Famous Last Words: It Is Finished Series

FAMOUS LAST WORDS: IT IS FINISHED

Let’s stand together as we continue this morning with our sermon series, “Famous Last Words,” as we listen to the sixth of Jesus seven statements from the cross. Jesus sixth statement from the cross are among some of the most profound and important words that He ever spoke. Let’s read together these powerful words from John 19:30.

John 19:30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. NKJV

Father, we humbly ask in Jesus name that you give us the wisdom to hear these words and may what we hear today inspire us to live our lives for your kingdom and glory.

IT IS FINISHED!

Throughout history the world has issued it inspiring cries of victory and challenges.

But the greatest cry of victory and triumph that has ever been spoken came from a dying man on a cross, when Jesus Christ lifted up His head and with all the strength of His soul shouted out, “It is finished.”

It is finished. The power of those words are so great that they will continue to echo for all eternity, for they are not the words of defeat, but the words of great triumph.

Those three words are among the most profound words ever spoken, by the man who lived the most profound life that has ever been lived.

It is important for every believer in Christ to hear and understand the meaning of those three dynamic words when Jesus cried out, “It is finished.” Those three words, “it is finished” are filled with endless power and eternal authority. There is nothing in history that can compare to the eternal power and meaning of those words.

Those words, “It is finished,” hold great eternal meaning for every believer in Christ.

I believe the moment Jesus said, “It is finished,” those words echoed and exploded throughout the entire spiritual realm from one end to the other.

Those words were not just spoken for God the Father and for the angels of heaven. He spoke those words for us to hear and remember.

WHAT IT MEANS TO FINISH

We find from Matthew 27 and Mark 15 that moments before He died, Jesus lifted His head and with what little strength He had in Him, He shouted, with a loud cry “It is finished.” It is finished…

Why did He shout it out? Because He wanted the whole world to hear it. He wanted all

of heaven to hear it. He wanted all of hell to hear it. And He wanted every person of every generation to hear it.

Today, He wants you to hear these words in your soul, “It is finished.”

For the believer in Christ, the words” It is finished,” hold great eternal meaning.

To understand the greatness and power of these words you need to realize that these three English words, “It is finished,” come from the single Greek word, Tetelestai.

Tetelestai is an action word that comes from the Greek word “teleo,” and it is so rich in meaning that it is difficult to describe.

Tetelestai means, “It is finished, it stands finished, and it always will be finished!” It means the work is completely done, that everything is accomplished and completed and that what is done cannot be undone.” It means the accomplishment of great success in completing and finishing a task. That’s just one way to describe it.

The merchants also used this word in the market place to mean “That a debt is completely paid in full!”

All of that comes from this one single word that Jesus spoke from the cross. And both meanings of this word apply to the life of a believer.

I sincerely believe the meaning of this single Greek word as Jesus proclaimed it from

the cross is so rich in its eternal meaning that it impossible for us to fully comprehend it on this side of eternity. However, by God’s grace we can still dig out its truths and discover the gems of wisdom that come with it.

So how does the words, “It is finished,” fit in with our lives as believers in Christ. How can we apply what Jesus said to our lives? Jesus words, “It is finished” is so rich in meaning and truth, that there are at least six ways these words impact our lives and can be applied to our lives as believers. Obviously, I don’t have time for all six, so I want to give you two of them that I believe are vitally important for you right now.

FIRST, GOD’S PLAN FOR THE AGES INCLUDES YOU

There is a lot of things we could look at from this point, but to keep this simple, I want to point out two things that I hope will give you greater wisdom in living your life for Christ.