It Is Finished
It is Finished for paper Rev. Terry Goerz, Redeemer Lutheran Church
As Jesus was dying on the cross we read his last words: “Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the 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
It was three o’clock. Jesus called for water. He could hardly speak. Someone fixed a sponge on a stalk of a hyssop plant and held it up to his lips. It was terribly bitter but it was enough. He strained to raise his head and look up to heaven. “It is finished,” he cried and then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
At the time, the moment was filled with too much emotion for those words to sink in and to ponder what they meant. But later as the early Christians read John’s Gospel and heard again those words, it dawned on them just how powerful these dying words of Jesus were. John wrote his Gospel in Greek, and those last words of Jesus are just one word in Greek – tetelestai (pronounced te-tel-es-sty).
The expression “It is finished” or tetelestai was well known to them. It was a part of everyday language. Just one example – When a servant had completed a difficult job that his master had given him to do, he would say to the master – tetelestai – “I have overcome all the difficulties; I have done the job to the best of my ability. It is finished”.
All those who later read the word tetelestai understood that Jesus was saying that his job of saving the world has been completed. He has finished the task and nothing can be added to what has been done. Jesus has paid the price in full – he has cancelled all debt. His sacrifice has been a perfect one, acceptable to the heavenly Father who probably thought looking down on his Son hanging lifelessly from the cross, “Well done, this is my dear Son with whom I am well pleased”. Tetelestai – it is finished. Everything is complete!
What is it that is finished when Jesus says, “It is finished”? Reconciliation is finished. A terrible gap has come between God and all humanity caused by sin and evil. Our offences, our disobedience, the hurt we have caused God and others have destroyed our relationship with God. And so we need to be reconciled to God.
Sin has a devastating effect on our relationship with God. Sin separates us from God and if we want to have any hope of going to heaven to be with God, then someone had to deal with sin and restore our relationship with God. So God sent his Son into the world for this very purpose to reconcile us to God.
Jesus died on the cross to get rid of the power of sin to condemn us. His death bridged the deep gulf between God and us. “Salvation is finished”, Jesus cried. The restoration of the friendship between God and humanity has been finished. The task for which God’s Son came to earth has been completed. He has won forgiveness for all people. Nothing else needs to be done. Salvation is complete. “It is finished”.
The day Jesus died is called “Good Friday”. It certainly wasn’t a good day for Jesus. He endured pain, soul-wrenching agony, a terrible beating, then hanging by the nails in his hands for hours, death on a rough wooden cross, for our sakes. We call it “Good Friday” because the cross is proof of the powerful love that God has for each of us. No one, not even God, would do something like that unless he truly loved us. Here we see a love that was prepared to endure the ultimate in order to rescue us.
I don’t think we can fully appreciate what it meant for the Father to abandon the Son and let him die at the hands of evil people. When Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” we sense something of the terror of bearing the weight of the sin of all humanity and then the total wrath of God for that sin.
God did all this for us. He did all this because of his love for us. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! “Romans 5:8, 10
That’s how much God loves us – Jesus died for us even though we don’t deserve it. His death has made us God’s friends. Jesus’ announcement, “It is finished” is clear and simple. Jesus has completed his task. The reason why he came as a human has been fulfilled. He came so that you and I can have forgiveness and salvation. He came to give us the victory. He came to ensure that we would enter his kingdom and live forever!
Blessings