“It is finished” Jesus declared as recorded in John 19:30. Tetelestai. Three words in English, only one word in Greek. Remove your hat, take off your shoes, silence all chatter, lower your eyes. This is a holy word, a sacred moment.
When Jesus was twelve years of age his parents found him in the temple, talking with the rabbis. “Did you not know I must be about my Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49). Even as a boy, Jesus had a sense of the family business – the work of redemption. Indeed, the Greek word tetelestai carries overtones of a business term. It was used to signify “paid in full” on debts, such as levies or a tribute. The term indicates a finalized transaction. Christ’s word on the cross declares the same. No further offering is needed. Heaven awaits no additional sacrifice. And if that doesn’t qualify as a miracle, what does? Remember, friend, you are never alone.
