When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

John 19:28

This afternoon, I finished up a little project I have been working on for the last couple of weeks. It was not without difficulty and the pain of a pinched finger, but it is now complete and I feel a certain level of accomplishment. You probably can relate to the feeling.

Jesus experienced much more than a pinched finger, but the excruciating (what is the origin of this word?) pain He felt from being flogged and beaten to the final minutes of the Crucifixion, Jesus looked forward to accomplishing His mission.

The writer of Hebrews acknowledged that Christians are, “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:3).

What has God called you to finish?

This morning Patrina and I visited an old(er) friend in the hospital who is recovering from multiple surgeries. He talked about his experience in the hospital and his distaste for hospital food, but he also spoke of what he hopes to accomplish with rest of his life as his health improves.

We all have our own journeys. Let’s see what we can do on behalf of the One who gave His life for us.