It is finished!

“It is finished!”

Those three words spoken by Jesus just prior to His bowing His head and breathing His last are well known. (John 19:30)  But, I know that I had never realized the extent of what they convey.  In July 2019 my wife and I attended a conference in Atlanta, Georgia and one of the speakers spent some time “unpacking” some of what Jesus was conveying.  Upon returning home I spent some time studying this further.  This has been revelation to me.

These three words, it is finished,  are translated from one Greek word.  Strong’s gives us the Greek as teleo, number G5055.  Most other sources render these three words as tetelestai, which is the perfect tense of the verb teleo.  Although most of our English language Bibles render this Greek word as “it is finished” the many and various meanings are powerful.  Some of the meanings and understanding of tetelestai are well documented, others are oral tradition, However, we do know that oral traditions are usually based on true usages.

Here, in the following paragraphs, are some of the various usages and a bit more understanding as to what Jesus was saying.  We often quote His words and apply them in numerous ways.  And, many of those are applicable, as we shall see.

One way tetelestai was used in the ancient world was by a servant reporting back to his master and informing him that “I have completed ( tetelestai ) the work assigned to me.”  In an ancient secular Greek text there is an example of a father sending his son on a mission.  The son was not to return until he had performed the last act of the mission.  When he did return from his successful mission, he used the word  tetelestai to report to his father that the had accomplished the goal.

Jesus had spoken earlier, “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.”  (John 6:38) In Mark 10:45 we read His statement that He “came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”  There are many more statements that He made showing He was on a mission from His Father.  Now on the cross, just moments before giving His life, He spoke to His Father, saying,  tetelestai , “ I have accomplished all that you gave me to do.”

We know that under the Law a person would bring their sacrifice to the priest.  The individual was not examined, but the sacrificial animal.  It was carefully inspected for any blemishes and it was only those without blemish that were accepted .  It is reported that upon finding the sacrifice acceptable the priest would say  tetelestai, indicating that it was acceptable, without blemish, perfect and faultless.  We read numerous Scriptures which declare that Jesus was our sacrificial lamb, a perfect sacrifice, without fault or blemish.  He was referred to as the lamb of God, as our Passover.  In 1 Peter 1:18-19 we read, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from the father; But with the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without spot:”

When Jesus cried out  tetelestai on the cross He was saying unto the Father, and to us, “I have been examined and found to be without blemish, without spot, and I am the perfect sacrifice.  I am sacrificed to take away the sins of the world, to redeem all!”

Frank Boreman, a Baptist preacher of the late 1800's and early 1900's and who was a scholar and prolific writer, wrote that “When the painter or the sculptor had put the last finishing touches to the vivid landscape or the marble bust, he would stand back a few feet to admire his masterpiece, and, seeing in it nothing that called for correction or improvement, would murmur fondly,  tetelestai ,  tetelestai .”  All of the Old Testament “pictures,” (types) of the Messiah were fulfilled in Jesus.  Paul states in Col. 2:16-17 that all of the things “pictured” by the observance of the Sabbath, Holy Days, etc. were just the shadows, the types, the pictures which were fulfilled in Jesus.  The death of Jesus on the cross completed the “painting,” and “finished the picture” of redemption of mankind, the picture that had been in the Father’s heart from “before the foundation of the world.”  (1 Pet. 2:20) When Jesus exclaimed  tetelestai , He was stating that the picture was finished, it was completed.  The masterpiece was perfect needing nothing further done to it.  His death was the final brush stroke.  Nothing additional was called for.

It is widely reported that in ancient time when one paid off a promissory note the one who held the note would write  tetelestai across it.  The note was paid.  A deed to a property was not in effect until it was dated and signed.  And, when that was accomplished the clerk, or individual, seeing that this was done, would write  tetelestai across the deed.  When an individual had a debt and it was paid off, the creditor would write  tetelestai on the certificate of debt showing that it had been “PAID IN FULL.”

When Jesus gave Himself on the cross He fulfilled all of the demands of the law upon us and our “sin debt” was PAID IN FULL.  The Old Testament sacrifices could never pay the debt, they just covered the sin.  Jesus had in essence said to the Father long before He came to earth “I give you a ‘promissory note’ that I will pay the price for everyone’s redemption.”  On the cross the note was paid off, it was now stamped  tetelestai , PAID IN FULL!  When Jesus exclaimed  tetelestai on the cross as he was a moment away from death He proclaimed to each and everyone that our debt has now been paid in full.   TETELESTAI!

It is reported that during the first century it was common practice to nail to the prisoner’s cell door a “charge sheet.”  This spelled out what crimes or offences he was convicted of and the sentence or penalty that he had been given.  When the sentence had been served the charge sheet was removed from the door and all charges were cancelled by writing  tetelestai across it in large letters.   Tetelestai, time has been served, the sentence has been paid.  The sheet was given to the individual as proof and he was not to be charged with those offences again.  He had paid the price for his transgressions in full, the entire sentence had been served.

When Jesus proclaimed  tetelestai moments before He died He pronounced that our sentence had been served, the death sentence we had been given was fully paid.  We were to never be charged with our offences, our transgressions, again.  We weren’t given “early release,” or put on parole.  He declared our penalty, our sentence was fully paid.  He paid it in our stead.   TETELESTAI!
Our sin debt was PAID IN FULL.  Our death sentence was fully served.  Was this not what the Apostle Paul is telling us in Col. 2:14?  “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.”

Another usage of the word  tetelestai related to a successful military campaign against an enemy.  When a general returned victorious from battlefield and paraded his captives before him in the streets of Rome, or the major city he was stationed to, he proclaimed his victory by shouting out  tetelestai.  By his victory shout it was a clear statement that the enemy was conquered and his power was broken.

Similarly when Jesus spoke that powerful word,  tetelestai, He was declaring that He had overcome the adversary, his power was gone, he was trampled underfoot.  Through Jesus we too have the victory.  Paul states in Romans 8:37, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”   TETELESTAI!

Three words.  One word in Greek.  So powerful.  So profound.  So much meaning.  Yes, it is finished.  He accomplished all that His Father sent Him to do.  He was the perfect sacrifice.  He paid our debt in full.  He served our sentence completely.  He was victorious over the adversary and we get to take the victory lap!  We can rejoice in  TETELESTAI!  TETELESTAI!

Garry D. Pifer
8/26/19