"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)
Today, Christians around the world commemorate the death of Jesus. Why and what is so special about His death?
Before we learn from John 19, let us know these facts. Compared to other great philosophers, prominent men, and religious leaders, Jesus' life was noticeably short. Abraham was 175 years old when he died, Moses 120 years, Siddhartha Gautama Buddha 80 years, Confucius 72 years, Plato 80 years, Aristotle 62 years, and Muhammad 64 years. Jesus only lived for 33 years. Nevertheless, what He achieved in those short years surpassed all of them.
Somebody says, "Socrates taught for 40 years, Plato for 50, Aristotle for 40, and Jesus for only 3. Yet the influence of Christ's 3-year ministry infinitely transcends the impact left by the combined 130 years of teaching from these men who were among the greatest philosophers of all antiquity."
Jesus of Nazareth, without money and arms, conquered more millions than Alexander the Great, Caesar, Mohammad, and Napoleon; without science and learning, he shed more light on things human and divine than all philosophers and scholars combined; without the eloquence of school, he spoke such words of life as were never spoken before or since, and produced effects which lie beyond the reach of orator or poet; without writing a single line, he set more pens in motion, and furnished themes for more sermons, orations, discussions, learned volumes, works of art, and songs of praise than the whole army of great men of ancient and modern times. –Philip Schaff
H.G. Wells says, "I am a historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as a historian that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very center of history. Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history."
How could Jesus have such a significant impact on human life? Let's read John 1:1-3 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him, nothing was made that has been made." Jesus is more than a prophet, moral teacher, or religion's founder. He is God who incarnated to be a Man!
"Buddha never claimed to be God. Moses never claimed to be Jehovah. Mohammad never claimed to be Allah. Yet Jesus Christ claimed to be the true and living God. Buddha said, "I am a teacher searching for the truth." Jesus said, "I am the Truth." Confucius said, "I never claimed to be holy." Jesus said, "Who convicts me of sin?" Mohammad said, "Unless God throws his cloak of mercy over me, I have no hope." Jesus said, "Unless you believe in me, you will die in your sins." -- Unknown
After the persecution that lasted Thursday night and continued to His crucifixion on Friday until nearly 3:00 pm, Jesus physically could no longer endure. He had shed so much blood. The condition of His body hanging on the cross for hours caused damage to the vital organs in His body. When He was about to exhale his last, He said, "It is finished."
This is not a cry of despair or hopelessness but a cry of victory. In Greek, the word "It is finished" is "tetelestai," which has several meanings:
- In the Service – When a servant has finished his job, he would tell his master "tetelestai," which means I have done the job you entrusted to me the best I could. And the master would say. "Good job!"
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For Priests –
Before the people of Israel brought their sacrifices, the priests examined whether the sacrifice animals were perfect. When the priests said, "tetelestai," that meant they were good, and the sacrifices were accepted.
- For Merchants – When someone paid for something he bought, the seller would give him a receipt with a note "tetelestai," which meant "paid off" or no more debt.
- For Artists – When an artist finished his art, he would say "tetelestai," which meant I was satisfied with my creation.
When Jesus was on the cross, He said: "tetelestai!" which means:
1. He has done all the tasks the Father gave Him (John 17:4; John 9:4).
2. He is the perfect sacrifice for redeeming humans' sins (Isaiah 53:10; Heb. 10:4-10).
3. Jesus has paid off our debts of sin. Therefore, now we are His (1 Cor.6:20).
4. Jesus ended His life victoriously (even though He was crucified, He rose again three days later, overcoming death).
Praise the Lord; Jesus has finished everything for us. He sacrificed Himself so that we don't need to face punishment. He died so that we may have eternal life. And when we accept Him, He would also love to transform our lives, to make our lives meaningful. The question is, have you invited Jesus Christ into your heart?
