'It is accomplished'

<sup>Jesus said: It is finished. John 19:30 Let's rejoice and celebrate Jesus-Christ's victory over death.
Two years ago, when I was still living in Manchester, I was telling one of my friends how I found it amazing that all the prophecies of the Old Testament were fulfilled in Jesus' death and resurrection. Unfortunately she rejected the few I mentioned one by one in a very curt way and I was sad that these evidence did not convince her at all! I still pray for her and invite you to pray for her too.
Yesterday, I just happened to read such an interesting article by D. James Kennedy entitled Christ: the Fulfilment of Prophecy. According to D. J. Kennedy, 'well over two thousand prophecies are to be found in the Scriptures, most of which have already been fulfilled. Now this is awesome. Praise the Lord! Here is the website: http://www.coralridge.org
I'd like to mention a few prophecies found in the Old Testament that I find extremely poignant.
In Psalm 22, David's personal lament expresses his distress although he is righteous. It echoes Jesus' same cry when he is agonising on the cross: My God, my God why have you forsaken me ?' Ps 22:1

David takes us straight to Jesus' torture in the hands of the Roman soldiers ..they have pierced my hands and my feet. Ps 22: 16

Further on, David complains that 'they (people) divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing .Ps 22:18 This is exactly what the Roman soldiers did with Jesus' garments when he was already dead. This action couldn't have possibly engineered by Jesus himself.

Jesus, our King, died on the cross to redeem us of our sins. This is explained by Isaiah
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed. Isa 53:5
Our salvation is already foretold by Isaiah.

Though Jesus was completely innocent, he was arrested and sentence to be crucified as if he was a criminal!
He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth. Isa 53:9
Salvation is mentioned again in Psalm 68
Our God is a God who saves;
from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.
As the evening draws on, I would like to conclude with this powerful prayer
..but you Lord,
-misunderstood by your closest friends
-betrayed by one you had a right to trust
-seized and manacled and hustled
-spat on and struck and flogged
-strung up tight on an agonising cross
-dying of thirst, heat, suffocation, shock, exhaustion.. Help me, Lord, always to prefer your way to your enemies'way, your cross to their triumph. And challenge me, sharply, to trust God, as you did.. In Jesus-Christ, Amen.
from Just as I am by Ruth Etchells</sup>