THERE WAS NEVER A DAY LIKE IT in all the history of the world! Complete darkness covered the land at noon, and continued for three hours! It was not an eclipse, nor was the darkness the result of heavy cloud formations. The darkness was accompanied by the movements of Roman soldiers, the jeering of Israel’s leaders, the groaning of two crucified malefactors, and the sufferings of a unique Man nailed to a tree. The location was Jerusalem; the event was the crucifixion of an innocent Man — Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.

Thirty-three years prior to this event, He had left heaven and entered into this world by way of a virgin named Mary. The Holy Scripture speaks of it as a mystery; “Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh” (I Timothy 3:16). Thus the prophecy of Isaiah, written 740 years before, came to pass. “Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given” (Isaiah 9:6).

After living in obscurity for thirty years in Nazareth, He began His unique ministry before God and man. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Him, anointing Him to preach the gospel to the poor, to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, to recover sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that were bruised, and to preach the acceptable year of the Lord (Luke 4:18,19). His gracious ministry brought comfort, cleansing and joy to many. In spite of it all, He was despised and rejected of men (Isaiah 53:3). Finally, He was given an unjust trial, flogged, spit upon, buffeted, reproached, crowned with thorns and led outside Jerusalem’s walls. Between 9 A.M. and noon, He was nailed upon a cross of wood at the place called Calvary. Scripture says, “There they crucified Him” (Luke 23:33).

At noon (the sixth hour, Luke 23:44), a phenomenon took place — “there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour (3 P.M.). The sun was darkened,” which means it utterly failed! Scientists cannot explain it, but Scripture declares it! At 3 P.M., out of that darkness, the voice of the Lord Jesus cried “TETELESTAI”, which means, “IT IS FINISHED: and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost” (John 19:30). The Lord certainly didn’t say, “I am finished.” Oh, no! He said, “IT IS FINISHED"! What did He mean by that statement? How significant this word is! In the language of our Lord’s day, it had various shades of meaning. In Matthew 11:1 it is translated, “made an end;” In Luke 2:39, “Performed;” In Luke 18:31, “Accomplished;” and in Acts 13:29, “Fulfilled.” Papyri receipts for taxes have been recovered with the word TETELESTAI written across them, meaning “paid in full.” When the Lord Jesus cried, “It is finished,” He was proclaiming that He had “MADE AN END” of our sins and our guilt! He had “PERFORMED” the utmost requirements of God’s Law! He had “ACCOMPLISHED” the work the Father gave Him to do! He had “FULFILLED” all the Old Testament prophecies concerning Himself up to that point! Yes, my friend, the price of our redemption was “PAID IN FULL!”

IT WAS THE CRY OF A SUFFERER

When one thinks of Calvary, what tongue or pen can fully describe the sufferings of Christ? His anguish — physi-cal, mental and spiritual — was indescribable! As the “Man of Sorrows” (Isaiah 53:3), He was designated for infi-nite suffering. Prophecy reveals the thoughts of His heart in Psalm 88:15, “I am afflicted and ready to die from My youth up.” On the cross, His sufferings were expiatory and vicarious. He became the sinner’s Substitute and suffered for the sinner’s sins. The Bible says, “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities.” “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree.” “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the Just (One) for (us) the unjust (ones), that He might bring us to God” (Isaiah 53:5; I Peter 2:24; 3:18). Then came the cry, “It is finished”! His sufferings were now over forever!

IT WAS THE LANGUAGE OF A SAVIOUR

Our Lord’s ministry to the world was simply to save. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (I Timothy 1:15) and “to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Man was born a sinner; his sins were taking him to hell, but “Christ died for our sins” (I Corinthians 15:3). The sinner, by trusting only in the sacrifice and death of Christ for his sins, might go free. When the tremendous debt of sin was paid in full, the Saviour cried, “It is fin-ished.” Do you really believe it? Or are you vainly trying to add something of your own to His Finished Work to merit favor with God? If God is completely satisfied with the work and payment of Christ, why aren’t you? No amount of doing can cancel your debt of sin.

IT WAS THE CRY OF A CONQUEROR

Christ came to battle with Satan, sin and hell. It was a terrible conflict, but He met His foes and confronted all His enemies. On the cross, He divested death of its sting and triumphed over Satan, the grave and hell. The proof of His victory lies in the fact that God raised Him from the dead (Acts 13:30) and exalted Him to His Own right hand, pro-claiming to His Son, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever” (Hebrews 1:3,8). What comfort that Christ con-quered all, and that I am secure in Him! Yes, the Conqueror as He expired could exclaim, “It is finished,” “Ac-complished,” “Performed”! Isn’t such a Person worthy of your trust? I hope so!

The Lord Jesus Christ

“He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. . . This Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God . . . There remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.”
(Hebrews 9:26; 10:12,26)

“Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe.
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.”