Rev. David Holwick
First Baptist Church
West Lafayette, Ohio
April 6, 1986
It Is Finished
Jesus had been on the cross six hours. They gave him a drink, and he said, “It is finished.”
What did Jesus mean by this?
There have been a variety of interpretations. Some believe Jesus is admitting defeat. In Gethsemane he had asked God to take the cup of suffering away from him, but God didn’t and Jesus was now at the end of a cruel death.
Admitting defeat would be a very human response and we should not forget that Jesus was human as well as divine. Many of his words on the cross seem to be full of despair. At one point he even says, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Others have experienced this feeling. A newspaper reporter in Chicago received a telephone call. It was from a man named James Lee and he said he was sending the newspaper a letter containing the story of his suicide. Immediately the reporter tried to trace the call, but he was too late. When the police arrived the young man was slumped in the booth with a bullet through his head. In one of his pockets they found a child’s crayon drawing. It was all wrinkled up and faded, but obviously the man treasured it. On the back of it a note said, “Please leave this in my pocket. I want to have it buried with me.” The drawing was signed by his little daughter, Shirley, who had been killed in a fire just five months before. When she died, Lee had been so full of grief he asked total strangers to attend her funeral so she would have a nice service. He told them there was no family left because Shirley’s mother had been dead ever since the child was two years old. James Lee could not handle the despair, so he took his life. Maybe Jesus was giving into despair, so he says, “It is finished.”
Another possibility is that Jesus is passively resigning himself to his death. His suffering is now finished. This is a very common reaction among dying people. They may spend months struggling to stay alive, but finally they accept the inevitable. It is not defeat, just passive acceptance. When you consider all that Jesus had to go through, it would be understandable.
However, the evidence in the Bible points to a better alternative. The phrase, “It Is Finished,” is only found in the gospel of John. The other three gospels mention a loud shout by Jesus, which John does not mention. This loud shout comes after Jesus takes a drink -- John also has Jesus saying, “It is finished” after he takes a drink. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that “It is finished” is the shout that Jesus gave from the cross. In Greek, it is just one word - “Tetelestai.” Jesus is not quietly giving in or giving up - he is claiming victory. He is saying, “I have finished my task!”
This doesn’t fit in with the view many people have of the cross. People tend to see it as a negative thing. It had to be endured so he could triumph in the resurrection. Many have the idea the cross was a necessary evil. But this goes against the clear evidence of the Bible. From the beginning of his ministry, Jesus knew he had a mission to accomplish and this mission would result in his death.
Consider the gospel of John by itself. In John 10:17 Jesus says, “Therefore my Father loves me, because I lay down my life.” In 12:32 he says - “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” In 13:1 John states - “Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the father.”
Jesus knew he had to go to the cross. He deliberately decided to go ahead with it. Humanly speaking, he dreaded it, but he knew it had to be done. After enduring it, he claimed the victory.
The cross was a victory because it accomplished redemption. It is interesting that the Greek word “tetelestai” had a special meaning in Jesus’ day. It was used by people in finance to indicate that a debt had been paid. So the shout of Jesus from the cross could be paraphrased as “Paid In Full.”
Two thousand years have passed but we still know what debt means. Some of you may be in debt up to your ears. The credit cards charge you up to 18% interest or even more. Some of the finance companies will gouge you for 25%. It can get to be a burden to pay off the interest, much less the principle. You would love to receive a statement that says, “Paid in full.”
We can understand the finances, but you may not be aware of the spiritual dimension. The Bible says we are in debt to God. That’s why Matthew’s version of the Lord’s Prayer says; “Forgive us our debts.” Whenever we sin, we become more indebted to him. We owe him, and there’s no way we can pay him back. This debt separates us from God so we cannot be close to him. To put it in human terms, we all know what it is like to owe people money. We feel uncomfortable around them, especially if we’re behind on the payments.
Up in Cleveland, being behind can cost you your limbs or your life. Coshocton is much more civilized. Here they’ll just repossess your car, your house, your kids. We are all woefully behind on what we owe God. It’s not enough to say we are sorry. That won’t pay the debt. We can’t even impress God with our good works, because we can never be good enough.
The situation is hopeless unless someone else foots the bill and that’s exactly what Jesus did on the cross. He was obedient to God, went to the cross and said, “Tetelestai -- I have paid your debt in full.” We deserve to die for our sins but Jesus died in our place.
When Jesus finished God’s plan of redemption, he finished it completely. There are still prophecies to be fulfilled, but redemption is fully accomplished. Not everyone agrees with this. The Moonies don’t. The believe Jesus blew it. Jesus was supposed to get married to Mary Magdalene and start a family but Satan tricked him onto the cross. Because of this, God had to start all over again by sending Rev. Moon. But the Bible says Jesus completed his task. In Hebrews it says he was sacrificed once and for all, for our sins (Hebrews 7:27).
Jesus is not the only one who has had a mission from God. Every Christian also has a task to complete. When the Apostle Paul wrote his last letter, 2 Timothy, he said in it, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (4:7).
Paul had finished his race after a lifetime of serving God. When we become Christians, we are just beginning our task. Since he has given it to us, it is not for us to cut it short. Since he has given it to us, we have a purpose in life. Our task is finished when we die but we will not be finished - we will have an eternity to enjoy God and all his wonders.
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Typed on March 20, 2013, by Sharon Lesko of Ledgewood Baptist Church, New Jersey
Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick
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