It was done, it remains done today, and it will always remain done all through the future.

“It is finished!” John 19:30 

I heard and read many well-known people’s last words. However, people always wonder at the last seven words (or phrases) Jesus spoke when He was dying on the cross. The last words of Lord Jesus Christ on the cross before his death speaks volumes for us. 

Listen to what John recorded in chapter 19:28-30. “After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there, and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Jesus said, “It is finished” just before his death.” Then he said, “Father, into your hands, I commend my spirit.” (Luke 23:46). The Greek word used is ‘tetelestai’, which is translated as ‘it is finished, which is a unique perfect tense. Tetelestai means ‘brought to a close, completed or fulfilled fully. The Greek has this unique perfect tense which we do not have in English grammar. The perfect tense in Greek combines two Greek tenses- the Aorist tense and the Present tense. It combines both aorist’s effect, which means something happened, completed or fulfilled once in the past, and the present tense in a sense it remains completed now and forever. The powerful use of the perfect tense signifies why Jesus said what he said. The usage shows he completed once in the past when he died on the cross, and the result would continue as finished or fulfilled forever in the future.

Jesus made clear the purpose of his coming before His death. These are the purpose statements of Jesus.

Luke 19:10, Jesus said, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Matthew 20:28 and Mark 10:45, Jesus said, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

John 17:4-5, Jesus said to Father in Heaven, “I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.” Then he said, “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with your before the world began.” Jesus was with God before the world began, and He was God. (John 1). Jesus came in a rescue mission to save sinners like you and me, to shed His divine and sinless blood, then die and rose again, to pay for all of our debts of sins, iniquities, and trespasses we owe to God. God the Father sent Jesus as a fulfillment of over 300 prophecies in the Old Testament. He came and finished the task given to him to do even before the foundations of the world. According to the eternal counsel, this was an agreement or covenant made by God the Father and God the Son even before the creation of the world. (Psalms 40:6-7, Hebrews 10:5-10 and 13:20).

When Jesus uttered the last words, “it is finished, what did he mean? It is like an artist drawing/painting a picture. After several days of hard work on it, he completes it, and then he says it is finished. It means nothing more to do with it. It is done, completed, and finished. Jesus fulfilled the eternal agreement/covenant he made with God the Father to come to this earth and become the perfect sacrifice for humanity’s sin. All the old-testament animal sacrifices came to an end because all those were shadows of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus. (Isaiah 53). Jesus, by his death, conquered and paid for people’s sins once for all the time and by his resurrection brought victory to humanity’s death problem. The work is finished—nothing more to do. Listen!

It was done, it remains done today, and it will always remain done all through the future.

Hebrews chapter 10 says all the animal sacrifices were shadows of good things that are coming. Those sacrifices could never make people perfect, although repeated year after year. Those were pointing to the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross for people’s sins. Bible says in Hebrews 10:14 this vital statement about the sacrifice of Christ. It says, “For by one sacrifice He (Jesus) has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” This is the essence of ‘tetelestai’. By one perfect sacrifice, Jesus has perfected forever those who would come to Him. 

Those who would come and accept the gift of salvation, He makes them perfect forever. This perfection is not based on your works but solely based on what Jesus has done for us on the cross, and it becomes yours when you pray to him. “God makes people right with himself through their faith in Jesus Christ. God sent him to die in our place to take away our sins. We receive forgiveness through faith in the blood of Jesus’ death.” Romans 3:22 and 25). NCV.

I hope the Holy Spirit of God now opens up your eyes to see the truth of God. By inviting Jesus into your heart and putting your trust in what he has done for you, He saves you forever and perfects you, and gets you ready to live before God in heaven all through eternity. Nothing else would save you forever—no other way is given by God for your salvation.

 Got a moment for today’s prayer? “Father in heaven, I believe you make me right with you when I place my faith and trust on your Son, Jesus Christ. I believe you sent Jesus to die in my place to remove my sins and grant me forgiveness and eternal life. I call upon the name of Jesus Christ. Please save me now. In Jesus Christ’s name, I pray. Amen.”