Tetelestai It Is Finished

The Power of It is Finished

By

Bishop Melvin Maughmer, Jr.

John 19 28 & 30 says “After this, when Jesus knew that all things were now accomplished, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, he said, ‘I thirst. Then when he received the sour wine Jesus said, ‘It is finished,’ and he bowed his head and gave up the spirit.”

Let me suggest to you today what is probably one of the most powerful phrases in all of scripture is mentioned here and that is “It is finished”.

Prayer: -

OPENING: - All of us have unfinished things cluttering up our lives rather it is the bed half made this morning, the unfinished garage that we started cleaning out months ago, the unfinished book sitting on the nightstand, the unfinished bottle of Keto diet pills in the cabinet that was part of the new you that was supposed to happen back on January 1. Maybe it is the degree we that was never finished because life got in the way, or the infamous honey dew list that is just as long as it was when you first received it. These are things that some of us have in our lives that are unfinished.

Unfortunately, there are some things that are much more serious than that, the abandoned child that is wondering where mommy and daddy are because any couple can have a child, but it takes parents to stick to it and raise them, the marriage that barely made it to the anniversary because the desire to see it through was not there once the honeymoon was over, the bills that are piling up on the kitchen table because you were laid off from your job because Covid interrupted your life, the trips never made, and the promises never kept are serious things that some people have in their lives that remain unfinished.

UNDERSTAND: - It is easier to start things than to finish them. As I already have stated any couple can have a child, but it takes a parent to raise the child understanding that birth is never the finished plan, it is only the beginning. It is sad to see people start something and not have the desire to finish it. It produces missed opportunities and broken dreams that can lead to anxiety, depression, illnesses and ultimately death.

I remember when I was in the 6th grade and I was school crossing guard. One day I just quit, and my father really seemed to be upset with the fact that I quit. He stated if I lacked the desire to finish what I had started, then I could fall into a habitual lifestyle of never completing anything. I didn’t understand it then, but as I grew, I began to understand what he meant by that.

The unfinished things in our lives can often bring frustration, intimidation and interruption to our daily activities anxiety, depression, illnesses and even to our desire and purpose of serving God. I truly do not believe anybody likes unfinished stuff hanging over their head. The Bible gives us the definitive example of completing things and shows us that God always finishes what He begins. He is the Author and the Finisher of our faith. He is the Alpha and the Omega. He is the first and the last. He is the beginning and the end.

When we hear the last words of Jesus on the cross “It is finished” do we really understand the power that is associated with that phrase. The questions become literally What did Jesus mean when he said, “It is Finished”? Was He simply saying that his physical suffering was over? Did He mean His ministry was over? I suggest to you that “It is finished” is a proclamation that all the work God the Father had sent him to accomplish was now finished, in particularly His work of bearing the penalty for our sins.

In our Western culture and our language, we lose the power and meaning of words so many times. In Greek, which is the audience which John was writing to he uses the word “Tetelestai” which literally means “It is finished” and is the same word that means “paid in full”. This word was written on business documents or receipts in New Testament times to indicate that a bill had been paid in full.

UNDERSTAND: - To the Hebrew people, “Tetelestai,” or, “it is finished” had a very ceremonial meaning. The Day of Atonement would come to serve as a day of special sacrifice for the sins of the people of Israel. The priest would kill an animal for sacrifice, he would take the blood of the animal behind the veil into the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the blood altar in front of the Ark of the Covenant asking for the atonement of the people, he would and emerge from behind the veil and announce to the crowd, “it is finished” indicating the people’s sins were forgiven.