Job Well Done
A story is told of a preacher who was driving past a lovely farm. The fields were beautifully cultivated and abundant with well-cared-for crops. The fences, house and barn were clean, neat, and freshly painted. A row of fine trees led from the road to the house, where there were shaded lawns and flower beds. It was a gorgeous sight to behold.
When the farmer who was working in the field got to the end of a row near the road, the preacher stopped his car and said, “God sure has blessed you with a beautiful farm.” The farmer stopped and thought a moment. Then he replied, “Yes, He has, and I’m grateful. But you should have seen this place when He had it all to Himself.”
There’s nothing quite so satisfying as a job well done. Whether it’s rebuilding a farm, finishing a work project or even completing your tax return (Okay. I exaggerate!) it is that satisfying feeling of just seeing the task completed. My wife even tells me that the one good feature of ironing is that you can see the results – (can’t say that I have noted that in my few forays into ironing).
Easter is a job well done. As He hung on the cross with His life ebbing away Jesus made one final statement. “It is finished”. Not as you might think a final weary acknowledgement that his life was over, but rather a cry of “job well done”. In Greek (the original language of the New Testament) the words actually read “Paid in full”. What was Jesus talking about? He was talking about the fact that he had paid the debt for all our wrongdoing. All our weaknesses, shamefulness, guilt and bad deeds paid for by his death on the cross. The way to God for men and women was opened up again. The way that had been closed off for centuries due to human guilt was once again available,
Job well done!
Then on Easter Sunday God himself entered the tomb where Jesus lay and raised him up to life again. Now everyone who believes in Jesus has that guarantee that one day they too will be raised up to new life free of all disease and restriction.
Job well done!
Finally having been given all this, those like us at Thaxted Baptist Church who love and follow Jesus work to make this world a better place while they are here and they do it for one reason. That one day they will hear the risen Jesus say to them, “Well done good and faithful servant”. Or if you like:
“Job well done”