FINISHED! The cross and God's greatest work. John 19:28-37 That was not just martyrdom when the Lord Jesus Christ was hung on the cross. It was not merely an example of self-sacrifice or a task finally completed. More than physical suffering was involved in what happened on the cross. The life of one sinless, perfect Man was given so that millions of sinful people could be forgiven, accepted by God, and granted eternal life in a just and holy way. There was a work of God that He finished so we wouldn't be forever lost. God had reached man in a human form, even though our Lord Jesus Christ would always be God. The righteous punishment for sin, when Jesus was on the tree, was a deed that only He could accomplish so it would be possible for us to be reconciled to God righteously and legally and that I could become God's child.
The price of redemption had to be paid so that a holy God could justify ungodly and unrighteous sinners. The blood that flowed from Emmanuel's veins was the only way to buy back the slaves of sin and make them acceptable and able to be forgiven. Redemption's price has been paid once and for all, and it will be forever maintained. There doesn't ever need to be a fresh application of Christ's blood. Remission of sin was paid for at the cross, and it satisfies a Holy God. Anything anyone tries to do to obtain some additional favor would be an unthinkable insult to the redemptive work of the Savior on the cross.
Because of the cross, there is a motivation to live lives fully pleasing to Him. Appreciation for the sacrifice Christ made makes it repulsive to us to sin. When sin confronts us, we feel the urgency to confess to God, and with faith, we trust what we have finally learned. Love for Christ is a reality that we cannot just pretend. God placed love for Him deep within us when He sent the Holy Spirit. He prompts our obedience and a deep commitment that we cannot avoid. The achievements at the cross are truly God's greatest work.