Living from 'It Is Finished' to 'Well Done': Lessons from Papa Tinkle
Today I am reflecting on the life of my recently passed Papa Tinkle. My most fond memory of Papa Tinkle was at Christmas time every year. As a child, it also might have been the hardest part to deal with. We would show up at my Aunt Lisa’s house, and there were presents everywhere. There is nothing worse than being a kid on Christmas morning seeing all those presents and being told, “Hold on! We have something more important than opening all these presents!” What could possibly be more important than opening gifts!?! But then Papa would open up the Word of God to read us Luke chapter 2.
This left such an impact on me over the years that it’s what I do with my family as well. It’s what I encourage our church to do with their families now as well. When Papa Tinkle took that great book and began to read, he became more than Grandpa, Father, or Husband, but a spiritual patriarch, letting everyone know what was most important.
Papa Tinkle taught me “Men who know the Word of God, lead the world to God.” It wasn’t something He had to say, it was something his example spoke louder than words ever could.
Many of us might have a desire or interest to know the Word of God, but have no clue where to begin. Each Christmas, it was easy to know where Papa would begin, Luke chapter 2, verse 1. But for the rest of the year it can be daunting when we think of where to start.
Because I'm a pastor, people ask me all the time, “Where should I start in the Bible? If I want to know what this book is all about, what’s the best place to begin?" I don’t feel like I can ever answer it correctly. Part of me wants to say, “Well, start in the beginning!” Other times I want to recommend my favorite book, Luke. And still other times I want to tell them to start with John.
I love Genesis because it’s the beginning, and that always seems like a great place to start. It lays a foundation for every book that follows and begins the history of the Jews. But I also love Luke because he wasn’t a Jew, rather a Gentile, which is more like you and me. He acted like an investigative reporter, giving a detailed history based on eyewitness interviews. But then I love the gospel and writings of John because John was with Jesus! John took care of Jesus’ mother after Jesus’ death and resurrection, they were really really close.
John called himself the disciple whom Jesus loved. John so badly wants people to see that it is the personal love of Jesus that changes us because it’s what changed John. Yes, John tells us that God loved the world, but what changed John was not a general revelation of God’s love, but a specific revelation of God’s love for him, lived out and made real through Jesus.
I think the other reason I tend to recommend Luke and John is because they record what I believe are the 2 most powerful sentences in the whole Bible. 2 Scriptures that seem to have more weight than any others.
One of them is a statement we live from, the other is a statement we live for. In fact, the entirety of our lives and purpose on this Earth is wrapping our hearts, minds, souls, and lives around these two sentences. If you know nothing of the Scriptures, if you have no relationship with God, or if you have followed Jesus as long as you can remember, I would challenge you to spend the rest of your life, however long or however short it may be, trying to wrap your head and heart around these two sentences because they will change your life forever.
One is one we live from, the other is one we live for.
The first one is found in John 19:30. These words were heard by John himself as Jesus hung up on the cross. Right before Jesus took His last breath, John heard Him say, “It is finished.”
Had Jesus not also risen from the dead, these words would have been nothing more than a commentary on His life. His life, the ministry, and His following would have been completely finished. This is why His disciples went into hiding. They saw their rabbi brutally beaten, murdered, and humiliated and were terrified they were next.
Jesus said “it is finished” and for 3 days His disciples felt more like “we are finished” — but then John records the whole reason He wrote the gospel in the first place. The disciples heard from some of the women that the tomb was empty. They ran to check it out, John tells us that Peter was ahead of Him running to the tomb but John was faster so he outran Him and beat him there. They saw an empty tomb, then saw the risen, living Jesus. They ate with him, talked with him, had the world’s coolest Bible study with Him, and spent 40 days with Him along with over 500 others. They saw Jesus’ half-brothers James and Jude turn from annoyed skeptics to bold disciples.
Those disciples learned that “it is finished” didn’t simply mean "I’ve expired" or "I’m done." But rather, the wrath and judgement of God over sin had been poured out completely upon Jesus. When Jesus said “it is finished” it signaled a new beginning.
The cross is the place God’s wrath towards us is finished. The cross is the place where our old lives, our old ways of thinking, our old self-ish desires come face to face with the wrath of God. This is why Paul says that when Christ died, we died with Him! All those who believe and know Christ are to count ourselves as dead to sin and alive to righteousness. (See Romans 6:3-11)
When Jesus said “it is finished,” the disciples learned that it was a new beginning. It meant they no longer had to be scared, powerless disciples, but now could be bold, empowered men and women of God. The wrath of God had been poured out, and now they were to live a new life in the grace of God. It signaled a new beginning because they realized that death had no victory, but was rather a simple passing from one place to the next. This new beginning meant that no matter what happens to us, no matter how our body decays or is destroyed, that in Christ we can have new life here on this earth and look forward to life more abundantly forever with God in heaven. (See John 10:10)
As believers, “It is finished” is a new beginning we live from. We do not work to complete something; rather, we rest in the finished work of Christ. It is Christ who lives within us and moves through us. It is the finished work of Christ which gives us new life and leads us to a brand-new life.
This is why men who know the Word of God lead the world to God. Because when we know what Christ has done, we find our new life and purpose in Him.
These are the 2 most powerful sentences in all scripture! “It is finished” is the one we live from, and the one we live for is… “Well done, good servant.”
Luke 19:17 — “Well done, good servant! You have been faithful with very little…” Matthew, another one of Jesus’s disciples, records it as “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.”
We live for the “well done!” We live for the description of our lives to be “good and faithful.” This is what we live for as followers of Jesus.
As we come to the realization of the brevity of our lives, of the surety of how everyone’s life has both a beginning and an ending, we might ask “what on earth am I here for?” “God, what do you have for me?” “Why are there so many challenges we might face, difficulties we might battle, joys which seemed parallel to pains?”
As I remember and celebrate the life of Papa Tinkle, I’m also embracing the mourning of His loss. Joy and pain seem to run parallel in so many areas of our lives.
But it is the cross that reminds us that pain and suffering produce an eternal weight of glory which leads to joy and life. (See 2 Corinthians 4:17) As we understand the weight of what “It is finished” means, and see it as what we live from, we must also realize that the cross was a beginning and what we’re living for now is the “well done.” What we live for now, no matter who we’ve been before, is the "well done" spoken to good and faithful servants.
To be good here is not simply treated as an adjective, but as a noun, a constant state of being. One who does not “act right” but one who IS right. They are useful, they are pleasant, they are kind, they are honorable. It’s not a state of doing, but a state of being. The very constitution of who they are has become good. It’s not something they were before, but it’s something they became when they started to live from the words of the cross “it is finished.”
To be faithful is an adjective. Faithfulness is the description of the type of things one does. To be faithful means to be one who keeps the commands of the master. This is not someone who goes their own way, and does their own thing, rather they serve at the pleasure of their Lord.
To be faithful also describes someone who trusts in the promises of God, someone who trusts in the finished work of God.
To be good means when Christ said “it is finished” I realize that means my old life which was not good is finished, and now I have new life in Christ which is made good by Christ. To be faithful means I trust that “it is finished” means God did a good enough job for me to trust Him, so now I live trusting His words and obeying His commands.
The more I know these words of God, the more they change me.
This is why men who know the word of God will lead the world to God.
The mark on my life left by Papa Tinkle was to remember Christ first; go to the Word first, know the Word first. While many will ignore the Word and chase the momentary wants and desires, we must be “good servants” who know and pursue the Word first.
Because men who know the Word of God will lead the world to God.
I pray in all your searching, in all your seeking, praying, and wondering, you learn the power of these two sentences and experience the joy of new life in Christ. I pray you come to know God’s Word and the power of Christ. I pray you come know that what it means when Jesus said “it is finished” and to live the rest of your life from it. Once you do, I pray you live the rest of your life for “well done" as a good and faithful servant.
This left such an impact on me over the years that it’s what I do with my family as well. It’s what I encourage our church to do with their families now as well. When Papa Tinkle took that great book and began to read, he became more than Grandpa, Father, or Husband, but a spiritual patriarch, letting everyone know what was most important.
Papa Tinkle taught me “Men who know the Word of God, lead the world to God.” It wasn’t something He had to say, it was something his example spoke louder than words ever could.
Many of us might have a desire or interest to know the Word of God, but have no clue where to begin. Each Christmas, it was easy to know where Papa would begin, Luke chapter 2, verse 1. But for the rest of the year it can be daunting when we think of where to start.
Because I'm a pastor, people ask me all the time, “Where should I start in the Bible? If I want to know what this book is all about, what’s the best place to begin?" I don’t feel like I can ever answer it correctly. Part of me wants to say, “Well, start in the beginning!” Other times I want to recommend my favorite book, Luke. And still other times I want to tell them to start with John.
I love Genesis because it’s the beginning, and that always seems like a great place to start. It lays a foundation for every book that follows and begins the history of the Jews. But I also love Luke because he wasn’t a Jew, rather a Gentile, which is more like you and me. He acted like an investigative reporter, giving a detailed history based on eyewitness interviews. But then I love the gospel and writings of John because John was with Jesus! John took care of Jesus’ mother after Jesus’ death and resurrection, they were really really close.
John called himself the disciple whom Jesus loved. John so badly wants people to see that it is the personal love of Jesus that changes us because it’s what changed John. Yes, John tells us that God loved the world, but what changed John was not a general revelation of God’s love, but a specific revelation of God’s love for him, lived out and made real through Jesus.
I think the other reason I tend to recommend Luke and John is because they record what I believe are the 2 most powerful sentences in the whole Bible. 2 Scriptures that seem to have more weight than any others.
One of them is a statement we live from, the other is a statement we live for. In fact, the entirety of our lives and purpose on this Earth is wrapping our hearts, minds, souls, and lives around these two sentences. If you know nothing of the Scriptures, if you have no relationship with God, or if you have followed Jesus as long as you can remember, I would challenge you to spend the rest of your life, however long or however short it may be, trying to wrap your head and heart around these two sentences because they will change your life forever.
One is one we live from, the other is one we live for.
The first one is found in John 19:30. These words were heard by John himself as Jesus hung up on the cross. Right before Jesus took His last breath, John heard Him say, “It is finished.”
Had Jesus not also risen from the dead, these words would have been nothing more than a commentary on His life. His life, the ministry, and His following would have been completely finished. This is why His disciples went into hiding. They saw their rabbi brutally beaten, murdered, and humiliated and were terrified they were next.
Jesus said “it is finished” and for 3 days His disciples felt more like “we are finished” — but then John records the whole reason He wrote the gospel in the first place. The disciples heard from some of the women that the tomb was empty. They ran to check it out, John tells us that Peter was ahead of Him running to the tomb but John was faster so he outran Him and beat him there. They saw an empty tomb, then saw the risen, living Jesus. They ate with him, talked with him, had the world’s coolest Bible study with Him, and spent 40 days with Him along with over 500 others. They saw Jesus’ half-brothers James and Jude turn from annoyed skeptics to bold disciples.
Those disciples learned that “it is finished” didn’t simply mean "I’ve expired" or "I’m done." But rather, the wrath and judgement of God over sin had been poured out completely upon Jesus. When Jesus said “it is finished” it signaled a new beginning.
The cross is the place God’s wrath towards us is finished. The cross is the place where our old lives, our old ways of thinking, our old self-ish desires come face to face with the wrath of God. This is why Paul says that when Christ died, we died with Him! All those who believe and know Christ are to count ourselves as dead to sin and alive to righteousness. (See Romans 6:3-11)
When Jesus said “it is finished,” the disciples learned that it was a new beginning. It meant they no longer had to be scared, powerless disciples, but now could be bold, empowered men and women of God. The wrath of God had been poured out, and now they were to live a new life in the grace of God. It signaled a new beginning because they realized that death had no victory, but was rather a simple passing from one place to the next. This new beginning meant that no matter what happens to us, no matter how our body decays or is destroyed, that in Christ we can have new life here on this earth and look forward to life more abundantly forever with God in heaven. (See John 10:10)
As believers, “It is finished” is a new beginning we live from. We do not work to complete something; rather, we rest in the finished work of Christ. It is Christ who lives within us and moves through us. It is the finished work of Christ which gives us new life and leads us to a brand-new life.
This is why men who know the Word of God lead the world to God. Because when we know what Christ has done, we find our new life and purpose in Him.
These are the 2 most powerful sentences in all scripture! “It is finished” is the one we live from, and the one we live for is… “Well done, good servant.”
Luke 19:17 — “Well done, good servant! You have been faithful with very little…” Matthew, another one of Jesus’s disciples, records it as “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.”
We live for the “well done!” We live for the description of our lives to be “good and faithful.” This is what we live for as followers of Jesus.
As we come to the realization of the brevity of our lives, of the surety of how everyone’s life has both a beginning and an ending, we might ask “what on earth am I here for?” “God, what do you have for me?” “Why are there so many challenges we might face, difficulties we might battle, joys which seemed parallel to pains?”
As I remember and celebrate the life of Papa Tinkle, I’m also embracing the mourning of His loss. Joy and pain seem to run parallel in so many areas of our lives.
But it is the cross that reminds us that pain and suffering produce an eternal weight of glory which leads to joy and life. (See 2 Corinthians 4:17) As we understand the weight of what “It is finished” means, and see it as what we live from, we must also realize that the cross was a beginning and what we’re living for now is the “well done.” What we live for now, no matter who we’ve been before, is the "well done" spoken to good and faithful servants.
To be good here is not simply treated as an adjective, but as a noun, a constant state of being. One who does not “act right” but one who IS right. They are useful, they are pleasant, they are kind, they are honorable. It’s not a state of doing, but a state of being. The very constitution of who they are has become good. It’s not something they were before, but it’s something they became when they started to live from the words of the cross “it is finished.”
To be faithful is an adjective. Faithfulness is the description of the type of things one does. To be faithful means to be one who keeps the commands of the master. This is not someone who goes their own way, and does their own thing, rather they serve at the pleasure of their Lord.
To be faithful also describes someone who trusts in the promises of God, someone who trusts in the finished work of God.
To be good means when Christ said “it is finished” I realize that means my old life which was not good is finished, and now I have new life in Christ which is made good by Christ. To be faithful means I trust that “it is finished” means God did a good enough job for me to trust Him, so now I live trusting His words and obeying His commands.
The more I know these words of God, the more they change me.
This is why men who know the word of God will lead the world to God.
The mark on my life left by Papa Tinkle was to remember Christ first; go to the Word first, know the Word first. While many will ignore the Word and chase the momentary wants and desires, we must be “good servants” who know and pursue the Word first.
Because men who know the Word of God will lead the world to God.
I pray in all your searching, in all your seeking, praying, and wondering, you learn the power of these two sentences and experience the joy of new life in Christ. I pray you come to know God’s Word and the power of Christ. I pray you come know that what it means when Jesus said “it is finished” and to live the rest of your life from it. Once you do, I pray you live the rest of your life for “well done" as a good and faithful servant.
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