John 19:30 “It Is Finished”

You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.

! Our passion is to experience and express grace. Join us. Amen. Can we pray together?

! Jesus, we thank you for the cross. We're gathered here because of your

cross. And we're grateful that you're here with us and so ask that you would help us,

that our lives would be different, that our relationship with you would be

different because of your finished work on the cross on our behalf. By your word,

would you do that, Holy Spirit, in our hearts today? And we ask it in Jesus' name.

Amen.

We arrived this morning and are lingering at the cross of Jesus at his final breath.

He's been betrayed, arrested, beaten, unjustly tried, proclaimed innocent, mocked, handed over to be

crucified. He's cared for those around him. He's endured darkness in the middle of the day for three

hours. He suffered the torments of hell for our sins to the point of saying, I thirst.

The soldiers extend some sour wine to him and we continue our reading at verse 30 of John 19.

John 19. One verse, but one powerful, history-changing, eternity-impacting verse.

John 19. John 19.

John 19. At verse 30.

When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, it is finished. And he bowed his head

and gave up his spirit. Thus far, God's holy word. Here, Jesus, about to lay down his life,

willingly again, right? We see this highlighted. He's handing his spirit to his father in unimaginable

agony, yet in total control. Jesus says, it is finished. It's one word in Greek, tetelestai.

It's been life-changing for me. It is the good news of Jesus in one word. So if you don't know Jesus,

if you don't have a relationship with him or understand what his offer to you is, then I hope

you'll listen with us this morning because he's going to explain it to us really in this one word.

I want to unpack that word together this morning, but I want you to know it could take a while.

British preacher Charles Spurgeon once said, you would need all the other words that ever were spoken

or ever can be spoken to explain this one word. I won't use them all this morning.

It's not actually complicated, but it's glorious. It's gloriously impactful and far-reaching.

That's why it takes so long. Let me just start by giving us a couple of pictures.

Financial expert Dave Ramsey hates debt. He loves helping people get out of debt. And when they have

paid and they've saved and they've paid some more and they've finally gotten all of it taken care of,

they can call into his show and scream, I'm debt free.

It's a scream of celebration, of freedom, of finish. That's part of Tetelestai.

Or picture a champion marathon runner leaning towards the finish line. After running 26 miles,

navigating hills and heat, enduring aches and pains and thirst, holding off others seeking to defeat him.

And he gasps with a little bit of air he has left, finished! Or probably more like, yes!

It's a cry of victory, of triumph, of finish. Keep that in mind too.

I mean, just thinking of where we are in John's story, all the way over the last couple years even,

and in God's story, all the way through the Bible, when Jesus is on the cross,

there is a long, long list of things of which we could say, it is finished!

Think with me. God's eternal plan of redemption.

The reconciliation of the world to God.

Jesus' defeat of the devil.

The mission of the Messiah.

The prophecies about Jesus.

Jesus' revelation of his Father.

All his sacrificial, substitutionary suffering.

Jesus' perfect life of obedience.

His work to rescue those that his Father gave to him.

All of that.

We could keep going, but we would run out of words before we reach the end of the impact

of what Jesus accomplishes on the cross.

I want, for the sake of our focus this morning,

to group some of those big concepts into two groups

to understand what Jesus saying it is finished means.

And then I want to ask, what does it mean for us?

Tetelestai was a term from the world of accounting.

This is what you would stamp on a debt once it was paid back fully.

To say paid in full.

Jesus paid it all, right?

Are we saying that?

That's what he's saying here.

He fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood.

He took the wages due to my sin.

Death.

The full punishment that I earned.

The wrath of God due to me in hell.

In my place.

He took all of that.

It is done.

It is finished.

No more debt I owe.

No.

The verb tense here means finished with ongoing effect.

It stays finished.

Not just finished for a second, but like finished forever.

No more to pay.

Jesus is not a halfway savior.

Now let's make sure we get this part straight too.

This is no small debt that Jesus pays at all.

It's bigger than any dollar amount that any of us have ever faced.

When Christy and I got married, we had some student loan debt.

And we desperately wanted to be rid of it.

So we sold one of our single most valuable possessions.

A car.

Went from two cars to one.

And took all that money and put it towards the debt.

And we weren't even halfway there.

We felt like we would never pay it off.

Month after month.

Year after year.

Finally we did.

But imagine the weight of this debt.

Nothing you pay towards it even touches it.

Month after month.

Year after year.

It's the same.

You could never pay it off.

It's an infinite debt.

And maybe you think, oh, preacher's exaggerating.

Maybe you don't think of your sin as that big.

You know, there's a lot of other bigger sinners out there.

Kids, I talk with some of you sometimes about your sin.

And you give me good examples like when you're mean to your brother or sister.

Okay?

Can you think about that one?

Have you ever been mean to your brother or sister?

It doesn't sound real big, does it?

But think with me.

You were mean even though you knew that God wanted you to be kind and patient with them.

You actually thought, I know that, but I want to do what I want to do rather than what God wants me to do.

In other words, you thought in that moment that you were smarter than God.

In that one little unkind word, it came from a heart that was saying, I would be a better God than God.

I thought, big sin, huh?

You wouldn't want to say that.

Also, did you know adults, including pastors, we commit big sins too.

Sometimes we forget that.

Adults, when was the last time you looked at someone else's house?

Or another woman?

Or a different job?

And thought, I wish I had that.

I mean, you didn't do anything about it, so you told yourself it didn't really hurt anyone.

It's not really that big of a deal, right?

But actually, you were saying in your heart that you knew better than God what would be best for you.

In fact, you felt that he couldn't be really fully trusted to give you exactly what you need,

so you needed to trust yourself.

Your heart was saying in that one little envious moment,

I would be a better God than God.

That's big sin.

And those are just some of the sins I'd point out that look better than others.

We do some things that look a lot worse on the surface.

Our debt towards God is huge.

An infinite amount because it's against an infinite God.

In fact, it is so massively beyond our ability ever to pay back

that our debt requires Jesus to suffer and die in our place.

It requires the death of the Lord of life.

Our sin requires the sacrifice of the Lamb of God to take away our sins.

Wow.

That's a big debt.

And that's the debt that Jesus takes,

and he stamps paid in full over all of it on the cross.

Picture Bunyan's pilgrim Christian overwhelmed by the burden of sin on his back

until he comes to the cross and immediately it rolls off and away forever.

Right?

It's why we sing that great stanza,

my sin,

oh, the bliss of this glorious thought.

My sin,

not in part,

but the whole,

is nailed to the cross

and I bear it no more.

Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.

Oh, my soul.

Not just part of it, right?

Not just the action.

Not just the thought.

Not just the motive behind it.

Not just the sin nature underneath it.

All of it nailed to the cross.

Paid in full by Jesus.

Tetelestai.

Finished.

In case you think I'm exaggerating,

Hebrews 10 is a theological reflection on this idea.

It starts by telling us that all of the animal sacrifices for hundreds and hundreds of years

could not pay for the debt of sin.

That that was impossible.

So, Jesus came in flesh and blood to offer the true, worthy sacrifice that God required.

See, every priest had been offering sacrifices over and over and over.

But, verse 12,

Jesus offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins

and sat down.

Finished.

Because now,

he has perfected.

This is what Derek read to us earlier after we confessed our sins.

Finished.

Finished.

It's from the same word.

For all time.

Those of us who are still in progress.

Who are,

by the way,

still sinning.

Ah, there's the catch.

So, maybe when we mess up again tomorrow,

the debt is going to go up.

And this time,

we're going to have to pay.

Right?

Nope.

Verse 17 of Hebrews 10.

I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.

Where there is forgiveness of these sins,

lawless deeds,

there is no longer any offering for sin.

Finished.

Forgiven.

Free.

See, our sin racked up an enormous debt, didn't it?

But the triune God,

from all eternity,

set out to cover the debt for us.

Jesus said,

I'll pay it all.

So, Romans 3 explains,

what God did was he passed over

the full punishment for these sins.

Until Jesus came.

He didn't pour it all out.

He saved it up.

And then he gave justice

to past, present, and future sins

on Jesus.

So that God could remain just.

Sin gets what it deserves.

Death.

And at the same time,

God could be the justifier.

Could bring us,

undeserving sinners,

back into relationship

with him forever.

What amazing love.

Right?

That is the plan of redemption

that Jesus started

in eternity past

and finished on the cross.

As C.S. Lewis said,

that when a willing victim

who has committed no treachery

was killed in a traitor's stead,

the table would crack

and death itself

would start working backwards.

You wouldn't have to pay

the penalty of death

and

you'd be given

eternal life.

the opposite of what you deserved.

Jesus says,

Father,

I want these

that you have given me

to be with you and me

sharing glory with us.

So let me pay the price

to bring them home

into our family.

Jesus cries out in victory.

Not so much for himself

but for you and me.

Finished!

And so we

we can scream

I'm debt free!

That's not even all

that's in this word.

If you get all your debts paid

you

you still don't have any money

to live on, do you?

I mean,

getting back to zero,

who's excited about that?

We owe God

not only

avoidance of sin

and we messed that up

but also

a perfect life.

He made us

to reflect his image

in his world

in every way.

We have to run

the race

as it were

all the way

faithfully

to the finish.

It's our job.

This is why

Jesus doesn't

die

why the cross

doesn't come

just shortly

after being born

to pay for sins.

First,

Jesus has to live

and fulfill

all of God's

righteous law

to embody

all the Old Testament

prophecies

as John has been

highlighting to us

he has to reveal

the Father

to us

so we know

what he's like.

Show us what God's

like in the flesh.

And Jesus

has done this

to the very

last breath

as he now

crosses the finish line.

He's finished

the race

the mission

that his Father

gave him to do

so there is

full credit

earned

for us.

See in religious

contexts

the idea

of tetelestai

was that you

had

carried out

a task

you'd

finished

a mission.

In fact

Jesus uses

a form

of this

same word

a couple times

only 24 hours

before the cross.

He's praying

to his Father

and it says

having accomplished

it's this word

finishing

the work

God gave him

to do

earlier Thursday

night

showing them

his love

to the end

to its

finish

to its

completion

so we

understand

what's on

his heart

that's part

of what is

finished

now

on the cross

the will

of the Father

the mission

of the Son

by the power

of the Spirit

we've seen

Psalm 22

referenced

every step

of the way

to the cross

every single

sermon

so far

here's where

it ends

the last

verse

of Psalm

22

they shall

come and

proclaim

his righteousness

to a people

yet unborn

that he

has

done it

he's done it

it is

finished

it's about

his righteousness

that's been

finished

there's nothing

else to be

added

to what

Jesus

has

done

he's not

only paid

what you owe

to bring

your account

to zero

to no debt

but he's also

granted you

a full

credit

of righteousness

as you trust

in him

I told you

he's no

halfway savior

right

this is the

part of the

good news

highlighted in

2nd Corinthians

chapter 5

for our

sake

God made

him to be

sin

who knew

no sin

so what

would happen

to us

so that in

him

we might

become

back to

ground zero

no

the

righteousness

of God

to tell us

die

Jesus has

lived

perfectly

he's

he's trusted

his father

when the

agony was

overwhelming

he spoke

in truth

even when it

cost him

he's cared

for the poor

and the needy

he quoted

scripture

when he was

tempted

to care

for himself

or to

pursue power

he honored

his parents

he kept

the sabbath

he loved

his neighbor

even to the

point of laying

down his own

life for his

sheep

so that we

might be

righteous

so that we

get all

that credit

in our

account

indeed as

John promised

us all along

he has

made

God

known

to us

the perfect

image of

God

his righteous

character

shining in

his law

now seen

on brilliant

display

in the word

made

flesh

he has

done

all that

the scripture

requires

and after

one final

reminder of

that

in saying

I thirst

he declares

it is

finished

full

credit

earned

race

finished

victoriously

nothing

left to do

to earn

God's

favor

grace

grace

grace

flows

abundant

tetelestai

that's what

it means

so it is

finished

means

Jesus

paid all

my debt

and earned

all my

credit

cool

how's that

changed me

what's that

mean for me

I'll tell you

how it impacted

me

as it sunk

in

as I grew

up

this takes

a while

for most

of us

see I knew

from an early

age that

Jesus loved

me

I grew up

in a church

like this

when I

heard

these types

of things

and I thought

Jesus loves

me

that's

awesome

I want

to do

everything

that I

can

to be

worthy

of that

love

now that's

not a bad

instinct

if you felt

that way

but it

will wear

you out

why

because

there's

no end

of what

you would

need to

do to

earn

that kind

of love

because

you have

to pretend

when you

don't

and fake

it

anytime

you

fail

because

it's

not

love

you

can

earn

that's

not

the

nature

of it

that's

what's

so

amazing

about it

it's

grace

Jesus

doesn't

need me

to finish

what he

already

has

that's

hard for

me to

take

in

that's

why

as he

breathed

his last

Jesus said

it is

finished

buddha

said

keep

on

striving

that's

religious

advice

try

harder

when

I try

to

finish

what

Jesus

already

has

it's

like

telling

him

that

the

cross

was

not

enough

that's

nice

but

there's

some

more

I'm

going

to

add

listen

if

we

could

earn

God's

love

on

our

own

Jesus

died

for

no

reason

but

he

really

finished

it

all

and

that

started

to sink

in

and

now

I

was

free

from

performing

to earn

love

all the

time

I

could

breathe

let me

ask you

a couple

questions

how does

God feel

about you

right now

can you

answer

that

are

you

unsure

carry

the

one

maybe

he's

waiting

to see

how you

do

today

sounds

right

or

when

through

grace

in

Christ

our

trust

is

justice

smiles

and

asks

no

more

he's

smiling

delighted

in

you

because

of

Jesus

question

two

do

you

live

like

it's

finished

or

like

there's

constantly

pressure

to do

more

in

other

words

do

you

feel

more

rush

or

peace

in

your

life

more

anxiety

or

joy

more

envy

or

gratitude

the

more

the

finished

work

of

Jesus

on

the

cross

sinks

in

the

more

you

actually

believe

in

your

heart

that

that

could

possibly

be

true

the

more

those

realities

will

flood

your

life

changes

you

when I

was a

young

boy

I

read

in

our

local

newspaper

about

another

young

boy

whose

name

was

Larry

Don

Larry

Don

wanted

to

play

on

the

football

team

so

he

had

to

get

one

of

those

physicals

you

know

the

problem

was

the

physical

showed

a

problem

with

his

heart

a

virus

had

attacked

his

heart

and

pretty

soon

he

would

need

a

transplant

so

you

can

imagine

the

number

of

times

after

scan

x-ray

after

x-ray

and

they

were

monitoring

him

and

one

day

went

back

for

his

x-ray

and

the

nurse

came

out

and

said

we're

going to

have

to

take

you

back

again

his

parents

were

concerned

what

happened

what's

wrong

she

said

oh

don't

be

alarmed

it's

just

inconclusive

I

said

that

doesn't

sound

good

either

he

said

oh

no

no

he

forgot

to

take

his

cross

off

again

see

Larry

Don

had

met

Jesus

along

the

way

and

he

was

wearing

as

he

always

did

his

cross

necklace

that his

mom

gave him

in celebration

of that

moment

they took

him back

for another

x-ray

and he

said

hey

can I

keep

that

first

x-ray

that's

the story

of my

life

the cross

of Jesus

covering

my

sin

sick

heart

do you

live

like the

cross

is always

covering

your

heart

it

changed

my

life

because

it

is

finished

the cross

of Jesus

means a

new

freedom

right

no longer

enslaved

to sin

no longer

enslaved

to performance

to

earn my

parents

love

or the

love of

my

friends

or the

love of

myself

or even

the love

of God

free

from that

it

is

finished

means

unending

gratitude

because of

what Jesus

has done

that I

could never

repay

I'm just

grateful

it is

finished

means

aggressive

forgiveness

in your

life

because no

one has

as big

a debt

to me

as I

did to

God

you know

that's

true

so looking

for debts

to forgive

is one

of the

best ways

to reflect

the image

of our

gracious

father

to share

with others

in a

performance

oriented

get what

you earn

culture

the joy

of the

cross

forgive

aggressively

so many

ways

this cross

over our

hearts

changes

our lives

but I want

to focus

on one

this morning

that I

believe the

Bible says

is where

all the

change

starts

let's

think about

our big

debt

again

I

think you

know this

but I

want to

try to

help you

think

about it

if you've

ever owed

anybody

anything

you've

experienced

this

like

if you

were a

kid

and it

was five

bucks

right

maybe you

owed somebody

an apology

and you

knew it

whatever it

was that

you owed

somebody

what starts

happening

in your

relationship

with them

that debt

disrupts the

relationship

doesn't it

you know that

feeling of

avoiding them

you know

ducking in

the other

doorway

keeping your

distance whenever

you can

until you

can repay

that debt

I mean

they might

ask

they might

call

don't answer

that number

they might

run out of

patience

I had a

great third

grade teacher

and I really

wanted him to

think that I

was a great

third grade

student

it's a big

deal to me

so I

worked really

hard

I tried to

follow all

the rules

I always

did my

homework

until one

day when I

forgot to

do my

homework

and all of

the sudden

he was about

to check

I was

terrified

I owed

him a

finished

worksheet

and mine

was blank

I

thought

quickly

I

stood

up

I

asked

to

use

the

restroom

and I

took my

blank

worksheet

with me

with a

pencil

down the

hallway

to the

bathroom

locked

myself

in a

bathroom

stall

and

furiously

got to

work

on the

homework

work

he was

going to

be so

disappointed

what a

failure

I felt

like

I

could

not

let him

see me

without

a

perfectly

finished

paper

and then

two boys

from my

class

came into

the

restroom

hey

Will

you

okay

in

there

Mr.

Andrag

said to

check

on you

because

you

didn't

look

like

you

were

feeling

good

oh yeah

I'm

fine

has he

taken up

that

homework

yet

no

actually

he

didn't

take

it

up

he

said

he

was

going

to

give

all

of

us

a

100

today

oh

cool

cool

yeah

I'll

be right

there

to this

day I

don't know

for sure

how much

Mr.

A

understood

of what

was going

on

but

third grade

teachers

are pretty

sharp

what I

do

know

is that

I

didn't

have to

stay

locked

in that

bathroom

stall

any

longer

my

debt

was

paid

full

credit

earned

by

someone

else

and I

could

quit

hiding

and I

could

come

back

and be

with

my

teacher

again

are

any

of you

hiding

out

from

God

are

you

are

you

working

furiously

working

hard

to make

it up

to be

able to

face

him

again

can I

urge you

to stop

and come

to him

right now

after

Hebrews

Hebrews 10 · chapter mention

chapter 10

talks about

Jesus's

once for

all

finished

sacrifice

it tells

us

what

difference

should

happen

in our

lives

it has

a few

things

but the

very first

thing

it says

is draw

near

to God

let us

draw near

to God

over

and over

draw near

over

and over

it means

just as I

am

without

one plea

but that

thy blood

was shed

for me

and that

thou

bidst

me

come

to thee

oh

Lamb

of God

I

come

I

come

don't

keep

your

distance

don't

stay

locked

in the

stall

draw

near

your

life

will

never

be

the

same

the

freedom

the

gratitude

the

forgiveness

and much

more

they'll

flow

out

of

you

see

the

payment

of

debt

restores

relationship

that's

what

he's

doing

for

you

it's

what

Jesus

has

done

for

you

we

sang

earlier

love

so

amazing

so

divine

demands

my

soul

my

life

my

all

I

love

that

line

but

if

we're

not

careful

and

if

we're

not

near

God

that

will

put

religious

people

like

me

back

on

an

exhausting

treadmill

but

draw

near

to

God

is

not

a

wagging

finger

demanding

come

to

church

more

read

your

Bible

more

stop

coveting

!

No

draw

near

to

God

because

it

is

finished

is

an

arms

wide

open

welcome

of

love

saying

come

find

life

and

joy

in

me

come

here

let

my

word

direct

your

path

you

can

trust

me

cast

your

burdens

on

me

and

trust

that

I

will

give

you

whatever

you

need

see

you'll

do

many

of

the

same

things

with

so

much

more

rest

and

peace

and

joy

because

it

is

finished

in

fact

the

cross

of

Jesus

says

draw

near

to

God

because

he

has

already

drawn

near

to

you

paid

all

your

debts

earned

all

the

credit

that

you

need

sent

his

very

son

down

to

your

locked

bathroom

stall

where

you

were

hiding

out

and

working

hard

to

make

yourself

presentable

to

him

and

he

stamped

on

your

paper

tetelestai

it

is

finished

come

home

draw

near

that's

what he

wants you

to

taste

as you

gather

around

this

table

this

morning

on this

very

night

that he

was

betrayed

Jesus

took

bread

and he

broke

it

and gave

it to

his

disciples

as I

ministering

in his

name

give

this

bread

to

you

he

said

take

and eat

this

is

my

body

given

for

you

do

this

in

remembrance

of

me

in

the

same

way

after

supper

he

took

the

cup

and

said

this

cup

is

the

new

covenant

in

my

blood

shed

for

many

for

the

forgiveness

of

sins

drink

from

it

all

of

you

for

as

often

as

you

eat

this

bread

and

drink

this

cup

you

proclaim

the

Lord's

death

until

he

comes

you

proclaim

it's

finished

and

there's

nothing

else

for

you

to

do

and

you

can

come

and

sit

and

eat

with

God

because

of

what

Jesus

has

done

brothers

and

sisters

from

any

other

church

doesn't

have

to

be

this

one

if

that's

your

hope

and

trust

come

and

eat

with

him

and

celebrate

his

finished

work

and

ongoing

love

for

you

friends

who

are

weary

perhaps

like

me

maybe

hurting

maybe

wondering

I don't

know what

I think

about

all of

this

I'm

not

sure

about