It is Finished: Tetelestai

It is Finished: Tetelestai

“Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” John 19:28-30 NIV

 

I memorized Jesus’ seven statements on the cross in elementary school. However, they honestly didn’t have a significant impact on my life until I was born again as a young adult. For many years now, I have reflected on, meditated upon, and studied the meaning and implications of Jesus’ final words on the cross—“It is finished”—in my life as a child of God.

 

Although such a study is inexhaustible, I am taking this opportunity to begin writing down what I have learned so far. So, I invite you to continue learning with me and encourage you to embark on your own personal study of the power of the Cross.

 

We all know what it feels like to finish an important project, and we also know that sinking sensation in our stomachs that comes from having incomplete tasks. I vividly remember the exhilaration I felt on the day I graduated from dental school for the second time. (Yes, I attended dental school twice.) However, as I write this, I must confess that I have not completed every task I set out to finish.

 

Jesus Christ is the only One who, on coming to the end of His life, could say with absolute certainty that He perfectly completed everything He was called to do.

 

What Does Tetelestai Mean?

In Greek, the primary original language of the New Testament, Jesus’ words, “It is finished,” are translated into a single word: tetelestai. [Reference]

 

Tetelestai comes from the verb teleó, which, according to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, is defined as “to end, i.e. Complete, execute, conclude, discharge (a debt) — accomplish, make an end, expire, fill up, finish, go over, pay, perform.” The NAS Exhaustive Concordance adds the synonym perfected to their list. [Reference]

 

While teleó is a verb that refers to a task completed in the past, I learned that tetelestai is in the perfect tense in Greek, indicating that the action was completed in the past but still has a lasting effect in the present and continues to do so into the future.

 

So, when Jesus said, “It is finished,” on the cross, He wasn’t just indicating that His life on earth was over. There is so much more to those words. He was declaring that because He sacrificed His life and shed His blood on the cross, His mission to redeem us from sin, its consequences, and the devil was, is, and will forever be perfectly and completely finished.

 

It was finished that day at Calvary. It is still finished today as you read these words, and it will remain finished forever into eternity.

 

Jesus Paid in Full for our Sins

“He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. Colossians 2:13b-14

 

Many of us, myself included, have financial debts that we are obligated to pay. Even if we pay off all our financial debts on this side of eternity, there is a spiritual debt that none of us can ever pay.

 

I learned that in biblical times, the verb “teleó” was used as an accounting term that means “paid in full” and was stamped on receipts when a debt was completely fulfilled. Therefore, when Jesus said, “It is finished, He was also declaring that He had completely, perfectly, and forever paid the debt we owed God for our sins.

 

Without exception, we all enter this world with a sinful nature. We have all sinned against God because we descended from Adam (Romans 5:12; 3:23). God is holy, and no matter how hard we may try, we are unable to live righteous and holy lives on our own.

 

Romans 6:23 tells us us that the “wages of sin is death,” which means that the judgment we deserve for our sins is death and eternal separation from God. Jesus sacrificed His life on the cross and, with His blood, fully paid the penalty we owed God because of sin.

 

The main reason I held back from getting born again after I heard the gospel was that I did not fully understand that Jesus had already fully paid for my sins. I thought I had to clean myself up first, and since my sins were many, I felt there was no point in committing to Christ. I praise God that I finally grasped the truth and was saved.

 

A Complete, All-Sufficient, And Perfect Sacrifice

Jesus substituted His life for ours. All the good that belongs to Him became ours, and all the evil that rightfully belonged to us was placed upon Him on the cross. He paid in full for our sins, set us free from captivity to the devil, and reconciled us to a peaceful relationship with God.

 

^“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” Colossians 1:19-20

 

^“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” 1 Peter 1:18-19

 

It was a complete, all-sufficient, and perfect sacrifice. On the cross, Jesus provided for every need—spiritual, emotional, and physical for all who put their trust in Him. As Colossians 2:10 NKJV puts it, “you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.”

 

It is Finished

Therefore, we cannot add to or take away from what Jesus accomplished on the cross. The price has been paid, and the value of His blood is unquantifiable. No sin, no matter how great, can prevent anyone from receiving salvation who, through faith, accepts Jesus’ sacrifice as payment for their sins.

 

And no sin, weakness, imperfection, or whatever we may label them can hold us captive after we are saved because Jesus has forever stamped tetelestai over them with His blood. Our part is to trust and yield our lives wholeheartedly to Him.

 

Tetelestai: It is indeed finished!!!

 

Reflection Questions

1. Has the true meaning of Jesus’ final words, “It is finished” seeped into your heart? Do those words cause you to reflect on His sacrifice anew?
2. What are some ways you can live in light of “It is finished”?
   How can you walk in the freedom and power that come from Jesus’ completed work, and how might it impact how you live each day?
3. How does the finished work of Christ empower you to deal with sin now that you are saved?
4. Knowing that Jesus’ sacrifice is complete, all-sufficient,  and perfect, are you still holding back from surrendering any spiritual, emotional, and physical deficiencies to Him?

 

This article is the first part of a series. Please return to the website to read the other sections.

God’s grace surrounds you!

Chizobam Idahosa

 

Footnotes

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

 

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