30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Introduction: As Christ hung on the cross, just before He died, He called out "It is finished!" In the Greek the word is tetélestai which comes from the root word téleo, which has some very interesting meanings depending on how it is used and who was using it. While this sermon may not be hermeneutically pure, it does provide us some word pictures of Who Christ is and what He accomplished when He was upon this earth. There are several English words used to express what the one Greek word expresses, and by looking at these words we can see what Christ accomplished on the cross.

Transition: One way in which téleo was used is by a servant. . .

I. Christ The Servant.
1. téleo -- to complete the assigned task.

A. As completing something; bring to an end, conclude, complete.

B. When the job was completed, the Servant would say to the master "téleo," meaning I have completed the job you gave me to do.

C. The Apostle Paul, the servant of Christ, used this word to describe his completing the work that Christ had given him.

- 2 Timothy 4:6-8, "For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing."

2. He completed His assigned task.

A. Christ was God's appointed servant.

- Isaiah 42:1, "Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles."

B. Christ's task was a ministry of restoration; restoring man's broken relationship with God because of their rebellion against God, which the Bible calls sin.

1) Luke 19:10, "for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

2) Matthew 20:28, "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Transition: Another way in which téleo was used is by priest, and. . .

II. Christ The High Priest.
1. téleo -- To proclaim the sacrifice is perfect.
A. Used as obeying a rule or ritual; carry out, fulfill, perform.
B. The Jewish people would bring their sacrifice to be offered to make sure that they conformed to the requirement put forth in the law.
1) If everything met the standards of the law, then it was "téleo," meaning it is perfect or acceptable.
2) We have an example of Joseph and Mary using this word when they brought Jesus to the temple in accordance with the law.
- Luke 2:36-39, "Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. So when they [i.e., Joseph & Mary] had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth."

Transition: Christ was also a priest of God, and. . .

2. He offered the perfect sacrifice.

A. He was appointed as our High Priest by God the Father.

- Hebrews 5:5-10, "So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.' As He also says in another place: 'You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek'; who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest 'according to the order of Melchizedek,'"

B. As our High Priest, Christ offered up the perfect sacrifice for our sins.

- Hebrews 10:19-22, "Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."

C. Because of our High Priest's acceptable sacrifice, we have access to God.

1) Hebrews 4:16, "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

2) In the OT, no one was allowed access to the holy of holies but the High Priest on the Day of Atonement which occurred once a year.

Transition: The final way in which we will look at the how the word téleo was used is that it presented. . .

III. Christ The Redeemer.
1. téleo -- To fully pay a debt.

A. Used by merchants during the time of Christ to acknowledge the payment of a debt.

B. When you purchased something, the merchant would take your money and hand you a receipt with this word written on it.

2. He fully paid the price.

A. When He gave Himself on the cross, Jesus fully met the righteous demands of a holy law, and as such He paid our debt in full.

1) The Law was given so that man might know what God's holy standards are and thus he would know when he sinned against God.

A) Romans 2:14-15, "for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them)"

B) Galatians 3:24, "Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith."

2) We are also told that sinful man is incapable of living up to a Holy God's standards, thus the law becomes a curse to man because it only allows for God's judgment.

A) The law is a curse because it only condemns men and doesn't provide a solution to our sin problem.

B) Galatians 3:10-12, "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.' But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for 'the just shall live by faith.' Yet the law is not of faith, but "the man who does them shall live by them"

C) James 2:10, "For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all."

B. But Christ redeemed us from the slave market of sin, and from God judgment under the law.

- Galatians 3:13, "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree'),"

Transition: Not only did Christ pay the price in full. . .

3. His work stands finished - the perfect tense

A. The Perfect Tense in Greek is very expressive, and speaks of an action that was completed in past time, and the existence of its finished results (Wuest).

B. The entire sense is, "It was finished and as a result it is forever done" (Wuest).

- "It is completed and stands complete" is a good translation.

Invitation:

1. What did Christ finish on the cross?

A. Christ the Servant, completed His assigned task and it still stands finished.

B. Christ the High Priest, provided the perfect sacrifice for us and nothing else is needed.

C. Christ our Redeemer, fully paid our debt and nothing else is owed.

A. No more sacrifices, no more sin bearing, no more curse for the chosen of God!

B. "It is finished!"

1) The entire work of redemption has been brought to completion.

2) All that is left for you and me is to accept it.