John 96 – The Crucifixion (Part 4)
07/19/2026
Scripture 1: (Jn. 19:24b-30 ESV)
So the soldiers did these things, but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.
After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Sermon:
We believe, as Christians, that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (Jn. 1:1 ESV).
We believe that Jesus is that “Word”; that He is the “Word of God” (Rev. 19:13 ESV) and God the Word.
Furthermore, we believe that since Scripture is the revelation of Jesus Christ, and that all Scripture is God’s revealed Word, it is therefore, also rightly called the “Word of God”.
But, while Jesus is the true “Word of God”: the Logos who is Theos and Andros; there is also one word (one expression) contained within the text of Scripture that is the most important word. This one word is the lynch pin of our salvation. The redemption of all God’s Elect hinges upon this one word. This one word is tetelestai, a Greek term that is universally translated in our English Bibles as, “It is finished.” (Jn. 19:30 ESV)
Historically, the church has interpreted this final “Last Word” of Christ as a firm and confident declaration that, “All scripture that was due to be accomplished in his passion had now been accomplished; the entire purpose for which the Father had sent the Son into the world was now assured of fulfillment, and since that purpose included the salvation of the world and the procuring of eternal life for all believers (John 3:14-17), salvation and eternal life were henceforth freely available.”[1] The church had understood this final “Last Word” of Christ as interpreting, “…his suffering and dying as the crowning conclusion and high point of the work that he has performed in obedience – the obedience of the Son finds here its most radical expression – and enables the believing eye to see the glorifying of the Son through the Father.”[2]
That is the reason why we long to hear this “Last Word” on Good Friday, last. That is why we rejoice and celebrate Jesus’s declaration as such good news. However, while we believe this to be true there is an important question which must be answered and understood:
What was finished?
Tetelestai is the perfect (tense), passive (voice) form of the Greek verb, teleo, a word that generally means “to bring [something] to an end”, “to finish”, or “to complete” something[3]. Grammatically, a verb in the perfect tense describes an action which is both completed and has a continuing or lasting effect, while a verb that is expressed with a passive voice identifies the subject being completed as the verb’s object. So, this word can not be interpreted as Jesus meaning, “I am finished.”; referring to His own end, His death. Instead, this can only be interpreted as Jesus having declared that something else was being finished, concluded, or accomplished by/with His death.
But, what was it that was finished? What exactly did Jesus declare as now having been completed?
Another commonly known use of the word teleo from the ancient 1st century world was “to fulfill obligations”[4] and to “discharge [or satisfy/or pay] a debt”. Ancient papyri documents from Egypt during the Roman period, specifically tax receipts, have been recovered. Some of these receipts had an abbreviation or word written across them: tetel or tetelonetai; meaning “paid as taxes”[5]. These documents first began to be found during the late 19th century and these documents led to the promotion of the popular notion that Jesus’s cry of tetelestai might actually mean “paid in full” or “the debt is paid”. But, as more textual evidence has been found, that interpretive notion was abandoned by scholars and serious theologians in the 1930s. Yet even still, this idea continues to be a popular claim on the internet.
Ultimately, tetelonetai does not have the same meaning as tetelestai. Tetelonetai is more contextually specific, as the Greek term for tax collector is telonai, while tetelestai was used as a more general term describing the fulfillment or completion of something. So, while the idea of Jesus crying out “PAID IN FULL” from the cross is dramatic and, the image of Jesus spiritually stamping “PAID IN FULL” across our moral ledger is very attractive to our hopeful imagination and, while such imagery “preaches well”, it is not likely to be true, as a historical example.
Meanwhile, the historic church interpretation is that this final “Last Word” of Christ actually possesses a double meaning: first, that Jesus’s work was finished and second, that the Scripture was now fulfilled.
That second meaning is easy to recognize since John had just recorded, “After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished [tetelestai], said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.”. A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” [tetelestai] and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”. Together, Jesus’s thirst and the response of His executioners fulfilled the prophetic requirement of Psalm 69. Likewise, the soldiers division Jesus’ effects also fulfilled the prophetic requirement of Psalm 22. It is plain to see how they understood Scripture was being fulfilled.
Yet this does not mean that “all prophecy” or that every prophetic Scripture about Jesus was now fulfilled, because obviously, Jesus had not yet been laid in the tomb of a “rich man” (Isaiah 53:9). Instead, this finished fulfillment of Scripture should be understood in relation to Jesus’s words during the Sermon on the Mount, “For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” (Matt. 5:18 ESV). Thus, we understand that the Scripture which Jesus declared as finished is God’s Holy Law.
However, it is more difficult to identify and define what work Jesus declared as tetelestai, from the cross.
What work had God the Father sent God the Son into the world to accomplish on the cross?
What work required the incarnation of God the Son; Him becoming uniquely God and man through adding a human nature to His divinity, without mixture or confusion?
What work could Jesus alone, uniquely perform and complete to perfect fulfillment?
Reading Scripture (reading the whole of the Bible) we know that the work of Christ was not just one thing. Jesus finished, completed, and accomplished many important things (things that are important for us, as God’s Elect), each of which together culminated and concluded with His death on that Roman cross.
Although it was certainly not His primary purpose in calling out tetelestai, the end of Jesus’ life was part of His implied meaning. His life and ministry were finished, completed, and concluded the moment He died on the cross. Yet the end of Jesus’s earthly life was not the whole of what concluded with His death, as His life’s purpose was also finished.
The first work of Christ that we understand Jesus completed on the cross was His work as our mediator. Scripture teaches:
Jesus was born to live life as the second and last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:22, 15:45-49; Luke 3:23-38).
Jesus was born to live life as the perfect human, perfectly obedient to the LORD of heaven and earth (Matthew 5:48, 19:21; Romans 12:2).
Jesus was born to live life as “the mediator of a new covenant” (Heb. 9:15 ESV), a covenant mediator like Adam (Hosea 6:7), except one who remains faithful and obedient (1 Timothy 2:5-6).
Jesus was born to accomplish what humanity’s first forebear failed to do: to successfully navigate God’s probation and become justified as righteous according to the works of the Law (Romans 2:13; Matthew 19:16-30).
Jesus was born to die as the perfect human, perfectly obedient to the LORD, even “…by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Phil. 2:8 ESV)
Jesus was born to live and die as the perfect human, perfectly obedient to the LORD, ensuring that every requirement of the original Covenant of Works was satisfied.
Thus when Jesus said tetelestai, He meant that our obligation to the Covenant of Works was finished, complete. He meant that the absolute moral requirement of the Covenant of Works: the covenant which God gave Adam in the Garden; the covenant which Adam broke when he and Eve ate fruit from the forbidden tree; was satisfied. Jesus was born to live and “be [morally] perfect”. That perfection was finalized and finished at the moment of His death. This moral perfection: His moral righteousness; is the righteousness that all those who believe in and trust in Jesus Christ (those with pisteuo faith in Christ) are justified with (Isaiah 61:10; Romans 3:21-31 10:10; Galatians 2:15-16).
Next, the second work of Christ that we understand Jesus declared finished was His work as our priest.
The Shorter Catechism explains that “Christ executeth the office of a priest, in his once offering up of himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice, and reconcile us to God, and in making continual intercession for us (WSC 25). It was the first two of these elements that He finished on the cross,because He continues to intercede for us at the Father’s right hand, even now.
Jesus satisfied “divine justice” by making atonement for us (Leviticus 16)
Jesus made atonement for us, by offering Himself to God the Father as our substitute; by sacrificing Himself in our place (Isaiah 53:5).
Jesus acted as a “scapegoat” (Leviticus 16:7-10). He took our sin onto Himself and He carried it “outside of the camp” (Leviticus 4 describes the disposal of the remains from “sin offerings”; their removal to a place “outside the camp”) like how a goat would “…be sent away into the wilderness [to Azazel.]” (Lev. 16:10 ESV) to carry away Israel’s sin on the Day of Atonement. Similarly, by carrying His cross out of the city, He removed our sin from the midst of God’s people; carrying it into “exile” beyond the city walls, as He was executed in the wilderness (Isaiah 53:11).
This act of sacrifice was called “expiation” because it removed {as by the Greek prefix of ek/(ex)} sin, along with its attendant guilt.
But Jesus also acted as the other goat from the rite of atonement (Leviticus 16:7-10). He offered Himself as a “sin offering” as well, and there are two important parts of that which bear consideration.
First, animal sacrifice within the Jewish ceremonial system was designed with a degree of mutuality. The LORD received His portion (which was burned on the altar), the Levite or priest who performed the sacrifice received a portion {as payment for their service}{animal skins – Leviticus 7:8; meat – Deuteronomy 18:3}, and the person who brought the sacrifice received a portion. Each portion was prescribed in accord with each person’s role. {During the wilderness wanderings and during the period of the Judges, such sacrificial offerings were the primary source of fresh meat for the ancient Israelites.} However, this was not the case with an offering for sin. Sin offerings were devoted entirely to the LORD. There was no mutuality. When offering a sacrifice for sin:
Blood from the sacrifice was placed on the altar. The LORD’s required portion was burnt up on the altar. And, “…the skin of the bull and all its flesh, with its head, its legs, its entrails, and its dung–all the rest of the bull–” (Lev. 4:11-12 ESV) was taken “…outside the camp to a [ritually] clean place, to the ash heap, and shall burn it up on a fire of wood. On the ash heap it shall be burned up.” (Lev. 4:12 ESV) where it was burnt entirely to ash.
Thus the whole animal sacrifice was consumed. It was {placed under the “ban”; Hebrew: charam}; “devoted to destruction”; devoted wholly to the LORD, alone.
Second, only an animal “without blemish” (Lev. 4:3 ESV) could be offered “to the LORD for a sin offering.” (Lev. 4:3 ESV). Such a sacrifice needed to be “perfect”; without fault or defect (Leviticus 22:21). A sacrifice had to be “sinless” in order to be given [and received] as an offering for sin (2 Corinthians 5:21).
This sacrificial element was called “propitiation” because it was intended to draw God’s favor towards the offerer {as by the Greek prefix of pro, meaning “towards”}; because it was intended to reconcile the offerer back with the LORD.
But how could Jesus do this or, more importantly, how could He be all these things? Jesus was not a Levite nor descended from Aaron.
The author of Hebrews helps us to understand how (Hebrews 7-9) by associating Jesus with ancient Melchizedek, “This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. For it is witnessed of him, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”” (Heb. 7:15-17 ESV), applying Psalm 110 to Christ. He explains that Jesus “…entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.” (Heb. 9:12-15 ESV). The author of Hebrews argues the case, from the lesser to the greater, proving why/how Christs priesthood and sacrifice was greater and more effective than the Aaronic/Levitical priesthood.
Meanwhile, the Evangelist has previously shown us how Jesus was uniquely qualified to be this sacrifice; demonstrating this has been part of his Gospel’s express purpose from the very beginning:
He reported how, when John the Baptist “…saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn. 1:29 ESV). John, a Levite, thereby fulfilled his priestly duty (his Temple service) by approving Jesus as a lamb without blemish; a lamb acceptable as a sin offering.
He reported how Caiaphas, “…said to them, “You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.” (Jn. 11:49-52 ESV). Caiaphas, the appointed Jewish High Priest, thereby dedicated Jesus as a sacrificial substitute for all God’s people; as a sacrifice for their reconciliation.
He reported how Pilate declared Jesus justified under Roman/human law, as “Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” (Jn. 19:4 ESV).
Then finally, Jesus was ultimately “devoted to destruction” by the Jews, “When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!”” (Jn. 19:6 ESV).
So it was that, according to the “letter of the [ceremonial] law”, Jesus became both scapegoat and sin offering.
But, the whole problem with the Mosaic scapegoat was that, although it “removed sin-guilt” from Israel’s presence, turning away God’s wrath, it did not destroy (or kill) the sin. Although the sin offering was a propitiation and brought the LORD’s favor, its sacrifice could not actually destroy (or kill) the sin. The sin was now just simply “elsewhere”. The guilt was gone but the sin still remained. The sin was not punished. The sin had not suffered God’s wrath. Justice was left undone. Satisfaction for the offense of sin had not been made. Despite there having been one special day set apart every year for the universal atonement of sin (Leviticus 16), sin offerings were still offered daily; as often as needed. Therefore, the ceremonial system never could truly make someone righteous, because the core sin problem remained. But now, “…Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” (Heb. 10:12-14 ESV).
The third work that Jesus declared as finished on the cross, was His work as the redeemer of God’s Elect.
Redemption is a core, critical concept in Scripture. But, it is an idea that we do not often pause to consider. We hardly ever use the language of redemption anymore, despite it still being a very common practice. Have you ever used a valet to park your car? Have you ever had a lottery pay-out? Have you ever won a raffle or a drawing? Those are examples of redemption. But the closest/best example of the biblical of redemption today, is that of a pawn broker.
When a person pawns an item, they trade it to the pawn broker for a value, less than its true worth; using the item as collateral for a cash loan. Then, they have a period of time in which they may “redeem” the item; to buy it back, by paying off the loan with interest. But, if they do not redeem the item (whether by choice or their inability), then it becomes the pawnbroker’s property to do with as they please.
The Law of Moses actually prescribed this practice, providing explicit guidelines and requirements for such collateral-based loans; effectively turning the Tabernacle/Temple priesthood into defacto pawn brokers (Leviticus 27).
Redemption in the Bible:
The LORD first promised to “redeem” Israel in Exodus, promising them, “I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.” (Exod. 6:6-7 ESV); promising to pay Egypt back with “great acts of judgment” for all of the “burdens” it inflicted upon Israel.
Then, the LORD required Israel to “redeem” every firstborn male child (Exodus 13:11-15), requiring/allowing Israel to buy them back from dedication to Him and His service (Exodus 13:2); a command repeated three times in Exodus.
Meanwhile, Leviticus 25 provided instruction concerning the redemption of property {ancestral inheritances that had been sold} or persons who had become indentured into service because of poverty or other circumstance. These instructions imposed a duty to redeem upon such a person’s family; requiring that “One of his brothers may redeem him, or his uncle or his cousin may redeem him, or a close relative from his clan may redeem him.” (Lev. 25:48-49 ESV). But, redemption always began with their closest relative {with authority} (Leviticus 25:25). This is the origin of the kinsman-redeemer, a principle exemplified throughout the story of Boaz’s redemption of Ruth and Naomi {his redemption of all of Elimelech’s property/inheritance rights}.
Finally, throughout Scripture, the LORD repeatedly declares Himself to be the ultimate (true) redeemer of His chosen people (Psalm 25:22, 130:8; Isaiah 41:14, 59:20-21, Job 19:25).
This is why the Apostle Paul wrote, that “…when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” (Gal. 4:4-5 ESV). Thus he explains that the reason God the Son became incarnate (became truly human), was so that He could share our obligation “under the Law”, so that He may thereby redeem us by satisfying its full requirement on our behalf. Or, to explain it another way:
We were like an Israelite who had sold themselves into servitude or who had taken on a debt that they could not afford to repay.
While Jesus, being our eldest brother and therefore, our kinsman-redeemer, could afford to pay our debt, although He did not owe it.
Therefore, Jesus, the God-man, became incarnate to pay a debt that was not His; willingly choosing to accept responsibility for all of our debts, Himself.
As human sinners, we have each transgressed God’s perfect Law; His moral Law. We have all incurred an infinite moral debt with our sin; the corruption of our human nature and our lack (or want) of (Adam’s) original righteousness (WSC #18). We have each been enslaved to the law by our sin, subject to the justice of punishment and condemnation; deserving of death, just as the LORD had originally promised Adam, “…for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Gen. 2:17 ESV). But now, through our faith in Jesus Christ, we are redeemed from that bondage by the imputation of His righteousness, according to His grace alone (Romans 3:28, 4:5). For, in His dying upon that cross, Christ paid that infinite debt we owe for our sin; suffering the fullness of God’s wrath that we deserve, on account of our sin, “For the death he died he died to sin, once for all” (Rom. 6:10 ESV).
So really, although it may not have actually been like a red stamp marking a receipt as “PAID IN FULL”, when Jesus called out that final “Tetelestai” He did also actually declare that our debt for sin has been paid.
Lastly and therefore, by finishing, completing, accomplishing, and satisfying all the requirements of the Law, the Covenant of Works, Jesus also finished the Covenant of Redemption which He had made with God the Father before time began (Ephesians 1:3-14); His covenant to redeem all of God’s people: everyone whom the Father had given to the Son (John 6:39, 10:29, 17:9, 17:24), everyone who has been claimed as His “treasured possession” (Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 7:6; Psalm 83:3; Malachi 3:17; 1 Peter 2:9-10).
And so, Jesus said, ““It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”.
What does this final “Last Word” of Christ mean for us, today?
Tetelestai: This one word is the single greatest reminder for everybody with faith, that Jesus did it all for us; that Jesus has finished and satisfied every requirement which is necessary for us to be accounted righteous before the Holy God.
Tetelestai: This one word is a testament to the example which Jesus Christ set; an example meant to give us the endurance we need to run the race which He has set before each Christian. His example helps us by keeping us looking “…to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, (the author and finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:2 KJG)) who endured the cross for joy; who did not despise its shame; and, who is now seated at the right hand God (Heb. 12:2 ESV), so that we “…may not grow weary or fainthearted.” (Heb. 12:3 ESV) and, so that we may live and love for Him and for the glory of God.
Tetelestai: That one word means that all of our sins have been taken from us (past, present, and future) and that we are truly forgiven by God, our heavenly Father.
Tetelestai: That one word means that all of the guilt we feel from our sins is gone and that we are now free to actually feel forgiven.
Tetelestai: That one word means that our fear of judgment, of final divine judgment, is gone because we have been given confidence that we shall stand justified before God’s throne, clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
Tetelestai: That one word means that we have been redeemed from our bondage to sin; that we have been freed to not sin, giving us the choice and the desire to actually obey God out of love rather than through the fear of punishment.
Tetelestai: That one word means that we have hope for life: for true, eternal life; because just as “…the death [Christ] died he died to sin, once for all…”, so too “…the life [which Christ and all who are united into Him] lives [is lived] to God.” (Rom. 6:10 ESV).
Tetelestai: That one word means that we are reconciled with God, that Christ has reconciled us to Himself; so that we no longer need to be against Him and His commands.
Tetelestai: That one word means that since we have been reconciled to God, we may, should, and shall be reconciled with one another for the sake of love; for the love of both our neighbor and for God.
Tetelestai: That one word means that you may know for certain that you are a child of God. If you love Him, then you know that it is because He has loved you first; that it is because He has loved you so much that He gave His Son, Jesus Christ, for you. Therefore, you may know that He has chosen to adopt you as His beloved child: forever chosen, wanted, and desired by your Father in heaven.
But, just because Christ has atoned for you (for all of your sins, past, present, and future), that does not give you the right or freedom or license to continue sinning. Instead, because Jesus has wiped your moral slate clean you now may seek to do as He commanded the alleged adulteress, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” (Jn. 8:11 ESV). Now that you have the choice of whether or not to obey Christ, choose to choose obedience and faithfulness in every area of your life; surrender yourself to Him, so that He may more easily transform you into your best and truest self.
Know and believe that ever since Jesus called out “Tetelestai”, He has finished the hard work of your salvation. Your eternal future with Him has been secured. All that remains is for you to respond by patiently living and loving according to His will and for His glory. All that remains is for you to believe Christ and to trust Him with your everything; trusting Him especially with your life and for the life that is yet to come. All that remains is for you to receive it and respond to it.
Remember, Jesus declared, “Tetelestai.” . There is nothing left for you to do to add to Christ’s work. You can add nothing to your salvation and, if you are truly called by Christ and His Holy Spirit, then there is nothing you can do to lose it either.
“It is finished.”, by Jesus Christ, for you.
AMEN
[1] F. F. Bruce, The Gospel of John, p. 374
[2] Dauer, Passiongeschichte, 20; George R. Beasley-Murray Word Biblical Commentary 36: John, Second Edition, p. 352
[3] Willaim Baur, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature (Second Edition), p. 810
[4] Gerhard Kittel, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (vol VIII), p. 57; https://biblehub.com/greek/5055.htm
[5] https://www.biola.edu/blogs/good-book-blog/2022/paid-in-full-the-meaning-of-tetelestai-in-jesus-final-words
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