Just before he breathed his last breath, Jesus uttered the phrase “it is finished.”

That phrase is actually the translation of one word, “tetelestai,” in the original language of the Bible.

Tetelestai – The Sacrifice Is Accomplished

Every Jewish person there would have instantly recognized this word as the equivalent of a Hebrew phrase that was used in the Old Testament sacrificial system.

Yet the Bible teaches that this sacrificial system was never really complete or finished because the sacrifice of that lamb was imperfect and temporary.

But when Jesus died on the cross, he became the perfect and final sacrifice for all sin.

So by saying “it is finished” Jesus was signaling to the Jewish world that there was no more need for sacrifices or temples because that his work brought ultimate fulfillment to what their sacrificial system foreshadowed.

Tetelestai – The Work Is Complete

In New Testament times, when an employee had completed a day’s work or finished a project, he would tell his boss “tetelestai.”

No more touch-ups or adjustments are necessary, the work is done.

So in his last words, Jesus was communicating that the work he came for was accomplished.

No more additions or adjustments were necessary – salvation was completed.

Tetelestai – The Debt Is Paid in Full

Maybe the most common use of “tetelestai” in Jesus’ day was in debt collecting.

The Bible says that our sin created a debt to God, and one that we could never pay back on our own. But when Jesus died, he was paying off our debt of sin once and for all.

It Is Finished

All of these nuances of tetelestai converge together to communicate a beautiful truth – that Jesus completed the work of salvation once and for all.

Discussion Questions:

Watch the video together or invite someone to summarize the topic.

Do you think that the last words of Jesus would carry more weight than the words of other people? Why or why not?

Why do you think God instituted a sacrificial system that involved killing animals to atone for sin in the Old Testament? Why was this system never able to fully take away the sins of people?

Read 9:12-16. What are some insights about the sacrifice of Jesus that this passage teaches?

Read Luke 19:10. Describe in your own words the mission to which Jesus was called? Could anyone else in history carry out this mission? Why or why not?

How does our sin create a “debt” to God? Why can we never pay off that “debt” on our own?

How does the sacrifice of Jesus pay off a debt that we created?

Read Hebrews 10:12-18. What are the practical implications for the fact that the work of salvation is complete? How will you live your life differently knowing this truth?

Write a personal action step based on this conversation.

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