"Jesus Helpless?"

"When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost." John 19:30

As an on-looker in the crowd watching Jesus' crucifixion, you may have thought that Jesus was at the mercy of the angry crowd. You may have thought that He was helpless, a poor victim with no power over what was happening to Him. But you would have thought wrong. From Gethsemane, to Pilate's judgment hall, to the cross, Jesus was in complete control- the crowd wasn't, Pilate wasn't, the priests weren't.

Remember Jesus said that His hour was come. He also said that this was the cause/reason why He came into the world. He told Pilate that he could have no power over Him if it weren't given to him from heaven. He also said that He could call legions of angels to take Him down from the cross. In the garden when Peter pulled out his sword, Jesus told him to put it up instead of fighting to keep them from taking Him. No, Jesus wasn't powerless over what was happening to Him- He was in control of the situation the whole time. "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." (John 10:17,18)

He was in control even to His last breath- He gave up the ghost. He bowed His head and died when His reason for coming was finished. His reason for going to the cross was to carry out a plan that He and His Father had devised before the foundation of the world- the plan to redeem mankind, to give us eternal life, to give us access to the Father, to reconcile us back to the Father, to provide a way that we could be saved from our sins and come into right relationship with Him. When the plan was accomplished, when the way had been made, when every element of the plan was provided, He cried out for all to hear- "It is finished", then gave up the ghost/His life and died.

So never think that Jesus was helpless to save Himself like those onlookers who made the same accusations- He saved others, He couldn't save Himself. He could have saved Himself. He could have stopped it before it proceeded that far. But because He, not the crowd, was in control, He went through with it until it was finished. When He said, "It is finished", the Father's plan was finished, the way to the Father was finished, it was completed and there was nothing left to do.

This morning, Jesus finished His task. He has provided everything you need to have eternal life and abundant life. He did it all for your sake and on your behalf. He finished His part. Have you done yours in order to benefit from what He did? Have you received Him as Savior and Lord?

Have a great day. Jesus was never out of control of the situation at the cross, and He remained in control until it was finished.