Tetelestai

How are you at completing projects?

My life and house are littered with my half-completed projects – books to read, pictures to hang, messes to clean - even harder now that we have a baby

Our “to-do” lists are more like “never-do” lists

Mt. Rushmore – supposed to be portrayed to the waist

Michelangelo – more uncompleted works than completed

Ever think about how much more certain historical figures could have accomplished had they lived longer – JFK, Alexander the Great – lived to 33

We know another young man who died at 33 – His lists are different – All that He came to do, He accomplished

He said, “It is finished” – What is finished? - not just finish suffering

Finished the work of redemption – purpose of His coming

It is finished – tetelestai – farmer or priest - animal is perfect for purchase or sacrifice, carpenter or artist or servant - task is completed, banker - debt is paid in full

Perfect tense – focus is on the result, state which follows upon completed action - Jesus’ words are about the here and now more than the past - they are about us

Bible is the history of redemption of God’s people

Mt. of Transfiguration – Luke 9:30-31 - the word departure in the Greek is actually "Exodus" - Why use the word "exodus?"

This is not just about Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension. He is showing how he is fulfilling all of the O. T. prophecies concerning Israel. Matthew picks up on this when He refers to Jesus as a New Israel (Matthew 2:15, Hosea 11:1).

I illustrate this showing transparencies from the "Divine Drama" produced by Crossways International (www.crossways.org or 1-800-257-7308). Show transparencies 24, 53, and 68. They show the connection between the redemption of Israel in the Exodus, Jesus’ work of redemption and our redemption.

When I went to a Crossways conference the presenter spoke about his tour of the Holy Lands in 1998. The tour gude got on the bus, introduced himself as Amnon. He said that he was named after one of King David’s sons. The presenter said, "You mean the one that assaulted his half-sister Tamar?" It must have been on his "to-do" list to read "How to win friends and influence people." They actually hit it off amazingly. Later, they were talking and the presenter asked Amnon how many Jews went through the Exodus. Amnon said, "We all went through it."

That is a collective view of history, a shared history. We, as westerners, don’t think that way. But the history of redemption has become our history, our redemption.