When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

John 19:30 ESV

Christmas means nothing without the cross.

Indeed, it is a miracle that Jesus was born of a virgin, fulfilled the Old Testament prophesies, and healed the sick, yet without the His death, none of it would have mattered. As the Messiah, Jesus came to defeat sin and death; however, Jesus could not save us from sin without first paying the price of our sin, which is death. If God simply overlooked our sins, He would cease to be just.

Jesus, therefore, satisfied the mercy and the justice of God.

Though He was without sin, Jesus faced death in our place. He absorbed the serpent’s venom, becoming the sacrificial king of Isaiah 53. Christ suffered the wrath of God in order that we might know the grace and mercy of God. This means that we are only saved from God’s wrath by Jesus’ atoning death.

If the entirety of our salvation is dependent upon Jesus’ death, its sufficiency is of the utmost importance.

Should there be one sin that Jesus did not atone for or if there is one drop of God’s wrath not satisfied, we will be undone.

Thankfully, such is not the case.

Instead, Christ proclaimed that His work is finished. Jesus’ blood is entirely sufficient for our redemption and justification.

Are there still areas of your life where you strive to earn God’s favor apart from trusting in the finished work of Christ?