You that all that He has done,
He has done well and that He will bring it to its final conclusion.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning