"The Mission Of Salvation Completed” - The Sixth Word Of Jesus From The Cross

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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)