“And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.” (Matthew 27:50 (ESV)
“And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last.” (Mark 15:37 (ESV)
“When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” (John 19:30 ESV)
In our study of the Gospel of Matthew’s record of the Passion Week of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is necessary, and insightful, to examine all four Gospel accounts. This discipline provides understanding of all the events and encounters which took place during those moments, hours and days.
A spoken or written word can help or hurt. It can bring comfort and encouragement or sorrow and despair. A spoken or written word makes, or breaks, a promise. One spoken or written word at a specific moment in time and space can bring war or peace.
As William Shakespeare said, “Words, words, words.” This was Hamlet’s reply to Polonius’ question, ‘What do you read, my lord?’ (Shakespeare, 1603). By repeating the word three times, Hamlet suggested that what he was reading was meaningless.
The Word of God, whether spoken or written, is not meaningless. Scripture is God’s breathed (2 Timothy 3:16). It is His revelation of who He is and what He has done, doing and will do (Psalm 1; 19; 119; 2 Peter 1:20-21).
Scripture compares itself to a sword which pierces (Hebrews 4:12-13), a mirror that reveals (James 1:23), a seed that reproduces (I Peter 1:23), milk which nourishes (I Peter 2:2), a lamp that shines (Psalm 119:105), a fire that consumes (Jeremiah 23:29a), and a hammer that shatters (Jeremiah 23:29b).
The spoken word Jesus said, and written in today’s texts, is a word of triumph. In English, it is the phrase “It is finished.” In Greek, it is one word; Tetelestai. It is spoken and written in the perfect tense; meaning a past completed action with continuing results. It is a word of accomplishment done on the sinners’ behalf by none other than God Himself; Jesus Christ. Tetelestai means completed, consummated and accomplished.
“Papyri receipts for taxes have been recovered with the word tetelestai written across them, meaning “paid in full.” This word on Jesus’ lips was significant. When He said, “It is finished” (not “I am finished”), He meant His redemptive work was completed. He had been made sin for people (2 Cor. 5:21) and had suffered the penalty of God’s justice which sin deserved,” states Edwin A Blum in the Bible Knowledge Commentary.
“After receiving the sour wine, Jesus announced, “It is finished,” and surrendered His spirit to death (John 19:30). This is consonant with our Lord’s statement earlier in John’s gospel that He would lay down His life and that no one would take it from Him against His will (10:17–18). After all, Jesus did not surrender His spirit to death until He had determined that His work was finished. Also, in declaring that His work was finished, Jesus indicated that nothing more has to be done for our salvation. He has fully paid for our sin, and there is nothing we need to or can add to His work on our behalf,” writes Dr. R. C. Sproul.
“Having received the vinegar Jesus said, “It is finished” (or consummated). As Jesus saw it, the entire work of redemption (both active and passive obedience, fulfilling the law and bearing its curse) had been brought to completion. And if someone should object that the burial had not yet taken place and that this too (as well as the repose in the tomb until the moment of the resurrection) was part of Christ’s humiliation, the answer would be very simple: in the mind of Christ the burial is so certain that he can speak as if that too had already been accomplished,” explains Dr. William Hendriksen.
Oh, to see the dawn of the darkest day
Christ on the road to Calvary
Tried by sinful men, torn and beaten, then
Nailed to a cross of wood.
This, the power of the cross
Christ became sin for us
Took the blame, bore the wrath
We stand forgiven at the cross.
Oh, to see the pain written on Your face
Bearing the awesome weight of sin
Ev’ry bitter thought, ev’ry evil deed
Crowning Your bloodstained brow.
This, the power of the cross
Christ became sin for us
Took the blame, bore the wrath
We stand forgiven at the cross.
Now the daylight flees, now the ground beneath
Quakes as its Maker bows His head
Curtain torn in two, dead are raised to life
Finished the vict’ry cry.
This, the power of the cross
Christ became sin for us
Took the blame, bore the wrath
We stand forgiven at the cross.
Oh, to see my name written in the wounds
For through Your suffering I am free
Death is crushed to death, life is mine to live
Won through Your selfless love.
This, the power of the cross
Son of God, slain for us
What a love, what a cost
We stand forgiven at the cross.
Songwriters: Keith Getty / Stuart Townend
Soli deo Gloria!
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