It Is Finished: Three Doors the Cross Opens for You

"It is finished." That's the cry Jesus lets out in a loud voice before giving up his spirit on the cross (John 19:30). Just one word in Greek: tetelestai. Pastor Philippe CORDIER invites you this morning to pause on this cry, to understand what was definitively finished that day, and above all, what this cry opened up for you.

Three things opened at the moment Jesus breathed his last: the temple curtain was torn, the tombs were opened, and hearts were opened, starting with the Roman centurion's. This message is for you if you need to hear that there is no more separation between you and God, if the fear of death holds you back, or if your heart needs to be stirred again by the person of Christ.

What you'll find in this message

• The real meaning of the Greek word tetelestai, three ways it was used at the time
• Why Jesus's actual death is a non-negotiable point of the faith
• The three "doors" that Jesus's cry opened
• What this changes practically for your prayer life and your hope
• A striking missionary illustration about the snake that's already defeated

The outline of the message

1. A cry of triumph, not a groan

Matthew, Mark, and Luke didn't record the words "it is finished." Only John reports them (John 19:30). But the other Gospel writers note a decisive detail: Jesus cried out in a loud voice. This wasn't a whisper, it wasn't a breath fading out. It was a cry that echoed across the whole world, a cry that made demons tremble.

So, a cry of defeat or a cry of victory? A cry of surrender or a cry of triumph? Look closely: Jesus doesn't say "I am finished," he says "it is finished." Three days later, the tomb would be empty. He wasn't finished. But something, listen carefully, was definitively finished at that moment.

2. What the Greek word means: tetelestai

In the original text, there's only one word: tetelestai, from the verb teleo. It means: it is done, it is completed, it is over, there is nothing, absolutely nothing, left to add. In that era, this word could be used in three ways:

• In a financial context: when someone had finished paying off a debt, tetelestai was written on the parchment, "paid in full, nothing more is owed."
• In a legal context: when a sentence had been carried out, when a fine had been paid in full, a legal authority could declare tetelestai, "the sentence is served, it's settled, case closed."
• In a military context: a commanding general, after a decisive victory, could cry out tetelestai, "the battle is won, it's over."

Jesus used this word in all three senses at once. The debt of sin was actually paid. The sentence of a perfectly holy and perfectly just God was fully carried out. The battle against sin, against evil, against the devil, against darkness was definitively over. It is finished.

3. Jesus's death was truly real

Philippe CORDIER makes a crucial point: Jesus's death was confirmed. This matters, because there are still strange theories floating around today (the swoon theory, for instance) that claim Jesus merely fainted, was laid unconscious in the tomb, and later regained consciousness.

This theory fails on several counts. First, it misunderstands the Romans: they were experts in execution. Nobody survived a Roman execution. Second, John reports that a soldier pierced Jesus's side with a spear, and blood and water came out. The pericardium (the sac surrounding the heart) had been pierced. Jesus's heart was pierced. There's no doubt possible: he truly died. And it had to be that way.

"When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, 'It is finished.' He bowed his head, and gave up his spirit." (John 19:30)

4. All prophecies fulfilled

By saying "it is finished," Jesus also declares that every prophecy in Scripture concerning his crucifixion has been fulfilled. Every box was checked. The task the Father had entrusted to him was completed. The plan of salvation, prepared before the foundation of the world, had reached its fulfillment.

But Philippe CORDIER then asks a question: isn't there even more in this cry, for you sitting here this morning? And that's where we need to go back to Matthew, because Matthew describes what happened immediately after this cry. Three doors opened.

5. First door: the temple opened

"Behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split. The tombs were opened." (Matthew 27:51-52)

This curtain wasn't a small drape. According to the historian Josephus, it measured roughly 18 meters high, 9 meters wide, and 7 to 12 centimeters thick. This wasn't just an earthquake that could tear it from top to bottom. This was the hand of God.

This curtain separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. Only one person could enter the Most Holy Place: the high priest. And only once a year. He had to pray, fast, ask forgiveness for his sins, because he could die. He was sometimes even tied with a rope around his waist, in case they needed to pull him out of the Most Holy Place without going in themselves.

Since the Garden of Eden, sin had put distance between God and man. But in his love, God has always wanted to draw near, to dwell among his people. The curtain that separated has now been torn from top to bottom. This morning, through Christ, you can enter into the presence of God. There is no more separation.

"Let's therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace for help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)

Draw near with faith, with confidence, with boldness. Have no fear at all: it is finished. Christ has paid it all, he has accomplished it all.

6. Second door: the tombs opened

Matthew adds: "The bodies of many of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, they entered into the holy city and appeared to many." (Matthew 27:52-53)

An earthquake can split rocks and crack open tombs. But no earthquake can bring dead people out of a tomb alive. This miracle belongs to God, to the realm of the supernatural. Exactly who? How many? Scripture doesn't say. It simply says "saints," meaning believers who had died in faith, in the hope of the resurrection.

When God does something, it's always for a specific purpose. Miracles are signs, visible things that point to a greater spiritual reality. When Jesus multiplied the loaves, it was a sign pointing to the true bread that came down from heaven. In the same way, these opened tombs are the firstfruits, a foretaste of what's coming.

Jesus has definitively conquered death. One day, those who died in Christ will rise again too. This is a solid, living hope, anchored in your soul, that no one can take from you. Paul writes this to the Thessalonians to comfort them:

"The dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever. Comfort one another with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)

Even if you have to pass through death, you have nothing to fear. You will fade out of the things of this world only to wake up in your heavenly home. Whether God heals you or not, he remains your God. And one day, you will rise from the dead to be forever with the Lord.

7. Third door: hearts opened

The temple opened, the tombs opened, and now hearts opening too. "Now the centurion, and those who were with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earthquake, and the things that were done, feared exceedingly, saying, 'Truly this was the Son of God.'" (Matthew 27:54)

The centurion had witnessed the entire crucifixion. He had heard Jesus pray: "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing." He had heard Jesus tell the repentant thief: "Today you will be with me in paradise." He had seen the darkness, felt the earthquake. And his heart opened: "Truly this was the Son of God."

He wasn't the only one. His soldiers made the same confession too. The veil of unbelief that blinds minds and keeps souls from opening to the gospel of God's grace and glory was broken. In just a few moments, one can pass from darkness to light when God reveals himself. Let's pray this morning that hearts would open, that unbelief would be broken in the name of Jesus.

8. An illustration: the snake already defeated

Philippe CORDIER closes with a missionary story from Asia. In a region infested with venomous snakes, a huge snake enters a house and coils around the furniture. The family flees. They call the village specialist, the one who knows what to do. He arrives with his machete, goes in, and for a few minutes there's a terrible racket: blows, bites, furniture crashing over.

Then the man comes out, the snake's head in his hand. The snake's body, though, keeps making noise inside the house, still moving. The missionary grows worried. The specialist smiles: "Don't worry. The snake is dead. It just doesn't know it yet."

That's the picture of the devil after the cross. The prophecy of Genesis 3:15 has been fulfilled: Jesus crushed the serpent's head. It is finished. The devil is defeated, he is destroyed. He still moves, he still makes noise, he'd love to make you believe otherwise, but he himself knows he has only a little time left.

Key takeaways

• Tetelestai ("it is finished") means the debt is paid, the sentence is served, the battle is won. It is finished: there is nothing to add to the work of the cross.
• Jesus's death is real, confirmed, historical. Your faith rests on facts, not a myth.
• The torn curtain means you can enter the presence of God with boldness, at any moment, with no human go-between.
• The opened tombs are the firstfruits of your own resurrection. Even death is only a passage for you.
• The Roman centurion's heart shows that no heart is too hard to be pierced by the revelation of Christ crucified.

Personal application

1. Where in your life are you still trying to "pay off" something Christ has already settled in full at the cross?
2. The curtain is torn: are you really living a bold prayer life, or do you keep your distance from God as if a curtain still stood between you and him?
3. How does the certainty of your future resurrection change the way you face sickness, separation, or the fear of death today?
4. Is there a "centurion" in your life (someone you assume is too hard, too closed off, too far gone) whose heart you can pray would open?
5. Where is the devil, already defeated, still trying to convince you he has the last word? How will you remind him that tetelestai, it is finished?

Verses cited

• Matthew 27:50-54
• John 19:30
• Hebrews 4:14-16
• 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
• Genesis 3:15

Frequently asked questions

What exactly does "It is finished" mean when Jesus says it?

In Greek, it's just one word: tetelestai, from the verb teleo. It means it is done, it is completed, there is nothing to add. This word was used to say a debt was paid in full, a legal sentence was served, or a battle was decisively won. Jesus fulfilled all three senses at the cross.

Why did the temple curtain tear at the moment Jesus gave up his spirit?

This massive curtain (roughly 18 m high, 9 m wide, 7 to 12 cm thick according to the historian Josephus) separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place, where only the high priest could enter, once a year. Its tearing from top to bottom is the hand of God announcing: access into his presence is now open to anyone who believes in Christ.

What does the opening of the tombs on the day of the crucifixion mean?

Matthew reports that saints (believers who had died in faith) were raised after Jesus's resurrection and entered Jerusalem. It's a sign, a foretaste, the firstfruits of the final resurrection. Jesus has conquered death; one day, everyone who has died in Christ will rise again too.