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Sixth Word


                            "It's Finished!"

by: Rhonee S. Garcia


Holy Week is a spiritual roller coaster. It is similar to riding Anchor's Away in the Enchanted Kingdom. You get in and you buckle up. You know that is going to be intense and you may feel scared or sick to your stomach during the ride. For some, it could be an adrenaline rush. But when it is finished, you will be glad that you did it. During Holy Week, we know that this spiritual experience will be intense, more so than any other time of the year. We feel like we're walking alongside Jesus as He takes those heavy steps toward suffering, sacrifice, and redemption. And on the cross, Christ Jesus would utter the words: "It is finished." These three little words bear so much weight in our hearts and minds because we know that He was put on that cross because of our sins. We feel the heaviness of Christ's suffering but also the lightness of His love. And I'll be honest. I don't really like watching movies depicting Christ's death, especially "The Passion of the Christ." The sheer brutality, the pain, the anguish, the feeling of abandonment was just too much to bear. I find myself closing my eyes and cusping my hands over my ears for most of the movie. When the movie ends, there is a strange feeling of relief knowing that Jesus' suffering has ended and that He has taken His place in heaven. That feeling of relief is also for myself, because the agony of watching someone you love suffer has also ended. "It is finished." These three words mean more than just saying that the suffering is over. It also signifies the fulfilment of a promise; the accomplishment of a purpose. Jesus had shown the people God's divine love and His never ending grace. This was not an ending but the beginning of ultimate victory. "God has, after all, made us 'all one in Christ Jesus'" (Galatians 3:28). When Jesus laid his life on the cross, He was not just doing it for the people who look like Him. He made that sacrifice for everyone who believes in Him. There is no division in the eyes of God. No social status. No ethnicity. No gender distinctions. No borders. No politics. We are all one in God and we all share the same identity of being God's children. The crucifix bridges gaps and breaks down walls. In Christ, we find a unity that transcends whatever segregational constructs that we, humans, have made. As we go about our daily lives, maybe while drinking our favourite Frappuccino at Starbucks, we encounter different kinds of people whose life experiences differ greatly from ours. They may be married, while you are single. They may have travelled the world, while you haven't left Metro Manila. They may have good careers, while you are struggling financially. But guess what? Both of you are made in the image of God. Your stories intersect, weaving a tapestry of unity under God. So, as the Holy Week unfolds, let's embrace God's grace. And let us also be a comforting grace to people around us. When Jesus cried out, "It is finished", we can still hear the echo of those words 2000 years later. We are never truly "finished". It is an ongoing journey towards wholeness and into God's embrace. Our unity in Christ moves us forward, healing wounds and uniting people.





Prayer:

Lord, guide us through this sacred time and may we find peace and grace in Your sacrifice. May we be your instruments of light and love especially in the current state of the world we live in. May we live as witnesses to this truth, embodying unity, and celebrating the finished work of our Saviour. Amen.








Rhonee Garcia is currently working for a semiconductor company in Singapore. Netflix and chill is one of Rhonee's favorite past times. She spends most of her free time finding good places to eat or watching series about food even though she can't cook very well :). She enjoys listening to music and watching concerts.










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