Tetelestai!

Hebrews 12:² “Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever…” (MSG)

Jesus surrendered His life for you and I! He gave His life for you and me, He voluntarily gave up His spirit. You do not give up what is taken from you. If something is taken from you forcefully by lies, coercion, or manipulation. But none of those made Jesus give up His life. He gave it up for me, He gave it up for you. Jesus actually voluntarily died for you. And when He said it is finished, it is arguably the three most important Words in the life of any Christian. The word It is finished in the original is Tetelestai. Jesus shouted, Tetelestai! It is finished! It is the same expression when a servant has finished serving his master. He comes and he says the job has been completed. It is the same word as Tetelestai. The job has been completed.

The same word a judge uses when he says justice has been served – Tetelestai! Jesus was saying, the job has been completed. Justice has been served. It is the same word the accountant uses back in the day when the debt has been paid in full. When an accountant recovers a debt or a debt recovering officer recovers a debt and it has been paid in full. They say Tetelestai. When the artist has finished the work of art, the masterpiece he has been painting and he drops his paintbrush. The artist says, Tetelestai, I have finished. On the cross of Calvary, Jesus was saying, the job is completed like a servant. Jesus was saying justice has been served like a judge. Jesus was saying the debt has been paid like an accountant. Jesus was saying the beautiful divine work of art is completed. Tetelestai! It is finished!

To understand the meaning, and to begin to dive into Tetelestai, you need to understand that God is a God of love. God is a God of order. God is the God of laws. God is the God of justice. God is a God of forgiveness. God is the God of grace. God is a God of light. You need to understand these seven. If you look at the law, for instance, God is a God of order, He is a God of laws. However, when you break the law of God, guess what? You do not break the law, you break yourself. We think we are breaking the law, but what is happening is you are actually breaking yourself.

Take the law of gravity for example, if someone jumps from a fifty-story building because he wants to break the law of gravity. When he has dropped thirty floors, if you ask him how he is doing, he will say everything is fine. But what happens when he gets to ground zero? There is a way that seems right to a man or to a woman, but the end is destruction (Proverbs 14:12).

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, I keep my eyes on You who both began and finished. And just like You, I will both begin and finish never losing sight of what is ahead, in Jesus Mighty Name. Amen!