John 19:30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.
The Prince of Darkness paced anxiously. “Hurry up, get on with it”, he shouted, in a voice heard only in the minds of the humans. His brow furrowed as he anxiously watched the judgment handed down.
“Yes, crucify Him! That will destroy the plan. I will win! Without the Son, He can’t succeed!”
The verdict came down. The decision was made. ”Guilty!” Now let the torture begin. The dark prince looked on gleefully, goading the victim, exhorting the soldiers, suggesting vile floggings. He thrilled to see the blood running, the flesh torn by the cracking whip, the strength beginning to ooze out of the Son. With each blow from the soldiers hands, he shouted in exultation. “Smash Him! Hit Him! Again! Again!”
The Son began to crumble. His legs buckled under the pain of the torture. “Yes! Yes!”, shouted the dark prince.
The long walk to the crucifixion hill was both exciting and excruciating. With each step, they drew closer to victory. – Yet with each step, somewhere, deep inside, there was a fear. Surely this would do it. Surely the King was defeated. “Don’t let Him step in now! I’ve got the Son. He dare not interfere!”
He got in his licks. Weak as He was, the Son carried the cross without fear. So the dark prince hit him a crushing blow, smashing against his weakened legs so that he crumbled to the stone street. Laughter burst forth from those evil lips, hideous and cruel. “Let him suffer! Let him die! He knows I’m winning now!”
Finally, the hill. Up the steps to the top. “Lay down the cross-beam, & thrust the Son onto it. Slow down! I’ve waited so long for this. Let me enjoy it.”
“Drive those nails deeper. Miss that nail-head, & smash the fingers! Yeah! Do it again. Make Him HURT.”
There He lay, pinned down to a piece of wood! The Creator, impaled on his own creation! How incredibly delicious!
“Raise that pole. Drop it into the ground! Rip, flesh! Come, flies, bite, swarm, torment, feast on the flesh and blood of the Son of God! LET HIM SUFFER! LET HIM DIE!”
He leaned over the cross – taunting, laughing, screaming out his hatred. For long hours he gloated. Now that the end was near, he wanted to make the suffering last, to prolong the victory celebration. Angrily, he jabbed, stabbed, threatened, spit. “Let him suffer!”
He looked into the face of the Son. Their eyes locked one last time. Not since he was kicked out of heaven had he dared look directly into those eyes. But now, now he was the powerful one! His pride bubbled forth. He laughed. –
But there was no fear in those eyes! How could it be? What did he know?
Finally, the word, one last word – breathed from the lips of the dying One. “Tetelestai”. “It is finished”.
“Ha-hah! He has surrendered! I’ve won! I’ve WON! Yes! YES! Y…E…S…”
But to the far reaches of eternity that whispered word echoed in increasing volume. “Tetelestai.” “Tetelestai”. Louder and louder, until the sky rang with the cry – “Tetelestai” – The whole of heaven took up the cry. “Tetelestai!”
What did it mean? The taunts of the dark prince died on his lips. “Didn’t I win? Why is that word echoing from the heavens? Why the victorious sound? What’s going on here? Tetelestai – what does it mean? It is finished – yes, the attempt of the Son of Man to defeat me is finished – that must be it. He’s yielded! He has cried ‘uncle’ – that’s it.”
Yet the cry echoed again and again from the far reaches of heaven, from the very throne-room of God. “Tetelestai” – and suddenly the true meaning became clear. The dark prince cringed, and fell back in agony as the sound rumbled again and again through the heavens – ‘Tetelestai’ – “Paid in full”! THE DEBT IS PAID IN FULL!
Pastor John