Famous Last Words – Living in the Power of Christ’s Completed Work
We’ve been in a powerful series called Famous Last Words, where we zoom in on the final seven statements Jesus made on the cross. Each phrase reveals deep truths about who He is and what He accomplished in His final moments. Today, we focus on the sixth statement — three simple yet world-shaking words: “It is finished.”
This declaration, found in John 19, comes right after Jesus says, “I am thirsty.” The passage tells us:
“When Jesus had tasted it, he said, ‘It is finished.’ Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” (John 19:30)
Tetelestai: The Transaction is Complete
These aren’t just the dying words of a man — they are the victorious cry of the Savior of the world. In Greek, Jesus says “Tetelestai”, a word packed with meaning. It translates to “paid in full,” a term commonly used in the ancient Greco-Roman world in commerce, war, justice, and freedom from slavery.
A few weeks back, we studied Jesus crying out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” That was the moment He began to take on the full weight of humanity’s sin. It was the start of the transaction.
Think of it like a grocery store checkout: you insert your debit card, and the machine says “transaction pending.” The payment process has begun. But when Jesus cries “It is finished,” the divine receipt prints: “Transaction approved.” The debt of sin has been paid — fully and forever.
The word “tetelestai” comes from the root telos, which means end, goal, or purpose. Every good story has a beginning, middle, and end — and God’s story is no different. Think of God as an archer, launching time like an arrow. It soars upward at the beginning of creation, levels out during Jesus’ life, and then begins to descend toward its ultimate end when Jesus returns.
Right now, we live in that descending arc — the space between the finished work of the cross and Jesus’ second coming. We wait, but not in vain. We live with hope, knowing the end has already been secured by Christ’s victory.
Saved From and Saved To
“Salvation” is a word we throw around often in church, but its Greek root means healing, safety, deliverance, and security. We are saved from sin, death, and Satan — but also to relationship with God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Yet, even though our salvation is secure, we still wrestle. The enemy whispers lies, tempting us to believe Jesus’ work isn’t enough — that it’s Jesus plus our effort. This is where fear and pride creep in.
Fear and Pride: Enemies of Grace
Fear tells us we’re not good enough and never will be — that if we slip up, God will take His grace away.
Pride says we don’t need help — that we can earn our way to salvation, just like everything else in life.
Both rob us of peace. Both deny the truth of Jesus’ finished work.
Distorted Ways of Relating to God
In his book With, author Sky Jethani outlines four distorted ways Christians often relate to God:
Life For God – Driven by fear, we try to produce and perform to keep God happy, seeing Him as an employer.
Life Under God – We try to appease Him like a harsh judge, constantly afraid of failure.
Life Over God – We treat God’s truth like a buffet, using Him more as a system of principles than a person.
Life From God – We treat Him like a vending machine: do this, get that.
All four miss the mark. But there’s a better way.
Life With God: Resting in the Finished Work
The life Jesus invites us into is life with God. Not performing, appeasing, using, or demanding — but abiding.
Jesus prayed in John 17 that we would be in Him, and He in us — united in intimacy, like a bride and groom becoming one. And from this deep connection, everything else flows: our mission, our obedience, our worship.
This is the kind of life where:
God is not our boss — He’s our friend.
God is not our judge — He’s our Savior.
God is not a system — He’s our King.
God is not a vending machine — He’s our Father.
Jesus Sat Down — And So Can We
After His resurrection, Jesus ascended and sat down at the right hand of the Father. This matters. It’s a posture of completion. Just like we sit down at the end of a long workday, Jesus sat down because the work of salvation is done.
Because of this, we too can spiritually sit down — not in our work, but in His. We can rest. We can breathe. We can stop striving.
We don’t work for His love. We don’t earn our salvation. We rest in His grace — because “It is finished.”