"Tetelestai"
John 19:28-30
(4-6-23)
There are certain phrases from our nation's history that will forever be remembered: Patrick Henry said "Give me liberty or give me death!" Franklin Delano Roosevelt famously said "The only thing we have to fear is, fear itself." John F. Kennedy said "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."
There are many other famous phrases that we could consider from American history. But the greatest words you will ever hear are found in the Word of God. One specific phrase is perhaps the greatest in the history of the world. I am referring to the words that Jesus uttered while hanging on the Cross. Those three words are "It is finished!" In the Greek language the word is "Tetelestai"
C H Spurgeon says "Tetelestai conveys an ocean of meaning in a drop of language, a mere drop. It would need all the other words that ever were spoken, or ever can be spoken, to explain this one word. It is altogether immeasurable. It is high; I cannot attain to it. It is deep; I cannot fathom it. “It is finished” is the most charming note in all of Calvary’s music."
A.W Pink said: “Eternity will be needed to make manifest all that • Tetelestai contains.”
Tetelestai is a word of completion; in ancient times it was used for a variety of different reasons. Tetelestai was the word that a servant would use when reporting to his master, “I have completed the work assigned to me”. Likewise, if a father were to send his son on a mission, that son was not to return until every detail of that mission was complete. When the son would return from a successful mission, he would report to his father and say "Tetelestai"; the mission is complete. That is exactly what Jesus told His Father in John 17:4 “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.”
In those days priests would examine animals for blemishes before they were sacrificed. If the lamb was faultless, perfect, and acceptable, the priest would say, "Tetelestai!" Jesus Christ is the perfect, spotless lamb Who was sacrificed for our sins.John the Baptist proclaimed "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)
Also, when a promissory note was paid, the one holding the note wrote “Tetelestai” across it. This meant that the debt was "paid in full". In Rome, when someone was put into prison, a "certificate of debt" was nailed to the door of his cell. This certificate listed all of the crimes the he had committed. When that prisoner had served his time, his certificate of debt was marked with the word "Tetelestai". The newly released prisoner would take his certificate of death to the judge for it to be notarized. Afterwards he would keep his certificate of debt with him at all times. If someone were to question why he was not in prison, he could take out the certificate of debt and prove that he had already paid for his crime. The word tetelestai guaranteed his deliverance and his liberty.
When Jesus cried "it is finished" there on the Cross of Calvary, it guaranteed our deliverance and liberty! Tetelestai means, “It was finished, it still is finished, and it always will be finished!” The work of Jesus Christ is forever complete.
From His miraculous birth at Bethlehem until the time He ascended back to Heaven Jesus lived an amazing life. He taught with great authority, He performed countless miracles and He changed many lives. But there came a time when His hour had come and He willingly offered Himself as the sacrifice for our sins.
Jesus was not surprised at any of the events that took place leading up to the cross. He knew the crowd would choose Barabbas, He knew they would cry "crucify Him" and He knew the great pain and agony that He would endure. But Jesus knew some things that the others could never know! He knew when all things were accomplished He would cry from that cruel cross “tetelestai”; “it is finished”!
- I would like to look at the events that took place at Calvary and preach on the thought "Tetelestai"
When Jesus said "It is finished", He was not referring to the end of His life. He was speaking of the completion of His assigned task. I want to examine the events that occurred at Calvary and see just what was finished on that day. Let's begin with the fact that:
I. THE PAIN OF SACRIFICE IS FINISHED
After the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, God Himself offered the first animal sacrifice. He made coats of skin to cover Adam & Eve’s nakedness. (Genesis 3:21) A sacrifice was a physical reminder that the “wages of sin is death” – Romans 6:23
The purpose of sacrifice was twofold. It was intended to bring to remembrance the sins that separate us from God and it served to point mankind toward a redeeming Christ. Sacrifices showed mankind the need for repentance and for an intercessor. Hebrews 9:22 says "Without shedding of blood there is no remission of sins". In the prescribed sacrifices, the life of a spotless animal was offered to a Holy God in place of the sinful soul. The sacrificial system was fulfilled in Christ's sacrifice This painful sacrifice is why Christ came to this earth.
- The Gospels have much to say about the pain of Christ’s sacrifice. Notice that:
a) JESUS WAS SCOURGED - John 19:1 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.
Pilate sent Jesus away to be scourged. A "scourge" was a whip with many thongs on it. This was an instrument that was used to inflict severe pain and punishment. This "scourge" would rip and tear the flesh. Often times the scourging alone would be enough to kill a man. After He was bound and scourged:
b) JESUS WAS BEATEN - Luke 22:63 Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking Him and beating Him,
These men began to hit Jesus and laugh at Him. Then they blindfolded Him and began to test him saying “Prophesy, who just hit you?” The Savior who came to the earth to seek and save was being treated like a common criminal. Though Pilate said “I find no fault in Him”, Jesus was violently beaten and shamelessly abused. After this:
c) JESUS WAS SPAT ON, STRIPPED AND MOCKED (Matthew 27:27-30)
Pilate’s soldiers took our Savior and spat on Him, stripped Him naked, placed a scarlet robe on His back and made a crown of thorns and jammed it onto His head. Then they blasphemously bowed and knee and cried “Hail, King of the Jews”. Let me just take a moment and say that one day they will bow before Him again. But the next time they will see Him as He is! - Romans 14:11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
- The Bible also tells us that:
D) JESUS HAD HIS BEARD PLUCKED FROM HIS FACE - Isaiah 50:6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.
Jesus faced horrible pain and extreme humiliation and everything He endured He endured for us! God’s only begotten Son willingly took our place. (2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.)
- After He was falsely tried & convicted, scourged, beaten, stripped & mocked:
e) JESUS WAS CRUCIFIED
John 19:17 And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha,
By this time Jesus was already losing significant amounts of blood. He was then forced to carry His cross to the execution site. After some time they compelled a man named Simon to carry the cross the remainder of the way. Then they placed Jesus on that cross. The soldiers drove spikes that were over 7 inches long into His hands and feet. They took that cross and lifted it up and dropped it into the hole. The weight of His body caused His flesh to tear. For 6 hours our Savior hung there in agony and shame.
Jesus was "The Lamb Of God”, He was without spot or blemish, He was the sinless Son of God. We are the ones who were guilty, we are the ones who deserve death and Hell; but thanks to the amazing grace of God our sins were transferred onto Him! Jesus took our penalty upon Himself; He willingly laid down His life to pay the prices to redeem us. Because of His sacrifice, our sin debt is now paid in full and because of this we are reconciled to God.
- As a result of the crucifixion:
F) JESUS DIED
John 19:28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!" 29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. 30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
Luke 23:45 says that after Jesus died...“The veil of the temple was torn in two“. This veil separated the holy place from the holy of holies. The high priest would enter into this Holy place once a year. There he would make an offering for the sins of the people. The veil was torn to show that the privilege of the high priest was now available to all man. We have access to the throne of grace, through the atonement of the Lord Jesus.
- As a result of Jesus' work at Calvary the pain of sacrifice is finished. But that was not all that was finished on that day. The Bible also tells us that:
II. THE PLAN OF SATAN IS FINISHED
Satan attempted time and time again to defeat Christ. In the Garden of Eden Satan corrupted Adam and Eve. He robbed them of their immorality.
Genesis 3:14 So the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel."
Eventually, a virgin named Mary gave birth to the Promised Seed. After His birth Satan moved evil King Herod to destroy the child. The babies of Bethlehem were slaughtered, but Jesus was taken to Egypt until Herod's death. In Nazareth, Jesus grew to become a man. Then for 3 ½ years Jesus taught with authority and performed many miracles. In Matthew chapter 4, Satan came to Christ and tempted Him; Jesus was victorious over this temptation; He refused to give in to the Devil’s deceptive plan. On Friday about sundown, when they took Jesus down from the cross, some may have thought that Satan had won the battle; but on Sunday morning, the Lord walked out of the grave, alive from the dead.
After Jesus died the authorities took many precautions to ensure that He would not escape his tomb. But on the third day they found the stone rolled away, the tomb was empty and Jesus was nowhere in sight. God had raised him just as he had promised; redemption was accomplished and Satan was defeated. (1 John 3:8 For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.)
Christ defeated Satan and because of this we have the opportunity to experience victory over him as well! (I Corinthians 15:57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.)
It is important for us to remember what God has in store for Satan. (Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.)
- The pain of sacrifice is finished, the plan of Satan is finished and we can also rest in the reality that:
III. THE POWER OF SIN IS FINISHED
- We live in a fallen creation and though sin is still prevalent in this world, we are no longer under its power. Jesus tells us that:
A. WE HAVE BEEN DELIVERED FROM THE PENALTY OF SIN
John 5:24 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
We have received mercy through Christ. As a result of Adam’s sin we were destined for condemnation. As David once said we were “born in sin and conceived in iniquity!” But when Christ was victorious on the Cross He made a way for us to be delivered from the Penalty of sin.
- Scripture also tells us that:
B. WE HAVE BEEN DELIVERED FROM THE POWER OF SIN
Romans 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
The Holy Spirit of God abides within us and we have been instructed to continuously walk in the Spirit. This means that the only control that Satan has over us what we give him. The only reason that sin has any power in our lives is because we allow it.
- Thanks to Jesus we have been delivered from sin's power and there is coming a day when:
C. WE WILL BE DELIVERED FROM THE PRESENCE OF SIN
There is coming a day when all the saints of God will be forever delivered from the presence of sin. One day we will possess a glorified body that will not have the ability to sin. And we will live in a place that is free from temptation and sin!
All of our pain is a result of sin. All of our heartaches are a result of sin. All of our sadness is a result of sin. War, murder, hunger, hate, sickness and death are all results of sin. We have the great promise that one day all these things will be no more. (Revelation 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.) This is only possible because of the finished work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
- When Jesus cried “Tetelestai” it was because the power of sin was finished. I would also like to consider the fact that:
IV. THE PROCESS OF SALVATION IS FINISHED
When Adam and Eve sinned, Satan gained rights over man. Christ has paid the ransom which sets us free from Satan’s power. God’s demanded punishment for human sin. Jesus took our punishment and did what we could never do. At Calvary, Jesus made a way for sinful man to reach a Holy God. (Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.)
There is no way to fully explain all of the implications that “Tetelestai” has on our lives. But we possess much hope because the pain of sacrifice, the plan of Satan, the power of sin and the process of salvation are all finished! Because these things are finished we can enjoy salvation through the blood of Jesus and we can have a personal relationship with the Lord Almighty. He accepts us because we have accepted His Son.
If you were to die today do you know that you know that you know that your sins have been washed by the Blood of the Lamb? If there is any doubt I encourage you to surrender to Jesus today. (Romans 10:9 if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.)
If you know that you belong to Him, then rejoice because it is finished! The pain of sacrifice is finished, the plan of Satan is finished, the power of sin is finished and the process of salvation is finished.
It is finished the battle is over
It is finished there will be no more war
It is finished the end of the conflict
It is finished and Jesus is Lord
I am glad that Jesus cried “Tetelestai”!
