It’s All in the Finishing

 

“I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do…”

—John 17:4a

My father, who as a young man quit high school and apprenticed as a carpenter, used to tell me stories of watching the most expert carpentry he ever observed. This was the work of a cabinetmaker.

My father described the excellence of the joinery. He told about the cabinetmaker’s care in selecting the wood, making certain the grain of the companion pieces matched, and finally carefully sanding and applying several coats of finish with feather-like sanding in between applying the coats.

“It’s all in the finishing,” my dad explained. Yes, it is all in the finishing: in cabinetmaking and in life.

Our Savior made this very point at the very beginning of His High Priestly Prayer recorded in John 17:1-5:

After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.

“And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.”

Jesus has finished His work of salvation. So, let us continue to run the race set before us and determine to finish well.

Remember, it’s all in the finishing.

 

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