"It is Finished"

                                         "It was about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the
                                           whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped
                                           shining.  And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.
                                           Jesus called out with a loud voice, 'Father, into your hands
                                           I commit my spirit.'"        Luke 23:44-46a


                                          "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



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         From the book 'World Tilting Gospel' by Dan Phillips:

                                      "Christ hung and suffered as a substitute.  He took on
                                        Himself the sin of all His people, absorbed the wrath
                                        of God they so richly deserved, put his perfectly
                                        righteous life between  us and God, satisfied the judg-
                                        ment of God, and so died."

                                      "But before He died, Jesus cried, 'It is finished.'  These
                                       three English words translate one Greek word:  tetelestai.
                                       With this marvelous word, Christ says, 'It stands ac-
                                       complished.'" 

                                      "Everything that needed to be done has been done;
                                       every bit of the mission the Father gave Him for His
                                       glory, the redemption of His people, the defeat of
                                       Satan, and the reclamation of the planet, has been
                                       brought to completion."

                                      "Jesus is saying that everything necessary for the
                                       completion of God's saving plan has been accomplished."