Steven A. Bush - August 1, 2021
Tetelestai-Paid in Full
John 19:28-30 include some of Jesus' last words on the cross: "After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to His mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished,” and He bowed His head and gave up His spirit." (ESV) The phrase, "It is finished" in Greek is, Tetelestai, an accounting term which means, "Paid in Full!" What does this utterance mean for us? It means that with His sacrifice, Jesus paid our earned punishment on the cross, canceling our debt of sin along with its sentence of death and damnation. Our salvation was achieved by Christ alone and can be earned in no other way. Hudson Taylor, the renowned missionary to China, put it this way: 'There dawned upon me the joyous conviction that since the whole work was finished and the whole debt was paid upon the Cross there was nothing for me to do but to fall upon my knees, accept the Savior and praise Him forevermore.' Yay and Amen! Is is truly doubtful that a better summation can be made than that! Tetelestai! All glory to His name!