TETELESTAI

A sleepless night of indignity. False witnesses slandering . . . beatings . . . a crown of thorns digging into the King of kings’ head . . . a robe and scepter of mock royalty . . . more scourging . . . more mocking.

By 9AM His hands and feet were nailed to a rough-cut cross that was lifted and dropped with a dull thud into Golgotha’s brow. From noon to three, darkness fell over the earth – truly the darkest hour in human history.

John, the disciple whom Christ loved, was an eyewitness to the Crucifixion. He records for us the final minutes of this tragic scene in Chapter 19 of his gospel: “After this, Jesus knowing that all things had already been accomplished, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I am thirsty.” A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop, and brought it up to His mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” and He bowed His head, and gave up His spirit” (vv.28-30).

Jesus took a drink, as if to clear His parched throat so His clarion call could be heard by all: Tetelestai – “It is finished!” If the crucifixion was the darkest moment in history, these words pierced through clouds like a radiant beam of sunlight. The words don’t refer to the completion of His sufferings but the completion of the task He was born to do – to save His people from their sins (Mt.1:21). The timber of the cross formed the bridge over sin’s troubled waters and spanned hell’s chasm, uniting earth and heaven. With the words “It is finished,” the bridge was complete. It was a cry of victory, a cry of accomplishment – for with these words, fetters burst, prison walls crumbled, barriers fell, and gates that had been closed for thousands of years began to turn on their rusty hinges…

If you are without Christ, you’re treading water in a sea of sin. Things may appear calm, and you may feel you’ve got everything under control now. But one day, you’ll go under and sink like a rock and drown. The only life preserver is Jesus; the only way to heaven is the bridge of the cross. You can’t swim to the other side on your own strength. If you are in that situation, you can call out to Jesus – as Peter did when he was sinking – “Lord, save me! (Mt.14:30). It doesn’t need to be a King James prayer or a Revised Standard confession. It just needs to be from your heart to His. And when these two hearts connect, your bridge to heaven is complete. Isn’t it about time you stopped treading and started trusting?

(JESUS, OUR LORD by Charles R. Swindoll, 1994 pp.34-36)

TETELESTAI

34”X76” MIXED MEDIA

LYN DEUTSCH