yielded up the ghost.
Matthew 27:50.
And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.
Mark 15:37.
And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands
I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.
Luke 23:46.
When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is
finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
John 19:30.
"It Is Finished!"
John does not speak of a "loud voice", but does say that Jesus' last words were, "It is finished!" Those three words, "It is finished!" are only one word in the Greek (and Aramaic)--tetelestai. Jesus died with a shout of triumph on his lips. It was not moaned in weary defeat--it was not groaned in anguish and sorrow. He did not whisper, "It is finished", as one who is battered to his knees and forced to admit defeat. He shouted it as a victor who has won his last engagement with the enemy and brought a tremendous task to winning conclusion. "It is finished!" was the cry of Christ, crucified, in agony, yet victorious. Can you not picture Him there, battered, bruised, greatly weakened, yet with a great burst of triumph washing throughout His being: "It is finished!" Praise the Lamb of God Who died in my stead!
John described the last action of Jesus: ...he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. John 19:30. "Bowed" is klino in the Greek: to recline or lay in a slant. The strife of the battle was over--He was victorious. He had completed His task: "It is finished!" and AT THAT MOMENT, forevermore, the way was made open for each of us who will, to come boldly before the Throne of Grace! Never again would Salvation be through the blood of animals--the sacrifice had just been made, once and for all, through the perfect blood of The Lamb of God. Salvation was made possible to all, not just to those with the price of a sacrificial animal. Jesus Christ bought and PAID IN FULL our debt of sin, by His death on that old rugged cross!
And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great. And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you. Mark 16:4-7.
And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. Luke 24:4-7.
Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. Ephesians 4:8. (Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them. Psalm 68:18) Captivity captive? What does that mean? Captivity: the bonds of sin, separation from God. By having completed God's perfect plan of salvation for mankind, Jesus Christ took away the captivity of the bonds of sin that hold us and made it possible for each of us to have a doorway to God the Father, through Jesus, for the salvation of our souls. Jesus Christ TOOK ON our sins--He became the sacrificial Lamb, once and for all, for our sins! So when He led "captivity captive", he overcame (captured) that which separates us from God, sin (our captivity), and made it captive (subject) unto Him! Does it not make you want to jump for joy? Glory to God!
I want you to fully grasp the significance of that open doorway to that tomb that morning: it was NOT opened so that He could come out--it was opened so that we might go in! Another "opening" of great significance had already taken place at the moment of Jesus' death on the cross: And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. Mark 15:38. The very fact that it was rent in twain from the top to the bottom is of particular significance: had it been ripped from bottom to top, naysayers could have always speculated that it was done by the hands of humans. However, it hung from so high up that special scaffolding had to be built to hang it in the first place. Once the scaffolding was removed, the top of the veil was unreachable.
This particular temple veil (curtain) was the one which separated the "Holy of Holies" from the rest of the temple. The "Holy of Holies" hid the place where dwelt the very presence of God, and no man could ever enter except the High Priest, and he only once a year, on the great day of Atonement. It was so serious an event that the High Priest wore bells attached to the hem of his garment, to enable people to hear him moving about in the "Holy of Holies" and know he was not dead. The "rending in twain" of the temple veil carries great symbolism: (1) Never again would mankind have to go through an "earthly" priest to get to God. By His death on the cross, and by His resurrection on the third day, Jesus Christ became our HIGH PRIEST, through Whom whosoever will can get to God. Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus. Hebrews 3:1.
(2) No longer did mankind have to "guess" Who, What, Where about God. Whosoever will could, from that time forward, know the Father through and by His Only Begotten Son! The "mystery" of God was ripped in two that day--and opened unto us through Jesus Christ. (3) Never again would mankind be limited as to when he (she) could enter the presence of God. It would no longer be only an annual event. "Going boldly before the Throne of Grace" was put on an individual basis to all of mankind. The way to God's presence, once barred to man, was thrown open to all. It was as if the heart of God, hitherto hidden, was laid bare.
Hallelujah! Jesus had already said, I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The fact that the "door" to the "Holy of Holies" and the "door" to the tomb was open added more depth and heighth and width to I am the door... Jesus, Himself, said in John 12:32, And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. Lifted up: as on a cross. Lifted up: as the Savior to all mankind who will accept Him as such. Lifted up: as the ONLY DOOR to God, the Father.
Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here... Luke 24:1-6. Praise His wonderful name, "He Is NOT Here!"
Not only were they four perfect words, they were four words of perfection. Think about it now, my friends: had Jesus Christ not followed through with God's perfect plan for our salvation, had He not been willing to go the WHOLE distance, how could He possibly know how you and I feel? In our human experience, there are those times when bitter disappointment and horrible tragedy enter our lives. It is at those very times so many of us feel abandoned--we feel as if God Himself has forgotten us. Those times when we are "over our heads" in circumstances beyond our understanding and control, and we cry out, "Oh God, where are You now?" But you see, because Jesus was willing to yield to Our Heavenly Father's Will, there will never be a circumstance, a situation, a place we can go that He has not already been!
By the very fact that we know Jesus felt the desolation of being alone, is the reason to never again allow anyone or anything, however grievous, to persuade us that God has abandoned us! It is in those times of greatest grief and wounding, perhaps with our faith even in tatters, we can cry out to Him! Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am... And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. Isaiah 58:9, 11.
Because of these two declarations of God's perfection, "It IS Finished!" and "He Is NOT Here!", we have the assurance that ...weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Psalm 30:5. The perfect plan of salvation was completed by the willingness of Jesus Christ, despite all it cost Him, to obey the Will of The Heavenly Father. Even in the midst of agony beyond description there on the cross, He was victorious: Tetelestai! "It is finished!" And to prove it, the doorway to the tomb was opened so that for all eternity, we could know no grave could hold Him: "He Is NOT Here!"
Seven gloriously perfect words! Not just in what was actually said, but perfect in the completion they brought! Victory over death, hell and the grave through Jesus Christ! Captivity captive--through the shed blood of Jesus Christ and His resurrection. We ARE overcomers through Him! Yes, seven words of perfection, completion, eternally sealing and fulfilling God's promise of salvation to mankind:
because
"He Is Not Here!"
because
"It Is Finished!"
"Seven Perfect Words" Copyright © 2002 by Patricia Sikes.
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