Tetelestai Quotes

[Jesus] tilted His head back, pulled up one last time to draw breath and cried, "Tetelestai!" It was a Greek expression most everyone present would have understood. It was an accounting term. Archaeologists have found papyrus tax receipts with "Tetelestai" written across them, meaning "paid in full." With Jesus' last breath on the cross, He declared the debt of sin cancelled, completely satisfied. Nothing else required. Not good deeds. Not generous donations. Not penance or confession or baptism or...or...or...nothing. The penalty for sin is death, and we were all born hopelessly in debt. He paid our debt in full by giving His life so that we might live forever.

The Greek word that Jesus said on the cross and that we interpret as “It is finished ” is the Greek word tetelestai. Tetelestai comes from the verb teleo, which means to bring to an end, to complete, to accomplish. In the times of Jesus, receipts often had the word tetelestai written on them. This word meant that the receipt or debt was paid in full.

When Jesus received the vinegar, He said, IT IS FINISHED. 'At these words,' said F.W. Krummacher, 'you hear fetters burst and prison walls falling down, barriers as high as heaven are overthrown, and gates which had been closed for thousands of years again move on their hinges.' The three English words, 'it is finished', are the equivalent of a single Greek word, tetelestai. In his charming way, F.W. Borham points out that it was a farmer's word. When there was born into his herd an animal so shapely that it seemed destitute of defects, the farmer, gazing on the creature with delighted eyes exclaimed 'Tetelestai'. It was an artist's word. When the painter had put the finishing touches to the vivid landscape, he would stand back and admire his masterpiece. Seeing that nothing called for correction or improvement he would murmur, 'tetelestai'. It was a priestly word. When some devout worshiper overflowing with gratitude for mercies received brought to the Temple a lamb without blemish, the pride of the flock, the priest, more accustomed to seeing blind and defective animals led to the altar, would look admiringly at the pretty creature and say, 'tetelestai'.

In his High Priestly prayer, he said, “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do” (John 17:4). He could shout the word “tetelestai” because he was a faithful Savior who accomplished the Father’s will. Jesus was faithful in spite of satanic opposition, in spite of the blindness and disobedience of the religious leaders, even in spite of the stupidity and slowness to believe of his own disciples. When sinful people were doing their worst, Jesus Christ was giving his best; and he did it because he loved the Father and loved a world of lost sinners. Jesus Christ is still a faithful Servant. Having finished His work on earth, he is now faithfully serving his people in heaven as High Priest and Advocate (Heb. 4:14–16; 1 John 2:1–3). When we’re tempted, we can come to his throne and receive the grace and mercy we need. If we sin, we can come to our heavenly Advocate, confess our sins, and be forgiven (1 John 1:9–2:2). He is faithful to deliver us in times of temptation (1 Cor. 10:13), faithful to forgive us when we fall, and faithful to keep us until we meet him face to face (2 Tim. 1:12; Jude 24).

When Jesus cried out from the cross, Tetelestai, “It is finished” (John 19:30), he was declaring that all things had been brought to their divinely ordained telos—end or goal—in him. All history had been flowing in his direction. Every river, stream, and rivulet of OT history emptied into the sea of himself. Many of the people in that history pointed beyond themselves, to the telos who is Christ.

Tetelestai” was a familiar word shouted by a faithful Savior. He came to do the Father’s will and he did it. He came to purchase our redemption and he did it. He came to do a great work, the work of salvation, and he finished that work. From the beginning of his life on earth to the day he returned to the Father, Jesus was faithful to do what the Father commanded.

That’s the message of the gospel: the work of salvation is completed. It is finished. There’s nothing we can add to it, and to add to it would mean taking away from it. God offers the lost world a finished work, a completed salvation. All the sinner has to do is believe on Jesus Christ. The Book of Hebrews explains this completed salvation: “But now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many” (Heb. 9:26–28). “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.… But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.…” (Heb. 10:4, 12). The work of salvation is completed. “It is finished!” Our Lord died, was buried, arose from the dead, and returned to glory. There he sat down because the work was finished (Heb. 1:3). In the Old Testament tabernacle, there were no chairs because the priests’ work was never finished. But Jesus Christ sat down in heaven because his work was finished. Since salvation is a finished work, we dare not add anything to it, take anything from it, or substitute anything for it. There is only one way of salvation: personal faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. When my Lord died, he cried, “Tetelestai! It is finished!” It was a familiar word shouted by a faithful Savior about a finished work. It has well been said that Jesus didn’t make the “down payment” on the cross and then expect us to keep up the installments. Salvation isn’t on the installment plan. Jesus paid it all, and that means that redemption is a finished work. Lifted up was He to die, “It is finished” was His cry; Now in heav’n exalted high, Hallelujah, what a Savior! (Philip P. Bliss) Is he your Savior? He can be if you will accept his finished work on the cross, make it personal (“Christ died for my sins”), and ask Jesus to save you. “For whoever calls upon the name of the LORD shall be saved” (Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21; Rom. 10:13).

Cuando Jesús hubo tomado el vinagre, dijo: Consumado es» (Juan 19.30). En el texto griego, «Consumado es» es una sola palabra: ¡Tetelestai! Fue un grito triunfante, lleno de rico significado. Él no quiso decir simplemente que su vida terrenal había terminado. Quería decir que la obra que el Padre le había dado que hacer estaba ahora completa. Aunque colgaba allí, pareciendo una víctima patética y perdida, Él celebró el triunfo más grande en la historia del universo. La obra expiatoria de Cristo había sido terminada, la redención de los pecadores estaba completa y Él estaba triunfante. Cristo había cumplido a favor de los pecadores todo lo que la ley de Dios requería de ellos. La completa expiación había sido hecha. Todo lo que la ley ceremonial presagió se había cumplido. La justicia de Dios estaba satisfecha. El rescate por el pecado fue pagado en su totalidad. La paga del pecado se estableció para siempre. Todo lo que quedaba era que Cristo muriera para que resucitara también. Es por esto que nada se puede añadir a la obra de Cristo para la salvación. Ni ritual religioso ya sea el bautismo ni penitencia, ni ninguna obra humana puede ser añadida para hacer eficaz la obra de Cristo. No hay obras humanas adicionales que pudieran aumentar o mejorar la expiación que Él compró en la cruz. El pecador no está obligado a contribuir en nada para ganarse el perdón o una buena relación con Dios; el mérito de Cristo por sí solo es suficiente para nuestra completa salvación. ¡Tetelestai! Su obra expiatoria se hizo. Es todo lo que se necesita.

The Greek verb for “made perfect,” teleo, is the same verb spoken by Jesus on the cross when he cried out, “Tetelestai,” that is, “It is finished” or “It has been made perfect.