This sermon was delivered at Trinity Lutheran Church in Galesburg, IL for the Community Good Friday service.
These next-to-the last words from the cross declare an ending- perhaps an ending to Jesus’ physical suffering, but more likely, these words are a declaration that Jesus has completed the tasks set before him- that he has done all of the things he was supposed to do. His mission was completed.
There is an important nuance here though- just because Jesus’ work was finished does not mean that “the work” is actually finished. What?
It is finished and will continue to be finished.
If we subscribe to the idea that Jesus was on a prescribed path of scriptural fulfilment and duty, his proclamation from the cross is a statement of victory, of completion. The word used in greek here- teleo- most closely relates to the idea of a debt paid off in full, however, in this case, the tense of the verb matters. In this case, a better translation might be, “It is finished and will continue to be finished.” I like this translation because it points to what is happening on the cross in this final moment. Jesus’ earthly journey is ending, but the rest of the work will have to be finished by his followers.
If we look back a couple of chapters in John 17 we get a clearer picture of this work and how Jesus feels he has completed it. This is after the passover supper, and after the prayer in the garden. Jesus has already told his followers that he is the way to God and that the Holy Spirit will be among them. Jesus has given them the great commandment and cautioned them against the hatred the world may feel for them. And then in John 17, Jesus prays for his disciples. It is in this conversation where we hear him talking about the work he has completed, saying “I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do.” he continues his prayer reminding God that Jesus has made God’s name known, given the disciples God’s word, and has protected the disciples.
While I cannot reach into the mind of Jesus, I cannot believe that he thought this was the end of his ministry and work. While it may have been the end of the phase he was leading, the work itself was not finished.
But what was finished?
If Jesus' work was truly finished, would black trans women be murdered?
If Jesus' work was truly finished, would black churches be burned by white supremacists?
If Jesus' work was truly finished,would LGBTQ+ children commit suicide at a higher rate than any other population?
If Jesus' work was truly finished, would we have to worry about Nazi symbols being painted on our synagogues?
If Jesus' work was truly finished, would Muslims be murdered in their houses of worship?
If Jesus' work was truly finished, would children be starving in cages at the border?
If Jesus' work was truly finished, would Flint still be without clean water?
If Jesus' work was truly finished, would victims of sexual assault continue to be doubted?
If Jesus' work was truly finished, would we have to cry out that black lives matter?
If Jesus' work was truly finished, would people go bankrupt from medical expenses?
If Jesus' work was truly finished, would our students and teachers have to learn how to barricade themselves in case of an active shooter?
If Jesus' work was truly finished, would we be engaging in war rather than peace and reconciliation?
If Jesus' work was truly finished, would people of color receive harsher sentences for lesser crimes than white men?
If Jesus' work was truly finished, would anger and hatred motivate more people to action than love does?
We have to do the work.
This is where that translation matters- where the nuance of “It is finished and will continue to be finished” really comes into play. Jesus may have been finished with his work on this earth, but WE are not finished with the work that needs to CONTINUE to be finished. If the crucifixion marks the end of Jesus’ physical work on this planet, then who is left to do the work?
Us. We have to do the work.
We have been reminded time and time again, through scripture and sermon that we are the body of Christ and that we do the work of God’s hands in this world. If the work is not finished, it falls on us to finish it. Period. Full stop.
If the work is not finished, it falls on us to finish it.
As we commemorate the death of Jesus on the crossand hear these last words, we stand convicted by our inaction and by our failure to finish Jesus’ work. The only response is to get our hands dirty- to dig deep and work hard to truly finish the work of Christ and to bring forth a revolution of love.
As we approach the resurrection with anticipated joy, I challenge us to resurrect the work of Jesus in this world- not the work of people who claim they know Jesus and not the work of those who distort Jesus’ ministry, but the true work of Jesus on this earth.
Just last night as we celebrated Maundy Thursday we were reminded of Jesus’ words: I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Love is work we can do. We can love our LGBTQ+ siblings for who they are and uplift them so that they feel safe. We can love the people in Flint enough to advocate for their water supply. We can love our communities of color enough to step up and say that Black lives DO matter especially in the face of murder and violence. We can love each other enough to stop the work of white supremacists and nazis in their tracks- either through education or legislation. We can love our children enough to protect them with legislation. We can love our Muslim siblings enough to stand outside of Mosques and protect them while they pray. We can love each other enough to have conversations and ask questions and understand our differences.
Love is work we can do.
We can love each other to realize that love cannot be heresy. It is indeed the only solution that will ever work and the only way that we can truly fulfill the words of Christ. Love is work we can do. Love is how we finish.
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