What Does It is Finished? Mean Anyway?
I chanced upon this article written by Robert Herriman on March 22, 2016:
"Holy Week in the Philippines: Health officials tell people who practice self-flagellation and crucifixion to get tetanus shot"*
Another writer wrote: "Some penitents nailed themselves to crosses during the mourning process in an attempt to experience the pain that Christ suffered and to get closer to God. But religious leaders in the Philippines have warned devotees against resorting to extreme forms of expression on Good Friday. . .
. . .sometimes the kind of sacrifice that we impose on ourselves is not what the Lord wants us to do," Bishop Joel Baylon of Legazpi, and chairman of the Bishops' Commission on Youth, said.**
Isn't it interesting that out of all possible statements that Jesus could have said, Jesus last word was, Tetelestai?
Tetelestai. One word, packed with so much meaning. It is finished.
What was completed at the cross? And why is it even relevant to my life today?
1. *TETELESTAI means FULLY PAID. This was the word used by Jesus:
So when Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, It is finished!" (Tetelestai) And bowing his head, he gave up his spirit.John 19: 30
In Jesus days, when a bill or debt was completely paid, they would stamp tetelestai on the receipt which meant that there was no more outstanding debt. Yet we still have people who are sincerely trying to continue or add to the already finished payment of Jesus.
It reminds me of a friend of mine, happily announcing that her house was now all paid for. There was no more debt to pay. If, out of love for my friend, I decide to sacrifice and go to the bank to contribute some more money, would the bank even accept my payment? My efforts to pay would be useless and unnecessary, because the debt has already been fully paid.
2. Repentance is better than Penance. What's the difference between penance and repentance?
Penance is voluntary self-sacrifice; self-abasement to atone for having done wrong. It is relying on my good works, and my sacrifice to cleanse myself so that God will hear my prayers.
It is possible to keep doing penance, without our daily lives ever changing.
Godly repentance goes beyond guilty feelings, and means a changed heart and mind. It is a humble realization that I am a sinner in need of a Savior; an admission that I can't save myself from my sins. It is progressively turning away from any known sin, and turning to Christ as my Lord and only Savior.
A repentant person acknowledges that Gods good work on the cross is COMPLETE. Jesus sacrifice is what gives him forgiveness and access to heaven.
3. Telestai means Mission Accomplished. As Christians, we commemorate two very special Holidays: Christmas and Easter. You can't have one without the other.
At Christmas, we celebrate Jesus birth. At Easter, we celebrate Jesus resurrection into His glorified body.
At Christmas, the manger was filled:
She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger . . .John 2: 7 (NLT)
At Easter, the promise was fulfilled:
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, Woman, why are you weeping?
She said to them,They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him. Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing . . .John 20:11-14 (ESV)
At Christmas, the Good news was announced:
For God so loved the world, that he gave His only Son. . .
At Easter, sin's power was denounced!
. . .That whosoever would believe in Him, will have eternal life.
Easter is a time for celebration. The weeping is over!
The tomb is empty. The cross is empty. The debt is fully paid. Jesus is fully alive.
What used to be a dreaded mystery is now a discovery! Death is not a scary ending, but a wonderful beginning. There is eternal life in heaven after death, for those who trust in Jesus.
Easter completes what Christmas promised, the Savior came to save. It is finished. TETELESTAI.
. . .Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. John 13: 1
* http://outbreaknewstoday.com/holy-week-in-the-philippines-health-officials-tell-people-who-practice-self-flagellation-and-crucifixion-to-get-tetanus-shot
** http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/philippine-penitents-begin-good-friday-crucifixion-self-451398
My Comments Policy
While my site offers visitors the ability to converse, I have a few ground rules so that our conversations will remain civil and courteous.
1. You must register in order to leave a comment. I don’t entertain pseudo, anonymous or bogus individuals. This site is my home (it has a Home Page, get it). I don’t let strangers who don’t introduce themselves into my home.
2. I love questions. I love them because a lot of times they are similar to someone else’s questions and can even trigger other questions from others. Questions also keep us all sharp. This is also why I respond to them as best as I can and at the soonest possible time. I believe that group answering benefits more people than private email exchanges.
3. We don’t have to agree. Debates are welcome. However, whether it is with me or any other visitors of my site, my rule is this: disagree if you must but keep things civil. That’s just how I run my home, and you are a visitor here. No shouting; I have seen it done in writing. No cursing and no insulting.
4. I reserve the right to delete your comments. Like I said, this is my home. I do not have an obligation to publish your comments. As a human being, you may enjoy the freedom to express your opinions on your own site but not on mine. To be specific, I will delete your comments if you post content that is in my sole opinion: (a) snarky; (b) off-topic; (c) libelous, defamatory, abusive, harassing, threatening, profane, pornographic, offensive, false, misleading, or which otherwise violates or encourages others to violate my sense of decorum, civility or any law, including intellectual property laws; or (d) “spam,” i.e. an attempt to advertise, solicit, or otherwise promote goods and services. You may, however, post a link to your site or your most recent blog entry.
5. You retain ownership of your comments. I do not own them and I expressly disclaim any and all liability that may result from them. By commenting on my site, you agree that you retain all ownership rights in what you post here and that you will relieve me from any and all liability that may result from those posts.
6. You grant me the license to post your comments. This license is worldwide, irrevocable, non-exclusive, and royalty-free. By posting comments on my site, you automatically grant me the right to store, use, transmit, display, publish, reproduce, and distribute your comments in any format, including but not limited to a blog, in a book, video, or presentation.
In short, my goal is to host interesting conversations with caring, honest, and respectful people. I believe this clear and simple comments policy will facilitate this.
