THE SHOUT OF VICTORY

At the end of His three and half year ministry of love and obedience to “the will of my Father; after the final 12 hours of excruciating physical, emotional, spiritual pain and suffering; as His life ebbed away on Calvary’s cross, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ spoke 3 words before expiring: “It is finished.” What was finished? Surely His life on earth was over, poured out as a sacrifice just as He said He would do. Was this a final resignation to death? It may well have appeared that way to those watching at the time. This man, beaten to a pulp, sentenced to death, hanging on a cross, sucks in His final breath and in apparent relief; He gives up His Life with “It is finished.”

Did anyone there, hear the greatest shout of victory in the history of mankind? Do we hear it now? “It is finished!” Adam suffered the greatest defeat in human history with a single act of disobedience thereby putting all mankind under the death sentence. Here, we have Jesus Christ, the Righteous, finishing His perfect life of obedience to the will of the Father and handing that perfect life over as the complete ransom-price to purchase back all mankind from the curse of sin and death. “For as in Adam all die, even so, in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Cor 15:22). “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men” (1 Tim. 2: 5, 6). “Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all” (Rom. 5:18).

Throughout the history of mankind, there have been many shouts of victory as one defeats another. Often times the shout of victory precludes the massive celebration of those on the side of the victor along with the gloom and despair of those on the side of the defeated. However, those that never hear the shout of victory, that are unaware that the victory has been won, do not know that they have been redeemed and set free, and thus continue to live in captivity. The words “It is finished” were heard and recorded from Calvary but only Jesus knew it was the shout of victory for all mankind. Satan assumed that it was his victory. Yet, 3 days later, when the grave could hold him no longer and God raised Jesus from the dead, Satan’s defeat and future was sealed. The realization that it was a “shout of victory” for Jesus and for man was not heard with the ear of understanding by any until Pentecost. After the Holy Spirit of God came down…Peter announced to the crowd and the world, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.’” One day, that “shout of victory” will be heard and understood by all mankind, and they will have eternity to relish in the victory of the One who is “both Lord and Christ.” Until then, the world goes on as captives, hoping for a future day when things will be better than this. They know not what those things will be that they wait for, but the Apostle Paul does. In Rom 8:19-21, he states plainly that they are waiting “in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed” so that they themselves will be liberated from the bondage and decay and brought into “the liberty of the glory of the sons of God.” They continue in bondage because they have not heard (understood) the shout of victory: “It is finished!”

However, ”for all whom the Lord our God will call” the shout of victory has come loud and clear, and the celebration has begun. No longer does the fear of sin and death hold mastery over our thoughts and deeds. Christ has won the victory. We have been redeemed and set free. No longer are we slaves of sin but freed to serve the Living God. We have been freed and given the power to comprehend and do the perfect will of God. Have you heard the shout of victory? Have you joined in the celebration? For two thousand years, one by one, individuals have heard the shout of victory and have entered the kingdom of God, joining in the celebration. Read and pray, and you too will hear the greatest shout of victory the world has yet to hear, spoken by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ:: “It is finished!”

Bruce Blake

Man of sorrows! What a Name, for the son of God who came;

Ruined sinners to reclaim! Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude, in my place condemned He stood.

Sealed my pardon with His blood; Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Guilty, vile, and helpless, we; Spotless Lamb of God was he.

“Full atonement!” can it be? Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Lifted up was He to die, “It is finished,” was His cry.

Now in heaven exalted high, Hallelujah! What a Savior!

When He comes, our glorious King, all His ransomed home to bring,

Then anew this song we’ll sing: Hallelujah! What a Savior!