“So Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As My Father has sent Me, even so I send you.’ When He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven them. If you retain the sins of anyone, they are retained.’ ” John 20:21-23 (Read John 20:19-23; Cf. Luke 24:46-47; Matt. 18:15-18.)
Jesus fulfilled the Scriptures. He suffered and died for the sins of all and rose again! Now He gives to His church a mission — an assignment and duty. He said to His chosen disciples, “As My Father has sent Me, even so I send you.”
He gave His disciples the Holy Spirit and a task to carry out: to preach “repentance and remission of sins” in Jesus’ name “to all nations,” beginning right where they were, in Jerusalem (Luke 24:46-47; cf. Matt. 28:16-20).
And God’s called disciples today are still to forgive the sins of those who repent and turn to Christ Jesus in faith and to retain (not forgive) the sins of those who do not repent. As Jesus says, “If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven them. If you retain the sins of anyone, they are retained.”
Jesus is not giving to any person or to any church the authority to forgive and retain sins according to their own whims or choosing. Rather, He gives to His church and its ministers the duty to preach and proclaim that all should repent and turn to Christ Jesus for forgiveness and life. To those who repent of their sins and look in faith to Jesus, the church proclaims God’s mercy and forgiveness in Christ Jesus and His cross (cf. Psalm 32:1-5; John 8:11; 1 John 1:7 — 2:2). To those who remain impenitent and continue in their sinful ways the church and its ministers proclaim God’s wrath and punishment upon their sins! Cf. Matt. 18:15-18; John 8:24; Heb. 10:26-31; 1 Cor. 6:9-11.
Ministers and churches err and misapply God’s Word (and are false prophets) when they tell the impenitent that their sins are forgiven, or when they fail to console the penitent with the comfort of God’s mercy and forgiveness in Christ Jesus. But, when ministers and churches rightly apply and proclaim God’s Word and counsel, forgiving the sins of penitent sinners and retaining the sins of the impenitent, their words are as certain and true as if God Himself had spoken them from His throne in heaven because it is God’s Word that they rightly apply to sinners!
But what is genuine repentance? It is not simply going through the outward motions of acknowledging our sinfulness, asking God to forgive us, and then returning unaffected to our old sinful ways (cf. Luke 3:7ff.)! Rather, it is sincerely acknowledging and sorrowing over our sinful ways and looking to Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice on the cross in faith for pardon and forgiveness. And where true repentance occurs, the penitent sinner then seeks God’s help and aid to amend his sinful ways and live for Christ Jesus, who died for him and rose again (cf. 1 John 1:7-2:6; 2 Cor. 5:15, 17; Psalm 51).
Indeed, God would have each of us live in continual repentance, examining ourselves in the light of God’s Word, being genuinely sorry for our sins and trusting in Jesus’ shed blood for forgiveness, and then continually seeking God’s help and strength to live our lives for Him in accordance with God’s Word.
I ask you, “Are you genuinely repentant? Do you acknowledge your sins and look in faith to Jesus and His cross for pardon and forgiveness?” If so, you have God’s mercy and forgiveness in Christ Jesus for all your sins (cf. 1 John 1:7ff.). But if, on the other hand, you are unwilling to give up your sinful ways and turn to God for forgiveness and life in His Son, Jesus Christ, you remain dead in your sins and are under God’s wrath and judgment! Cf. John 3:18, 36; Mark 16:16.
Dearest Christ Jesus, we have sinned in thought, word, and deed and have failed to live according to Your perfect will. Forgive us for the sake of Your holy and precious blood, shed for us on the cross. And, dear Savior, grant us Your Spirit and give us a genuine desire to please You always. Amen.
“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; he was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.” Isaiah 53:7
Why is it that Jesus permitted the Jewish soldiers to take Him? Why did he permit them to hit Him and make fun of Him? Why did He permit Pontius Pilate to judge and condemn Him? Why did He permit the Roman soldiers to beat and scourge Him and finally nail Him to the cross and crucify Him?
Could He not have walked away through the middle of them all as He had earlier done at Nazareth? Could He not have caused them all to fall to the ground before Him as happened in the Garden of Gethsemane? Could He not have called upon His heavenly Father and been provided with more than twelve legions of angels? He was and is the very Son of God; could He not have come down from the cross?
The Scriptures make it quite clear that Jesus could have walked away from His accusers and the cross. He could have judged and condemned them on the spot. But, He didn’t. He willingly permitted His enemies to arrest, abuse, and crucify Him. He didn’t even speak out in His defense. As Isaiah prophesied centuries before, “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; he was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7).
Why did Jesus willingly suffer and give up His life upon the cross? Why did He go silently, without ever opening His mouth in protest? He did it that He might redeem us from sin and the eternal punishment we deserve. This is why Jesus Christ, God’s own dear Son, came into this world: that He might suffer and die for our sins and rise again on the third day! He came to give His life a ransom for many — to make atonement for the sins of all people.
The Bible tells us in Galatians 4:4-5: “But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born from a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”
Jesus willingly and quietly went to the cross for you and for me that He might pay the just penalty for our sins and win for us God’s pardon and forgiveness so that we might look to Him in faith and partake of the blessings He won for us and all mankind!
Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:14-15: “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but may have eternal life.”
Considering what He has done, it is also time for us to turn to Him in silence — not proclaiming our own goodness or speaking of all that we have done for Him or for our fellowman — but rather to silently lament o’er all our sins and failures to keep God’s law, for which He willingly suffered and died. It’s time to turn to Him in silence and trust not in ourselves but in Him alone. He has done it all! Cf. Rom. 3:19-26.
He has paid in full! Let us come to Him in silent awe of His love and mercy toward us and boast of nothing but His blood and righteousness!
Dear Lord Jesus, I have sinned and done amiss. You are all my righteousness. I deserved God’s wrath and woe. You took my place, You loved me so. I stand in awe below Your cross, silently, for words at loss. Amen.
Invocation (Congregation Stands)
O almighty God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — we come into Your presence to seek Your mercy, to hear Your Word, and to offer up to You our prayers and praises. Hear us for the sake of the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and His atoning sacrifice on the cross for our sins. Amen.
Psalm 130
1 Out of the depths have I cried unto You, O LORD. 2 Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications! 3 If you, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with You, so that You may be feared. 5 I wait for the LORD; my soul does wait, and in His word do I hope. 6 My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning; indeed, more than those who watch for the morning. 7 O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption. 8 And He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
Confession of Sins
P: Let us confess our sins unto the Lord our God and look to Him for mercy and forgiveness for the sake of the abundant redemption accomplished by Jesus Christ, who redeemed us from all our iniquities.
C: Almighty God, our Maker and Redeemer, we poor sinners confess to You that we are by nature sinful and unclean and that we have sinned against You in our thoughts, desires, words, and deeds. We, therefore, flee for refuge to Your infinite mercy, seeking and imploring Your grace for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.
P: For the sake of Jesus’ holy life and His atoning sacrifice on the cross, I announce unto you the grace and mercy of God and proclaim to you forgiveness for all your sins through faith in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Scripture Lesson: John 19:17-30 (Congregation Stands)
“Then he handed Him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus and led Him away. He went out, carrying His own cross, to a place called The Place of a Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. There they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the middle.
Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. The writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THEKING OF THEJEWS. Many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city. And it was written in Hebrew, in Greek, and in Latin. The chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but ‘He said, I am King of the Jews.’ ” Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took His garments and divided them into four parts, a part for each soldier; and also His tunic. Now the tunic was seamless, woven from top to bottom. So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to decide whose it shall be.” This happened to fulfill the Scripture which says: “They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” Therefore the soldiers did these things.
But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that time, this disciple took her to his own home.
After this, Jesus, knowing that everything was now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst.” A bowl full of sour wine was placed there. So they put a sponge full of sour wine on hyssop and held it to His mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished.” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”
Sermon: “One word says it all!” “After this, Jesus, knowing that everything was now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst.” A bowl full of sour wine was placed there. So they put a sponge full of sour wine on hyssop and held it to His mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished.” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.” John 19:28-30
It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. That may very well be true, but sometimes, a single word can also express a truth better than a thousand, and, in one particular case, that is most certainly true.
Before He yielded up His spirit and died on the cross, Jesus uttered what is rendered as a single word in the Greek New Testament: “Tetelestai.” This single Greek word is translated with three English words: “It is finished” (John 19:30).
Jesus was hanging in agony during those final moments upon the cross, his mouth dry from gasping for every breath as he lifted Himself yet another time to breathe. He asked for a drink, and after receiving sour wine on a sponge, He proclaimed what is expressed in that single Greek word, “tetelestai” — all was finished, and our salvation was won.
It is likely that Jesus uttered this in Aramaic or Hebrew rather than Greek, and though we don’t know His exact choice of a word or words, He may have used a form of the Aramaic word “shelim” which is related to the Hebrew “shalom” and would indicate that atonement had been made and peace with God had been won.
And, indeed, it was! Jesus Christ, God the Son made man, had fulfilled all that was written of Him in the Scriptures and had paid in full for the sins of the whole world! Atonement had been made. He had accomplished the redemption of all mankind. God’s just wrath against sin had been satisfied, and God’s pardon and forgiveness had been won!
What does this single word of Jesus mean for you and me? It means our sins — indeed the sins of the whole world — are paid for in full! Full atonement was made! It means that God’s favor is won! He now reaches out to us in grace and mercy for the sake of His Son and His innocent sufferings and death on the cross in our stead! It means that, no matter what we have done, Jesus paid the price for our sins that we might receive through faith in Christ Jesus God’s mercy and forgiveness and a place in His everlasting kingdom!
This single word assures us that all is done and the salvation of all who trust in Jesus is sure! There is nothing we need to do or add to Jesus’ completed work! “Tetelestai!” “It is finished!” And Jesus’ resurrection on the third day proves the truthfulness of His single, dying word.
We read in Romans 4:23 — 5:2: “Now the words, ‘it was credited to him,’ were not written for his sake only, but also for us, to whom it shall be credited if we believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our transgressions, and was raised for our justification. Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we also have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and so we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
Yet, sad to say, many preachers do not preach “tetelestai.” They don’t preach as though Christ paid in full and salvation is won. They may say that Jesus died for all and rose again. They may even proclaim God’s pardon and forgiveness in Christ Jesus, but then they err by adding conditions to it, by requiring their hearers to do some work or follow some set of rules and traditions before they may be saved.
Tetelestai means that our atonement is complete — Jesus paid in full when He suffered and died for our sins and rose again in victory on the third day! Our salvation is not dependent upon doing certain works, making a decision, speaking a prayer, or fulfilling the requirements of certain commandments. Our salvation is entirely dependent upon Jesus’ perfect and holy life in our stead and upon His innocent sufferings and death on the cross for our sins and the sins of the whole world, and “it is finished!”
To preach “tetelestai” is not to say, God will save you if you do this, live like this, or pray a certain prayer. Preaching “tetelestai” is to say that God has won your salvation through the death of His Son, that your sins are paid for in full and forgiveness is won, that God offers and promises to you in the Gospel pardon, forgiveness and life eternal through faith alone in Christ Jesus and His atoning sacrifice on the cross. Indeed, it is finished; it is done; look in faith alone to Jesus and His sacrifice, and the salvation He won for all is yours!
The Gospel tells us that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3-4). It tells us that “we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:1,2). It tells us that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
O dearest Jesus, thank you for bearing in full the punishment for my sins when You suffered and died on the cross — for finishing all that I might through faith in Your name be acceptable in Your sight, have forgiveness for all my sins, and live with You forever in heaven. Tetelestai! It is finished! Amen.
Prayer (Congregation Stands)
Merciful Father, for the sake of the shed blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ, forgive us for failing to walk by faith in the promises of Your Word. Move us to read and study our Bibles regularly and to come before You with our petitions and praises. Keep us from being overcome by our sinful inclinations and preserve us in the true and saving faith unto life everlasting. Lord, in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
O Christ Jesus, eternal Son of God and our Savior, You gave Your life for ours when You died on the cross and made atonement for our sins. Bless the work of our pastor and congregation, and of faithful pastors, missionaries, and congregations everywhere, so that Your life-giving Word might be proclaimed among us and among the peoples of the world, and those who hear might repent of their sins and look to You and Your cross for pardon and forgiveness. Lord, in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
O Holy Spirit, do not forsake us because of our weakness and disobedience to Your Word. Be patient with us and move us to continually repent of our sins and look in faith to our Savior for mercy. Teach us from Your Word. Strengthen and keep us in the true and saving faith. Lord, in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
O loving and merciful God, our nation and people are living in darkness and are under Your wrath and judgment. Open the eyes and ears of our people and rulers that they might see and hear the truth of Your Word, repent of their evil deeds, and fall down at the feet of Jesus, pleading for pardon and forgiveness and then seeking to walk in Your ways, that Your judgment may be turned away and Your wrath against us be averted. Lord, in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
O Healer and Preserver of our bodies and souls, as You have promised, we ask You to provide for all our needs and to preserve us from all harm and danger and all evil. We lift up to You those among us who are afflicted. We remember especially today John, Joyce, Carl, Harley, John and Karen, Tim and Diane, and all others we name in our hearts. Have mercy on us, grant healing to the sick, comfort to the oppressed, and strength for all to endure the troubles and afflictions of this life in the hope of everlasting glory for the sake of Christ Jesus, our Savior. Lord, in Your mercy, Hear our prayer. Amen.
Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come; Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. (Matt. 6:9-13)
Benediction (Num. 6:24-26)
“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you; the LORD lift His countenance upon you, and give you peace.” Amen.
“After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, ‘I thirst!’ Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.” John 19:28-30
It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. That may very well be true, but sometimes, a single word can also express a truth better than a thousand, and, in one particular case, that is most certainly true.
Before He yielded up His spirit and died on the cross, Jesus uttered what is rendered as a single word in the Greek New Testament: “Tetelestai.” This single Greek word is translated with three English words: “It is finished” (John 19:30).
Jesus was hanging in agony during those final moments upon the cross, his mouth dry from gasping for every breath as he lifted Himself yet another time to breathe. He asked for a drink, and after receiving sour wine on a sponge, He proclaimed what is expressed in that single Greek word, “tetelestai” — all was finished, and our salvation was won.
It is likely that Jesus uttered this in Aramaic or Hebrew rather than Greek, and though we don’t know His exact choice of a word or words, He may have used a form of the Aramaic word “shelim” which is related to the Hebrew “shalom” and would indicate that atonement had been made and peace with God had been won.
And, indeed, it was! Jesus Christ, God the Son made man, had fulfilled all that was written of Him in the Scriptures and had paid in full for the sins of the whole world! Atonement had been made. He had accomplished the redemption of all mankind. God’s just wrath against sin had been satisfied, and God’s pardon and forgiveness had been won!
What does this single word of Jesus mean for you and me? It means our sins — indeed the sins of the whole world — are paid for in full! Full atonement was made! It means that God’s favor is won! He now reaches out to us in grace and mercy for the sake of His Son and His innocent sufferings and death on the cross in our stead! It means that, no matter what we have done, Jesus paid the price for our sins that we might receive through faith in Christ Jesus God’s mercy and forgiveness and a place in His everlasting kingdom!
This single word assures us that all is done and the salvation of all who trust in Jesus is sure! There is nothing we need to do or add to Jesus’ completed work! “Tetelestai!” “It is finished!” And Jesus’ resurrection on the third day proves the truthfulness of His single, dying word (cf. Rom. 4:23 — 5:2).
The Gospel tells us that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3-4). It tells us that “Jesus Christ the righteous … is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 John 2:1,2). It tells us that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
O dearest Jesus, thank you for bearing in full the punishment for my sins when You suffered and died on the cross — for finishing all that I might through faith in Your name be acceptable in Your sight, have forgiveness for all my sins, and live with You forever in heaven. Tetelestai! It is finished! Amen.
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:6
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way …” the Bible says. All of us are, by nature, like lost and wandering sheep who have turned away from our true Shepherd and Maker. We have each turned aside to go our own way.
What an accurate description of mankind! Instead of following the LORD God and living in accord with His perfect will and design for us, we follow our own will and desire, go our own way and direction, and rebel against God and His Word. Instead of loving God and living for Him, we love ourselves and do as we please. Instead of listening to God’s commandments and obeying them, we shut our ears, justify our sins, and seek to establish our own compromising values in the place of His absolute truth.
Lost, wandering, and scattered sheep, each going in a different direction, well describes our world, with people wandering here and there and looking for life, happiness, and fulfillment in everything but the LORD God who created them.
“… And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” God took all our sins and all our guilt and punished them in the innocent sufferings and death of His own beloved Son, Jesus Christ! Our sins and iniquities were placed upon Jesus, and He was punished in our stead.
That is why darkness covered the earth as Jesus hung there on the cross. And that is why Jesus cried out, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” which is to say, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:46).
Though Jesus died an agonizing and horrible death on the cross because of our turning away from God and sinning against Him, the beauty in this is that all of our sins and all of our guilt have been punished in Christ Jesus. “It is finished!” Jesus cried (John 19:30). The debt of our sins is paid in full!
Therefore, through repentance and faith in Jesus, our Messiah and Savior, we can have forgiveness and life everlasting! Instead of being judged and condemned for our own sins, God judged and condemned His own holy and innocent Son and offers and gives to you and me, through faith in Christ Jesus, pardon and peace with Him. What could be more beautiful to the lost and condemned sinner?
Because Jesus suffered our just punishment and paid in full for our sins and the sins of the whole world, the gates of heaven have been opened to us. Through faith in Jesus, we can have the assurance that on the day we die, we, like the penitent thief on the cross, shall go to be with Him in paradise (cf. Luke 23:43)!
Dearest Jesus, we, like lost sheep, have turned from following You and have gone our own way and sinned against You. Thank You for bearing on the cross the just punishment for our sins and iniquities that we might be pardoned and forgiven through faith in Your name. Grant us forgiveness and life with You in Your eternal kingdom. Amen.