It Is Finished

by Chadwick Brewer

“When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (John 19:30).

The Greek word translated as “It is finished” is tetelestai. To our ears, it might sound like Jesus is simply saying, “My life is over.” However, Jesus uses the perfect tense in the passive voice. This term, in this tense, was used in specific contexts in the first-century Greek world.

The word τετέλεσται was often written on business documents or receipts to show that a debt had been paid in full. How fitting it is that Jesus would use this term to signify that He has paid the debt of sin in full through His death!

This term was also used in a military context. A soldier might say τετέλεσται when a mission had been accomplished. Jesus is the militant King who came to vanquish the one who was the ruler of this world, establish His eternal throne, and gain victory over death. What an amazing thing He finished on the cross!

The word was also used in a religious context when someone had completed a vow or fulfilled a sacred duty, particularly in temple service or ritual. Jesus came to do the work the Father had given Him. He was to fulfill all righteousness and fulfill the law, ushering in a new covenant in His blood.

He has completed His sacred duty, vanquished the enemy, and paid our debt in full. It is finished!