It is Finished

Dear Quail Family,

Today is Good Friday. As we think back to the cross of Christ, we remember what John has recorded in John 19:30,

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

The phrase “It is finished” is actually a single word in John’s Greek original. The word is “tetelestai”.  It was a common word in that day, and it had many meanings:

• It was used by servants and employees who would report to their bosses that the job was done.
• It was used in a legal setting to announce that justice has been served and prison time completed.
• It was used in business to denote that the debt for, or the cost of something, was paid in full.
• It was used by the artist as they applied the final stroke and the work of art was done.

You can see that each of these uses applied to Jesus on the cross. The work was completed, justice was served, the debt was paid and the masterpiece of his earthly life was over.

That word makes all the difference. We now can rely on the completed work of Christ!