Calvary’s Cavalry (S1 E6)

“It is finished”

‘It is finished’ is but one word in the original, yet in that word is wrapped up the gospel of God; all assurance, and the sum of all joy. Jesus has so far on the cross, spoken to the thief, to His mother and John, to the Father, to those who were near, and now we hear Him cry out, “It is finished” This is the cry of Jesus in completion. He came down to this earth for a purpose and now he has completed the task at hand. Jesus throughout his journey on earth have mentioned couple of times that his purpose was to complete the course. Jesus completed the job God sent Him to do. We know it was completed on the cross.

“Tetelestai” was the word Jesus spoke, even though it takes three English words to translate it. Oliver B. Greene calls it, “The Greatest Word Ever Spoken on Earth.” During the time of Jesus this was a very common term and it was usually used by a servant when he completes a task and he would inform his master that the work was done. It was also used for business transactions when something was “paid in full.” Jesus paid it all on the cross, he paid our ransom and bought us from the clutches of the enemy and in the end he screams out that it is finished. When Jesus cried this out, it meant something which is a lot deeper. All the prophecies about Jesus the Messiah was completed, the sacrifice for sin was completed, the head of the enemy was crushed on the cross, Satan was defeated and the salvation plan was complete. It was Jesus crying out, “Father, I did it!, I did it all, I’ve done everything you’ve asked me to do, I have fulfilled the promise and defeated the enemy, I have done everything which I needed to do, It is all finished”

Charles Spurgeon beautifully puts it like this, “An ocean of meaning in a drop of language, a mere drop, for that is all that we can call one word! “tetelestai.” Yet it would need all the other words that ever were spoken, or ever can be spoken, to explain this one word. It is altogether immeasurable! … “Finished.” It was a Conqueror’s cry – it was uttered with a loud voice! There is nothing of anguish about it, there is no wailing in it. It is the cry of One who has completed a tremendous labor and is about to die – and before He utters His death-prayer, “Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit,” He shouts His life’s last hymn in that one word, “tetelestai”.”

Jesus uttered this word as a reminder that there is nothing we need to do to attain salvation, it is all taken care of, it is all completed on the cross by the Messiah.

It was finished and taken care for me because down came Calvary’s Cavalry!