Theological term
Tetelestai
6 sermons · All terms
The Crucifixion of Christ, Part 4
The sixth saying of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross — 'It is finished' (John 19:30) — is not a cry of defeat but a declaration of completed victory. The single Greek word tetelestai, a perfect tense verb signifying a past completed action with abiding present results, encompasses the fulfillment of all Old Testament Scripture, the completion of Christ's earthly suffering, the full accomplishment of the Father's will, and the definitive salvation of his people. The sermon works through the typological witness of the law (Passover, Day of Atonement, the bronze serpent, the sacrificial system), the prophetic witness of Isaiah and Jeremiah, and the Psalms, showing that Christ's cry from the cross brings every shadow and promise to its intended end. The application presses the finished work as the sole ground of justification, assurance, peace with God, and security against every accusation — calling both believer and unbeliever to look to Christ alone and live.
The Resurrection and Justification
Romans 4:25 encapsulates the whole gospel in a single verse: Christ was delivered up because of our offenses and raised because of our justification. This sermon expounds the redemptive purpose behind both the death and the resurrection of Christ, showing that the cross satisfies divine justice through substitutionary atonement while the empty tomb confirms that satisfaction was accepted and justification accomplished. The doctrine of justification by faith alone — the forgiveness of sins and the imputation of Christ's righteousness — rests inseparably on the historical and theological reality of the resurrection. Believers are called to live daily in light of the finished work of the Son, and those without Christ are urged to look to Him in faith for everlasting life.
Hebrews 1
Hebrews 1:3 declares that Christ 'by himself purged our sins' before sitting down at the right hand of the Majesty on high — a compressed statement of the entire work of redemption. This Bible study exposition unpacks that purging under four aspects: it was a thorough cleansing of sin, an expiatory sacrifice removing legal guilt, a propitiatory sacrifice satisfying divine wrath, and a substitutionary act in which Christ bore the curse in the place of his people. The finality of the work is sealed by Christ's session at the Father's right hand — a posture no Levitical priest could assume because their work was never complete — and by his own word from the cross, 'It is finished.'
The Finished Work of Christ
John 19:30 records the sixth and final word of the Lord Jesus from the cross before he gave up his spirit: 'It is finished' — the Greek tetelestai, a perfect passive verb stamped on commercial receipts to signify a debt paid in full with present and abiding effect. The sermon examines this declaration under three headings: the fulfillment of all redemptive prophecy, the glory of the Son in his obedience to the Father, his redemption of his people, and his defeat of the devil, and finally the manifold comfort the declaration brings to the church — propitiation exhausting the wrath of God, triumph over death, the forgiveness of sins, the imputation of a perfect righteousness, and peace with God. The sermon is preached in the context of the Lord's Supper, calling believers to receive the ordinance in full consciousness of a finished, unrepeatable, entirely sufficient work of Christ, and calling the unconverted to look to that Savior in simple faith.
Redemption Accomplished
The dying cry of Jesus in John 19:30 — 'It is finished' (Greek: tetelestai) — is not a cry of defeat but a perfect-tense declaration of completed redemptive work with abiding results. The sermon examines this sixth word from the cross under three headings: the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, the glory of the Son displayed in his obedience, the redemption of his people, and the defeat of Satan, and the comfort this finished work secures for the church. Five concrete benefits flow to believers from this single cry: the wrath of God is exhausted through propitiation, peace with God is established, the enemies of sin and death are defeated, death itself is swallowed up in victory, and a prepared place in heaven awaits all who trust in Christ alone.
Behold the Lamb of God
John 1:29 records John the Baptist's climactic announcement — 'Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world' — and this meditation, preached before the Lord's Table, draws out three aspects of that declaration: Christ's arrival as the fulfillment of centuries of typological promise, His identification as the Lamb provided by God Himself, and His mission to remove sin in its totality. The sermon traces the Lamb motif from Genesis 3 through the Passover, Isaiah 53, and into the book of Revelation, demonstrating that definite atonement is God's sovereign provision rather than any human design. Hearers are called to stop and genuinely behold Christ crucified — not merely affirm justification by faith alone as a doctrine, but find in it daily comfort, worship, and the ground of true gospel holiness.