\u201cIt is finished.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many said words like those that day. Pilate pushed himself up from the judgment bench and sighed, \u201cJesus is finished, another political troublemaker out of the way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The religious leaders looked at one another and said in hushed tones, \u201cJesus is finished. No more offense from him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The soldiers as they turned their backs and walked away: \u201cFinished. It is over, our unpleasant but necessary work for the day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The crowds as they watched Jesus breathe his last and his head slump down, lifeless: \u201cFinished. The spectacle is over.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All comments on the moment, comments on the day, comments made by those with limited vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not so with Jesus\u2019 final word, tetelestai, <\/em>which is Greek for \u201cIt is finished.\u201d This is a word of cosmic import, a word of timeless importance, of universal significance. It is finished. Jesus\u2019 last word. It\u2019s just one word in the language of the Bible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt is finished\u201d \u2013 his concluding declaration, his last word, the final punctuation on a sentence begun before the beginning. With this word of completion, finality \u2013 \u201cfinished\u201d \u2013 we are reminded how all began: in John\u2019s gospel:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him. In him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it. \u2026 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. From his fullness, we have all received grace upon grace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And so Jesus\u2019 word, word of Word incarnate, this one word, which we translate as \u201cit is finished,\u201d is the final punctuation on a sentence begun before all that is, before we were knit together in our mothers\u2019 wombs, before the first light, first life, first spark, first dream, first bursting forth of creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The final punctuation on a sentence spoken in love, spoken across space, time, through ages, prophets, patriarchs, matriarchs, sages, and in these last days, spoken to us by a son: Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The final punctuation on a sentence spoken, lived in love; spoken, sung, breathed, in words such as \u201cAnd I, when I am lifted up, I will draw all to myself.\u201d Words such as \u201cLove one another as I have loved you.\u201d Love, spoken in actions: touched and touching, taught and teaching, love reaching out, healing, embracing, lifting; calling \u201cbeloved\u201d those called wrong, weak, small, outcast, other, sinner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Word incarnate spoke love in words, in deeds, spoke love in handing himself over, giving himself up, pouring himself out, until there is nothing left, nothing more needed, just one last breath, one last word. God\u2019s sentence of love spoken across time, space, boundaries, on the cross \u2013 spoke its final syllables, in gasps, in an agonized whisper, in pain, yes, but with precision, point and power. This is no giving up, this is declaration: \u201cIt is finished.\u201d Period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jesus\u2019 word brings forth our words of prayer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n O Jesus, to you, now lifted up, with your arms of love stretched out on the hard wood of the cross, in your loving and giving until all is completed, to you in your finishing, we bring all our incompleteness, all our unfinishedness, all those things done and left undone: our fractional loving, our fragmentary living, our unrealized intentions, our unfulfilled potential, our unarticulated praise, our unprayed prayers, our underachieved service, our ungiven forgiveness, our conditional charity, our inadequate hope, our wanting faith, unfinished us, unfinished me. And you say, drawing each of us and our incompleteness all to you, \u201cIt is finished.\u201d Period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This sermon was written by Dr. Amy Richter<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cIt is finished.\u201d Many said words like those that day. Pilate pushed himself up from the judgment bench and sighed, \u201cJesus is finished, another political troublemaker out of the way.\u201d The religious leaders looked at one another and said in hushed tones, \u201cJesus is finished. 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