A Word to those Who feel they have Failed

At the conclusion of six grueling hours of suffering on the cross, Jesus said, “It is finished" (John 19:30). At first glance it would appear that the Son of Man had failed to accomplish his mission. Jesus came to establish his kingdom on earth where God’s will is done as it is in heaven. But as the leader of this movement, he wound up captured, tried, convicted, and executed. Those on the outside looking in could have easily assumed that Jesus wasn’t who they thought he was. Perhaps many felt what the two on the road to Emmaus felt when they said, “We were hoping he was the one who would deliver Israel” (Luke 24:21).

But the cross must be understood as the victory of God, not the defeat of Jesus. Jesus declaration, "It is finished," was a pronouncement of victory, not an admission of failure. After all, he didn't say, "I am finished." The word "finished" is tetelestai, a word that comes from accounting that means "paid in full."

What looked like failure was in reality victory. The cross was not a defeat reversed by the resurrection. The cross was the victory of God revealed by the resurrection!