The Victor’s Shout, Not a Victim’s Gasp

When Jesus cried out, “It is finished,” these were not the last gasp breaths of a worn-out or wasted life. In the original language, it’s just one powerful word: Tetelestai! Finished! Accomplished! Done! This wasn’t Jesus saying, “It’s over”—it was the shout of a victor!
Why do we have a cross as the symbol of our faith? It’s an unusual choice when you think about it. Other religions have more sedate symbols—the six-pointed star of Judaism, the crescent moon of Islam, the lotus blossom of Buddhism. But, we have a cross—an instrument of execution and death. You wouldn’t wear a hangman’s noose or a little electric chair around your neck, Yet, we wear crosses everywhere.
The reason is found in these words from the cross. These aren’t dead words, but living words! Not the words of a victim, but the words of a victor! Each word Jesus spoke tells us why the cross matters—words of appeal, assurance, affection, abandonment, agony, accomplishment, and acceptance. Today we focus on that word of accomplishment: Tetelestai! It is finished! And this word explains everything about why we celebrate something as unusual as a cross.