“When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (John 19:30).

When Jesus cried out “It is finished” The Apostle John used one Greek word to express the phrase. That word is “tetelestai.” That word was commonly used in three different ways.

If a promissory note was paid, the one holding the note wrote “tetelestai” across it. It was just like our “paid” stamp. It simply means that with the death of Jesus our salvation was completely paid for and we owe nothing. It is one of the most important statements in the New Testament.

Similarly, when someone purchased a piece of property the transaction wasn’t completed until the deed was dated and signed. When the transaction was completed a clerk would write “tetelestai” across it. Jesus was saying that everything God promised us was now available.

Finally, it was used when a father sent his son on a mission. The son was not to return until he had performed the last act of the mission. When he did return from a successful mission, he used “tetelestai” to report it. Jesus was saying to His Father that He had accomplished everything He came to do.

The power of that shout by Jesus means that our salvation was completely paid for and there is nothing we can add in order to receive it. It was an announcement to His Father that the mission was fully accomplished. That one Greek word sums up the good news that Jesus has fully done all that was needed to secure our salvation.