It Is Finished
When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
John 19:30
Most of us are familiar with the gospel accounts of the crucifixion on that gray Good Friday afternoon: the brutal nails pounded into Jesus’ hands and feet, the cruel mocking of the onlookers, the callous gambling of the soldiers, and the last words spoken by the dying Savior.
Words of forgiveness to His abusers. Words of comfort to His mother. Words of salvation to a robber.
Among those last words, arguably the most profound were these: "It is finished!" Three words in English, one word in Greek – TETELESTAI.
TETELESTAI
Tetelestai comes from the verb teleo, which means, “to bring to an end, to complete, to accomplish.” It signifies the successful end to a particular course of action.
It’s the word you would use when you climb to the peak of Mt. Everest. It’s the word you would use when you turn in the final copy of your dissertation. It’s the word you use when you cross the finish line of your first 10K run.
The word means more than just “I survived.” It means, “I did exactly what I set out to do.”
Tetelestai is also the word you would use when you make the final payment, say, on your new car. Thus it can be translated, “Paid in full.”
As John put it, “Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’” In Mark 15:37 we read, “With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.”
“It is finished.” This was not a sigh of resignation. This wasn’t a moan of relief. This was a declaration of victory.
This was not a sigh of resignation. This wasn’t a moan of relief. This was a declaration of victory.
He declared it to His Father in heaven.
He declared it for the whole world to know.
He declared it that every evil force would know their defeat was sure.
“It is finished!”
Completed.
Done.
Accomplished.
Paid in full.
Past, Present, and Future
But there’s more here. The verb tetelestai is in the perfect tense. That’s significant because the perfect tense speaks of an action which has been completed in the past with results continuing into the present.
It’s different from the past tense which looks back to an event and says, “This happened.”
The perfect tense adds the idea that “this happened and it is still in effect today.”
That fact has profound implications to any who would embrace Christ by faith, admitting their need of a Savior and accepting His sacrifice on their behalf. It means that we can know forgiveness not only for our past sins, but also for our present and future sins.
Think about it! All the failure and foul-ups that defined you BEFORE you came to faith in Christ, and those that have haunted you AFTER you came to faith in Christ, were all dealt with on the cross. It really is PAID IN FULL!
All the failure and foul-ups that defined you BEFORE you came to faith in Christ, and those that have haunted you AFTER you came to faith in Christ, were all dealt with on the cross. It really is PAID IN FULL!
TETELESTAI! The GREATEST WORD from the GREATEST MAN on the GREATEST DAY in all eternity! One word, but no word ever uttered has so changed the history and destiny of mankind.
Prayer:
Lord, my heart aches when I read of your horrific suffering. Yet it also soars when I read of your stupendous victory. To know that my sins are paid in full, providing my cleansing, and fitting me for heaven is the greatest gift I’ve ever been given. I bow in gratitude and worship and rise to declare you as Lord.
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