It Is Finished

Three days.

That is how long the disciples waited; probably feeling disappointed, confused, and crushed. Their savior was gone, just like that. How could the one they saw heal lepers and restore vision to the blind be killed and buried, just like any other man? Can you imagine the thrill of walking beside Jesus everyday and then suddenly, nothing? I feel for those disciples, because I know something they didn’t yet know. I know about the Sunday. I know what happened three days later.

 I have never had to wonder if Jesus will stay dead. But I do know of a hopelessness that comes from a life of running from God. I do feel Peters pain as he must have imagined how Jesus could possibly forgive him after he had fallen so far.


John 20:1 “Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.”

I love how Mary Magdalene gets up while it is still dark out and goes to be with Jesus. She saw him crucified, she expects a body to be in that tomb, and yet she just needs to be near her savior. Even buried, He is her hope.

It reminds me in John 6 when Jesus asks the disciples if they too would leave and Peter replies, “Lord to whom shall we go?”

Even with Him supposedly dead, they had nowhere to be but with Jesus.

“Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying…. At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary.”She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).
Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.” 
 

Mary stood weeping because her Lord’s body was gone, the last thing that she had left of Him. I love that though Jesus knew why Mary was weeping, He asked her how she was feeling and why.

Jesus’ relationship with Mary was intimate and He called her by name. Isn’t it so true that all He has to do is say our name and we KNOW that it is our Lord? I imagine His eyes tender, full of love and compassion as He says her name. In the same way, the Lord calls me by my full name, “Kaitlyn,” and I feel safe and loved. 

I can relate to Mary when Jesus tells her not to hold onto Him. After watching Jesus crucified and finally having Him before me, I would not have been able to restrain myself from throwing my arms around Him and weeping.

Mary’s hope has returned.

Your hope and my hope has returned.

The tomb was empty, Jesus is alive.

Jesus’ words three days earlier on the cross, “It is finished,” had proven true that morning.

Three little words that change everything.

 Because of Jesus’ death on the cross we are FREED from the penalty of our sins. We are not only freed from the penalty of our sins, we are also freed from the POWER of our sin. And because He rose again three days later, hopelessness is finished. Our guilt, our shame, it is finished.

Never again will we wait three days for our savior. He is here now. Death has been defeated. Chains and bondage and consequences of our sins and sins committed against us, THEY.ARE.FINISHED.

Jesus won us victory on the cross. How often do we not walk in that victory?

When He said, “It is finished,” He meant for you to drop all of the things you are trying to finish, to fix, and all of the ways you are trying to save yourself. Drop them all at the foot of the cross where He finished it for you. All of your burdens, everything you are carrying, they are finished. Lay them down. 

My year being 21!!!

I’m pretty sure that age 21 was the best year of my life. My freshman year of college rivals for the title of best year, because that’s the year I got saved. But as amazing as that year was, it was really hard, it was a struggle to figure out what my new life was going to look like and how to move forward. But this year it has just felt like everything fell into place.

During my 21^st year of life I went on my very first missions trip to Ireland. God granted me compassion and my heart broke for absolute strangers. This was the year that I got baptized!

21 was the year that I learned that I have a voice, and I learned how to use it. Towards the end of my 21^st year I finally learned to walk out on my own two feet. This was the year I learned to trust God, the year I learned to be obedient. I started a bible study with my mom. I learned how to cook some things (its a work in progress). This was the year Jesus gave me healing, this was the year Jesus loosed many different chains of bondage from me. This was the year God peeled away layers of hurt and sin and got to the very heart of me. The year I fell more deeply in love with Jesus.

Twenty-one was the year that I got a church family, and found a place where I belong. My twenty-first year of life I got a wonderful mentor. I stepped up to new challenges and I let go of others. I learned, I grew, and I changed. God taught me so much this year that there’s no way I could even write it all down. He showed me how much He truly loves me as a father and made it known that He is safe and that I can trust Him with absolutely anything. This was the year I learned to LET GO. I made wonderful new friends who show me more of Jesus’ character all the time.

 This 21^st year I learned to be open with others and to share more deeply. If every year is as good as this one, it would be perfect. But I know every year wont be just like this one, and that’s okay. Life is full of seasons, every one different but each equally necessary. I’m not saying this year was perfect, there were some really hard times. But this year made me laugh more, and it made my heart lighter. I’m so grateful for this wonderful year and every single person who makes my life so great.

Song recommendation: Beautiful things http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIroFNU1Y-Y

Jesus is Freedom!!!!

I have this song in my car I listen to and whenever the singer says, "Jesus is freedom," all this joy bubbles up inside of me. It really does. That phrase didn't used to mean anything to me, especially when I was in high school. The kids from the christian group would always be talking about Jesus and freedom. 

And I always thought, 'freedom?' I'm not in jail or anything, I'm free.'

 I've come to realize more and more that before we finally understand things, we are totally blind. I understand things now that before, it was like a blindfold was over my eyes. Now, the thought of Jesus as freedom makes perfect sense to me. Not only does it make perfect sense, it makes me so incredibly happy. The thing about bondage is, most times when we're held, we have no idea we're in prison. Before I was a christian I thought that I was supposed to be living free and doing whatever I wanted, and that was fine, but it wasn't. 

A lot of people think that christians are so restricted because of all of their rules. They think we must be boring and judgmental and oppressed. But they are dead wrong. I understand that kind of thinking because I once thought that too. I once felt sorry for the christians I knew.

 I thought, 'how sad it is for them to have such a boring life. While I'm having fun and can do whatever I want, they are stuck with tons of rules.' 

But I didn't realize that the life I was living was actually the one in trouble. Despite all their rules and supposed boring lives, I couldn't understand why christians were always so joyful. If they had it so bad why were they so happy and me, living life the way I wanted, so unhappy? I didn't realize that I was in bondage, I was a slave. Satan, the father of lies, had me believing that God didn't care about me, and that everything I was looking for, everything that could make me happy, would be found in the world. 

Looking back I am sad that I was in bondage for so long when I know that God desired so strongly to break every chain. I was in no way free, I was so tied up that I didn't even notice anymore. 

But now, now I am truly FREE. I don't live the same life I lived before, I don't do the same things, go to the same places, say the same things, think the same things. Some people might call my life constricted, but I have honestly never felt more completely free in my entire life. Over the years God has been slowly stripping me of all my bondage and I have watched in disbelief and joy as the chains fall off one by one. 

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36

Thinking back on high school me I really wish that I could have known what real freedom feels like. 

This is freedom. Freedom is knowing that you have a father in heaven who knows you completely and loves you completely and knowing that that love is never going to end. Freedom is knowing that your value is not based on a single thing except for the fact that you are God's beloved child. Freedom is not having to ever be afraid, because you have complete assurance that God is taking care of you and has good plans for your life. Freedom means no guilt or self condemnation, only grace. 

I wish everyone knew this freedom, I don't know how I ever lived without it. 

Song Recommendation:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ppgde6wVwAM