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Approved and verified accurate by the Local Outreach Coordinator of the Department of Spiritual Life on July 17, 2025.
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Tetelestai, the final word spoken by Jesus on the cross, echoes throughout eternity.
When He had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.
– John 19:30, NIV
“It is finished” translates from that four-syllable Greek word, but its depth is far greater than a simple statement. It carries three significant and profound implications that have shaped history and continue to shape our faith and eternal hope.
In the ancient world, tetelestai was stamped on financial documents to indicate that a debt had been completely paid.1 Without that stamp, individuals who owed debts were forced to pay back the amount, often with heavy interest, and, if they could not afford it, were subject to enslavement and other strenuous forms of physical labor.
Jesus used this word to declare that the full price for our sins had been paid, not in part, but in whole, making us no longer slaves to sin.
He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us;
He has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.
– Colossians 2:13-14, NIV
This is the heart of God’s grace: salvation is not earned, but given. Christ’s perfect obedience and sacrificial death are credited to us and we can rest in the assurance that nothing more is required. The debt is gone!
In Greek military context, tetelestai was used by soldiers returning from battle to report that their mission had been completed — not just attempted — completed, every objective of their order was fulfilled and carried out.1
Jesus’ life was not cut short. It was completed with divine precision. From His birth in Bethlehem to His baptism in the Jordan, from His wilderness temptation to His final breath on the cross — every step was part of God the Father’s redemptive plan. He fulfilled the Law perfectly, not just in action but in heart. He bore the weight of sin, not symbolically, but literally, so much so that it killed Him.
I have brought You glory on earth by finishing the work You gave Me to do.
– John 17:4, NIV
This is the comfort of the cross: Christ didn’t leave anything undone. There is no “next step” we must take to finish what He started. His mission was to redeem, and He did — fully and forever.
Lastly, in the temple courts, tetelestai was spoken by priests after inspecting a sacrificial lamb and finding it without blemish. When the offering met every requirement, the priest would declare it acceptable for sacrifice.
But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God.
– Hebrews 10:12, NIV
Jesus, the Lamb of God, was not only the sacrifice but also the High Priest. He offered Himself — spotless, sinless, fully obedient on our behalf. And in His final breath, He declared that the offering was accepted. The curtain in the temple tore from top to bottom, symbolizing the step into the new covenant between God and His people, no longer paid for by physical sacrifices, but by divine decree. Access to the Father was no longer mediated by ritual, but by the blood of Christ.
Tetelestai is not just a cool-sounding word to remember (although it is pretty fun to say). It’s a truth to live by. In a world that constantly demands more and more, Jesus invites us to rest in what has already been done. The debt is paid. The mission is accomplished. The sacrifice is accepted.
So we walk forward. Not in fear, but in freedom. Not striving for approval, but standing in it. And with every step, we echo that final word — not as a whisper of defeat, but as a shout of victory:
It is finished.
Tetelestai!
Live Gladly in God’s Grace
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