John 19:30 says, “When He had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”
IN THE English language the translation of the Greek word, “Tetelestai” is “It is finished”. With this word, Jesus proclaimed fulfillment of His mission. There is completion and finality.
What was His mission?
It was to take away the sins of the world, to seek and save the lost.
How did He do it?
He did it thru the cross. The cross has its redemptive power to bear the sins of the world. His struggle in the garden of Gethsemane was the climax, the point at which He ultimately surrendered to the Father’s will. Thus, thru His agony and suffering, the bitter cup had been drunk.
It was completed with His death. And hope was given thru His resurrection, His victory over death.
“It is finished” is a cry of accomplishment, an announcement of obedience fulfilled. This shout began in the painful will of the Father. The cross culminated a life of obedience, humility and suffering.
What should we learn from this 6th word?
Know our mission. Simply stated, know our purposes in life, and live them, so that one day we may also be able to say, “It is finished.”
What is our mission? What are our five purposes in life?
1. Worship – It starts with an awareness and consciousness of a dedication of all efforts to God, our Creator. Give pleasure to God. Do what is right. Give glory to Him in all that we do. Life should be lived focusing on God.
2. Fellowship - We fortify one another’s faith. Listen to each other. Help one another. Serve one another. Share in the other’s suffering. And do spiritual and corporal acts of mercy.
3 Discipleship – Aim and act to be Christ-like. Develop the fruits of the spirit, which are love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. Discipleship is the process of building character. It is a challenge and a continuous and unending process.
4. Ministry – Let us use our spiritual gifts, our abilities, talents, personality, and experiences to serve others and build His kingdom on earth.
5. Evangelism – Let us share God’s words and encourage everyone to have a personal relationship with Jesus and abide in His words.
Those are our 5 purposes. Worship. Fellowship. Discipleship. Ministry. Evangelism. That is our mission.
My dearest family,
Usually, those who are defeated go out quietly. But the victor announces his victory, either humbly or loudly. When Jesus proclaimed that “IT IS FINISHED”, the quiet and humble victory shout of Jesus echoed to the world, as it continues to do so today.
At our deathbeds, may we all be able to whisper what St. Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.”
And add, “It is finished.”
Thank you for condoling with us during our hour of grief.