Tetelestai

"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