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“The Mission of Salvation Completed”
The Sixth Word of Jesus from the Cross
“It is Accomplished” (John 19:30)
“The Complete Gospel”
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1. Introduction – The Final Cry That Changed History
Good Friday is the most solemn moment in the history of the world.
On Calvary, heaven and earth meet.
The Son of God hangs on the Cross.
His body is wounded.
His blood is flowing.
The world thinks that Jesus is defeated.
But the Gospel tells us something extraordinary.
After tasting the vinegar, Jesus cried out:
“It is accomplished.” (John 19:30)
In Greek the word is Tetelestai.
This word carries a powerful meaning:
• Finished
• Completed
• Paid in full
• The mission fulfilled
It was a word used in the ancient world in different situations:
When a servant completed his task, he said:
Tetelestai — the work is done.
When a priest offered a perfect sacrifice, he declared:
Tetelestai — the offering is complete.
When a merchant received full payment of a debt, he stamped the document:
Tetelestai — paid in full.
On the Cross, Jesus used this word.
This was not a cry of defeat.
It was the proclamation of victory.
The work of redemption was completed.
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2. The Divine Plan of Redemption
God’s salvation is not accidental.
It is a divine plan prepared from the beginning of creation.
Scripture tells us that from the moment humanity fell into sin, God began the work of redemption.
In the mysterious wisdom of God, the same elements that participated in the fall participated in redemption.
Three realities cooperated in the fall of humanity:
1. A man — Adam
2. A woman — Eve
3. A tree — the tree in the Garden
And in God’s plan of redemption, these same three realities appear again.
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3. The Disobedient Adam and the New Adam
The first Adam brought sin.
The new Adam brought salvation.
In the Garden of Eden, Adam disobeyed God.
God said:
“Do not eat from the tree.”
But Adam chose his own will over God’s will.
Through that disobedience:
• Sin entered the world
• Suffering entered the world
• Death entered the world
Saint Paul explains this mystery beautifully:
“Through one man sin entered the world, and through sin death.” (Romans 5:12)
But God did not abandon humanity.
He sent a new Adam.
Jesus Christ.
The first Adam said:
“My will be done.”
But Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane said:
“Not my will, but yours be done.”
Adam disobeyed at a tree.
Jesus obeyed on a tree.
Adam brought death.
Jesus brought life.
Therefore Saint Paul proclaims:
“As by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man's obedience many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:19)
On the Cross, when Jesus said “It is accomplished,” the obedience of the new Adam was complete.
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4. The Proud Eve and the Humble New Eve
The second person involved in the fall was Eve.
Eve listened to the serpent.
The serpent tempted her with pride.
“You will become like God.”
Eve believed the lie.
Through her disobedience, sin entered the human family.
But in the mystery of redemption, God prepared another woman.
The humble Virgin Mary.
The early Church Fathers loved to speak about this beautiful comparison:
Eve and Mary
Eve listened to the serpent.
Mary listened to the angel.
Eve doubted God's word.
Mary believed God's word.
Eve brought disobedience.
Mary brought obedience.
Eve said yes to temptation.
Mary said yes to God.
At the Annunciation Mary declared:
“Behold the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)
Because of Mary's obedience, the Saviour entered the world.
At the Cross, Mary stood faithfully beside her Son.
She who said yes at the Annunciation continued to say yes at Calvary.
Thus the proud woman Eve is replaced by the humble woman Mary.
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5. The Tree of the Garden and the Tree of the Cross
The third element in the fall was a tree.
In the Garden of Eden, there was a forbidden tree.
Humanity fell because of that tree.
But God transformed the symbol of defeat into a symbol of victory.
Another tree appeared in history.
The Cross.
The Cross became the tree of salvation.
Saint Peter writes:
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree.” (1 Peter 2:24)
The tree that once brought death now becomes the tree that gives life.
That is why the Church sings on Good Friday:
“O happy fault that earned so great a Redeemer.”
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6. The Fulfilment of Prophecy
Before saying “It is accomplished,” Jesus tasted the vinegar offered to him.
This small moment fulfilled prophecy.
Psalm 69 had foretold this:
“They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” (Psalm 69:21)
Even in the smallest details, God's plan was being fulfilled.
Nothing in the life of Jesus happened by accident.
Everything was part of God's saving plan.
When Jesus tasted the vinegar, he knew that the Scriptures had been fulfilled.
And then he proclaimed:
“It is accomplished.”
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7. The Mission Completed
Jesus came to accomplish the Father's mission.
From the moment of his birth until the moment of his death, Jesus remained faithful to that mission.
At the age of twelve, he said:
“I must be about my Father’s business.” (Luke 2:49)
During his ministry, he declared:
“My food is to do the will of him who sent me.” (John 4:34)
And on the Cross he completes that mission.
From birth to death, Jesus faithfully fulfilled what the Father sent him to do.
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8. The New David Who Conquered Evil
The Cross also reminds us of another biblical story.
The story of David and Goliath.
David defeated the giant with five stones.
But the new David — Jesus Christ — defeats the giant of evil in another way.
Not with stones.
But with five wounds.
• The wound in the right hand
• The wound in the left hand
• The wound in the right foot
• The wound in the left foot
• The wound in the side
Through these five wounds, the giant of sin is defeated.
The Cross becomes the battlefield where Christ conquers evil.
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9. The Battle Without Armour
On the battlefield, soldiers wear armour.
But Jesus fought the battle of salvation without armour.
His flesh was torn.
His body was wounded.
The Psalmist describes the suffering of the Messiah:
“I can count all my bones.” (Psalm 22:17)
This prophecy is fulfilled on Calvary.
Jesus fought the battle not with weapons but with love.
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10. The Meaning of “It Is Accomplished”
When Jesus cried, “It is accomplished,” several things were completed.
1. The Old Covenant was fulfilled
All the sacrifices of the Old Testament pointed to this moment.
The Lamb of God offered himself for the salvation of the world.
2. The debt of sin was paid
Humanity owed a debt it could never repay.
Christ paid that debt with his blood.
3. The power of sin was broken
Through the Cross, the chains of sin were destroyed.
4. The gates of heaven were opened
Because of Christ’s sacrifice, humanity can now return to God.
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11. The Cry That Still Echoes Today
The cry “It is accomplished” still echoes through history.
It reminds us that salvation has already been won.
But it also invites us to respond.
Jesus completed his mission.
But we must accept the fruits of his sacrifice.
The Cross is not only an event of the past.
It is a call to conversion today.
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12. A Spiritual Diagnosis
Many people today live as if the Cross has no meaning.
We seek comfort but avoid sacrifice.
We seek success but avoid obedience.
But the Cross teaches us that true victory comes through surrender to God.
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13. A Message for the Christian Community
The Church stands under the Cross.
The Cross is the centre of Christian life.
Every time we celebrate the Holy Mass, the sacrifice of the Cross becomes present.
The Cross reminds us:
Love is stronger than hatred.
Mercy is stronger than sin.
Life is stronger than death.
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14. Illustration – The Debt Paid in Full
In ancient times, when a prisoner paid his debt, the authorities would write one word across the document:
Tetelestai — Paid in full.
When Jesus died on the Cross, the debt of humanity was cancelled.
The Cross became the receipt of our salvation.
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15. Conclusion – The Cry That Still Saves the World
The final cry of Jesus is not a cry of defeat.
It is the cry of a Saviour who has completed his mission.
The new Adam has obeyed the Father.
The new Eve stands faithfully beside the Cross.
The tree of death has become the tree of life.
The giant of evil has been defeated.
The debt of sin has been paid.
And heaven is open.
That is why the Church proclaims with faith:
“It is accomplished.”
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16. Prayer
Let us pray.
Loving and merciful Father,
We thank You for the saving sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus Christ.
When He cried, “It is accomplished,”
the work of redemption was completed.
Help us to live in the grace of that sacrifice.
Teach us to carry our crosses with faith.
Teach us to trust Your plan even in suffering.
May the Cross lead us to repentance, renewal, and resurrection.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
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Contact details:
Dr. ADDANKI RAJU.
addankiraju.blogspot.com
addankiraju9@gmail.com
Mobile, WhatsApp: +91 98481 43047
X: Dr. ADDANKI RAJU@addankiraju
Facebook: Addanki Raju
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A Gentle Invitation to Share
If this message has brought you even a small measure of joy, light, encouragement, or spiritual nourishment, I humbly invite you to share this spiritual food with others.
Someone you know may be waiting for a word of hope.
Someone may be silently searching for meaning.
Someone may be thirsty for God.
By sharing this message, you become a simple yet powerful instrument in God’s hands. This small act of sharing becomes a beautiful act of evangelisation — a quiet mission of love you carry out in your daily life.
Let the Word that touched your heart reach another heart.
May the Lord use you to spread His light.
May His Word bear abundant fruit.
God bless you abundantly.
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