Finished

“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished…” (John 19:30)

Tetelestai – finished. The work is done. Complete.  Man cannot make more complete something that is complete. An artist works on a painting for weeks or sometimes, years. The last thing he does to his art work is sign his name in a lower corner, indicating that it is complete or finished. Tetelestai. If someone adds anything, even a small stroke, he has marred the finished work.

Jesus was saying, “The work is done.” He had said in John 4:34, “My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish His work.” In His High Priestly prayer to His Father, Jesus said, “I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” (John 17:4) All the Old Testament animal sacrifices were finished. There would be no more animal sacrifices pointing toward Calvary. Jesus had made one sacrifice for sins forever and then said, “It is finished.”

Then, following His resurrection He ascended to heaven and, “sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” (Hebrews 1:3) We cannot add one thing to His finished work of redemption. It is finished with no additions necessary to make it complete.