The Gospel In One Word - TELEŌ - "It Is Finished!"

Recently, I received an e-mail from "Jesus.Org: Question of the Day" and it offered an adaptation from "The Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the Cross - The Word of Victory," by A.W. Pink.  That site titled its article "The Gospel in a Single Word?"  

That was referring to the profound statement made by Jesus Christ when He hung on the cross, "It is finished!"   And, based upon the writing of A.W. Pink, that Question of the Day article is reminding us that, in the original Greek language, "It is finished!" is but a single word:  teleō.   Strong's Concordance tells us that teleō (or tetelestai, derived from teleō ) means:

(1) to bring to a close, to finish, to end,

2) to perform, execute, complete, fulfill,

(3) to pay, as in tribute.  In John 19:30 the word means, "It is finished!"   Christ satisfied God's justice by dying for all, to pay for the sins of the the elect (all who will  by grace through faith, follow Christ).  These sins can never be punished again since that would violate God's justice.  Sins can only be punished once, either by a substitute or by yourself.

In another writing, we find:

What Was Finished?
By Dr. Ray Pritchard
www.jesus.org/death-and-resurrection/last-words/what-was-finished.html

"When he had received the drink, Jesus said, 'It is finished (Tetelestai).'  With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." (John 19:30)

Tetelestai comes from the verb teleō, which means "to bring to an end, to complete, to accomplish."  It's a crucial word because it signifies the successful end to a particular course of action.  .  .  But there's more here than the verb itself.  Tetelestai is in the perfect tense in Greek.

That's significant because the perfect tense speaks of an action which has been completed in the past - with results continuing into the present.  It's different from the past tense which looks back to an event and says, "This happened."  The perfect tense adds the idea that "This happened and it is still in effect today."

When Jesus cried out "It is finished," He meant, "It was finished in the past, it is still finished in the present, and it will remain finished in the future."

Note one other fact.  He did not say, "I am finished," for that would imply that he died defeated and exhausted.  Rather, he cried out "It is finished," meaning "I successfully completed the work I came to do."

Tetelestai, then, is the Savior's final cry of victory.  When he died, He left no unfinished business behind.  (Excerpted from "Tetelestai!" by Keep Believing Ministries [used by permission]).

   

Another writing explains further:

Those three words, “It is finished” come from one Greek word tetelestai or teleō.  The word tetelestai is unfamiliar to us, but it was used by various people in everyday life in those days.  A servant would use it when reporting to his or her master, “I have completed the work assigned to me” (see John 17:4).  When a priest examined an animal sacrifice and found it faultless, this word would apply. 

It doesn’t mean just to terminate something, but to carry a thing out to the full!  The word means, “It is finished, it stands finished, and it always will be finished!”   (Pastor Greg  Davenport - www.pastorgregdavenport.blogspot.com/2008/12/it-is-finished.html)

The Jesus.Org article made me want to look further into the thoughts and writings of A.W. Pink, to know more about the man himself:

(A.W. Pink was) One of the most influential evangelical authors in the second half of the twentieth century.   Pink briefly studied at Moody Bible Institute in 1910 before taking the pastorate of the Congregational church in Silverton, Colorado, and in 1917 he became pastor of Northside Baptist Church, Spartanburg, South Carolina. 

By this time Pink had become acquainted with prominent dispensationalist such as Harry Ironside and Arno C. Gaebelein, and his first two books, published in 1917 and 1918, were in agreement with that theological position.  (www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Pink)

Then, I went in search of that full writing by A.W. Pink and found the following PDF article.  Below I am giving you only key excerpts from his finished work.  I highly recommend that you visit and save this full article for your own use and to share with others:

THE SEVEN SAYINGS OF THE SAVIOR ON THE CROSS
www.davidcox.com.mx/library/P/Pink%20-%20The%20Seven%20Sayings%20of%20the%20Saviour%20on%20the%20Cross.pdf#page=5&zoom=auto,-169,43

6. THE WORD OF VICTORY

"When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished!" John 19:30

"It is finished!"  The ancient Greeks boasted of being able to say much, in little - "to give a sea of matter, in a drop of language" was regarded as the perfection of oratory.  What they sought is here found.  "It is finished" is but one word in the original (language), yet in that word is wrapped up the Gospel of God; in that word is contained the ground (foundation) of the believer’s assurance; in that word is discovered the sum of all joy, and the very spirit of all divine consolation.

"It is finished!"  This was not the despairing cry of a helpless martyr - it was not an expression of satisfaction that the termination of His sufferings was now reached - it was not the last gasp of a worn out life.  No, rather it was the declaration on the part of the divine Redeemer that all for which He came from heaven to earth to do, was now done - that all that was needed to reveal the full character of God had now been accomplished - that all that was required by law - before sinners could be saved - had now been performed: that the flail (scourge, beat) price of our redemption was now paid.

"It is finished!"  The great purpose of God in the history of man was now accomplished - accomplished de jure (in accordance with law) as it will yet be (accomplished) de facto (in reality).

1. Here we see the accomplished fulfillment of all the prophecies which had been written of him ere he should die.

This is the immediate thought of the context: "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished" (John 19:30).  Centuries beforehand, the prophets of God had described step by step the humiliation and suffering which the coming Saviour should undergo (Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, read more at www.gotquestions.org/death-resurrection-Messiah.html).   

2. Here we see the completion of his sufferings.

But what tongue or pen can describe the sufferings of the Saviour?  O the unutterable anguish, physical, mental, and spiritual which He endured!  Appropriately was He designated "the Man of Sorrows."  Sufferings at the hands of men, at the hands of Satan, and at the hands of God.  Pain inflicted upon Him by enemies and friends alike.  From the beginning He walked amid the shadows which the cross cast athwart His path.

3. Here we see the goal of the Incarnation is reached.

Scripture indicates there is a special work peculiar to each of the divine persons, though, like the persons themselves, it is not always easy to distinguish between their respective works.  God the Father is specially concerned in the government of the world.  He ruleth over all the works of His hands.  God the Son is specially concerned in the work of redemption: He was the one who came here to die for sinners.  God the Spirit is specially concerned with the Scriptures: He was the one who moved holy men of old to speak the messages of God, as He is the one who now gives spiritual illumination and understanding, and guides into the truth.

4. Here we see the accomplishment of the atonement.

Above we have spoken of Christ reaching the goal of the Incarnation, and of the consummation of His mission to the earth; what that goal and mission were, the Scriptures plainly reveal.  The Son of Man came here "to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10).  Christ Jesus came into the world "to save sinners" (1 Tim. 1:15).  God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, "to redeem them that were under the law" (Galatians 4:4).  He was manifested "to take away our sins" (1 John 3:5).  And all this involved the cross.

5. Here we see the end of our sins.

The sins of the believer - all of them - were transferred to the Saviour.  As saith the Scripture, "The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isa. 53:6).  If then God laid my iniquities on Christ, they are no longer on me.  Sin there is in me, for the old Adamic nature remains in the believer till death or till Christ’s return, should He come before I die - but there is no sin on me.  This distinction between sin IN (me) and sin ON (me) is a vital one, and there should be little difficulty in apprehending it.

Bill Gray Note:  Sin ON me Christ removed at the cross, making eternal salvation available to all who will receive His precious gift.   Sin IN me is the Adamic Sin Nature through which Satan tempts us and which causes many to reject Christ's offer of eternal life.

6. Here we see the fulfillment of the law’s requirements.

"The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just and good" (Rom. 7:12).  How could it be anything less when Jehovah himself had framed and given it!  The fault lay not in the law but in man who, being depraved and sinful, could not keep it.  Yet that law must be kept, and kept by a Man, so that the law might be honored and magnified, and its giver vindicated.  .  .

But not only did the Saviour keep the precepts of the law, He also suffered its penalty and endured its curse.  We had broken it, and taking our place, He must receive its just sentence.  Having received its penalty and endured its curse, the demands of the law are fully met and justice is satisfied.

7. Here we see the destruction of Satan’s power.

See it by faith.  The cross sounded the death-knell of the devil’s power.  To human appearances it looked like the moment of his (Satan's) greatest triumph, yet in reality, it was the hour of his ultimate defeat.  In view of the cross (see context) the Saviour declared, "Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out" (John 12:31).  It is true that Satan has not yet been chained and cast into the bottomless pit.  Nevertheless, sentence has been passed (though not yet executed); his doom is certain; and his power is already broken so far as believers are concerned.

"It is finished!"  Reader, do you believe it?   Or, are YOU trying to add something of your own to the finished work of Christ to secure the favor of God?  All you have to do is to accept the pardon which he purchased.  God is satisfied with the work of Christ, why are not you?

"It is finished!"  Do you really believe it?  Or, are you endeavoring to add something of your own to it and thus merit the favor of God?  Some years ago a Christian farmer was deeply concerned over an unsaved carpenter.  The farmer sought to set before his neighbor the Gospel of God’s grace, and to explain how that the finished work of Christ was sufficient for his soul to rest upon.  But the carpenter persisted in the belief that he must do something himself. 

One day the farmer asked the carpenter to make for him a gate, and when the gate was ready he carried it away to his wagon.  He arranged for the carpenter to call on him the next morning and see the gate as it hung in the field.  At the appointed hour the carpenter arrived and was surprised to find the farmer standing by with a sharp axe in his hand. 

"What are you going to do?" he asked.  "I am going to add a few cuts and strokes to your work," was the response.  "But, there is no need for it," replied the carpenter, "the gate is all right as it is.  I did all that was necessary to it."

The farmer took no notice, but lifting his axe he slashed and hacked at the gate until it was completely spoiled.  "Look what you have done!" cried the carpenter.  "You have ruined my work!"

"Yes," said the farmer, "and that is exactly what you are trying to do.  You are seeking to nullify the finished work of Christ by your own miserable additions to it!" 

God used this forceful object lesson to show the carpenter his mistake, and he was led to cast himself by faith upon what Christ had done for sinners.  Reader, will you do the same?

Do YOU believe the declaration of Christ on the cross, "teleō, It is finished!"   Or are you depending upon a church, church rituals and traditions, church attendance, good deeds done for the poor, homeless, and destitute, or other good works of man - to buy your way into heaven?  Is the work of Christ, i.e., "It is finished!" sufficient to purchase your pardon, your eternal life in Christ - OR - do YOU have to help Him finish His work on the cross?   He is sufficient!  

No matter what any man or church may tell you, Jesus Christ is sufficient and His finished work on the cross is sufficient to purchase YOUR eternal salvation - IF you will just accept and receive His precious blood-purchased gift.

No church can save us.  No works can save us.  Only Jesus Christ in our hearts can save us.  That is explained very well in this beautiful Gospel song:

"It's Not What's Over the Door"

Some people think today, if heaven you would see
You must belong to their church or be lost eternally
But according to God's Word what he's still looking for
Is what he finds within your heart
And not what's over the door 

It's not what's over the door of the church that you attend
That makes you a child of God and a heavenly citizen
As the eyes of the Lord look this world o'er
There’s just one thing He's lookin’ for
Can’t you see that’s what’s in your heart
And not what's over the door

Does Jesus live in your heart, and have you been born again
Has the blood of Calvary's Lamb washed away all your sins?
Are you fully trusting in the crucified risen Lord
Can't you see that it's what's in your heart
And not what's over the door

Can’t you see that’s what’s in your heart
And NOT what's over the door.

Would you like to listen to this beautiful explanation of the Gospel:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUdDMPPuB1c

Note:  In all the writings referenced above the parenthetical (except quoted Scripture verse definition), italic, underline, all cap words, and bold emphasis is mine.

My Friend, if you have received Jesus Christ into your heart, I praise God for your eternal Christian fellowship.  But, we all have one more task to finish.  No, not to work ourselves into heaven - but, to tell all our FRANs (Friends, Relatives, Associates, Neighbors) who do not yet know Christ as Lord and Savior - that they, too, can have His promise of eternal life. 

Share with them the truth and fullness of this Scripture passage:

John 3:16-17, "For God so loved the WORLD that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOEVER believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."

In this Scripture passage, the word WORLD includes you, me, and every person ever born.

In this Scripture passage, the word WHOEVER includes you, me, and every person ever born.

The key or gating words in this Scripture passage are:  "WHOEVER believes in Him."

WHOEVER, i.e., everyone - who believes in Jesus Christ and receives Him as Lord and Savior (John 1:12), has Jesus Christ in his/her heart and is eternally saved.

WHOEVER, i.e., everyone - who does NOT believe in Jesus Christ and receives Him as Lord and Savior (John 1:12), does NOT have Jesus Christ in his/her heart and is eternally lost.

1 John 5:12, "He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life."

So, my Friends, it is up to YOU and me to tell all our FRANs, "IT IS FINISHED!"   For our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ - was, is, and will always be - fully sufficient to purchase our eternal pardon through the power of His blood.   

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill