Sermon Tone Analysis

“It is finished”—these are good words in a number of scenarios.

That it finished was the best part of the ridiculously unfunny movie my mother-in-law and wife made me watch a few weeks ago.

That is one hour and forty-one minutes of my life I will never get back.

I am so glad when visiting the dentist to hear those words: “Alright, we’re finished.”

Or, each year when my beautiful bride makes a German Chocolate Cheesecake for my birthday, Meghann’s announcement of “It’s finished” means I am that much closer to getting to indulge—just me and those I might decide to share with.

Don’t get your hopes up; I’m fairly selfish when it comes to that cheesecake.

The end of some things, the finish of some things can be a good thing.

The end of a move, when all the furniture is unloaded and boxes are unpacked.

The end of a track meet, the most insufferable of all sporting events (I’m sorry, but it’s true)—the end of a track meet is a glorious thing.

The end of the school year is greeted with glee by children and teachers alike.

Soon—very soon—you’ll be saying: “It is finished!”

I personally enjoy the end of summer (I look forward to it ending before it even begins).

Honestly, I’m over it already, and technically it’s still Spring.

The end, the finish is sometimes welcome.

However, this certainly isn’t always the case.

The end of vacation is generally a bummer.

The end of a good book or movie or TV series can leave you wanting more.

When you finish an especially good book, there can be a bit of grieving even over leaving the characters behind.

You want more of their story.

The end of a loved one’s life, no matter how long you had them, is heartbreaking and life-altering.

“It is finished.”

These are complex words, simple as they seem.

There’s a lot of natural emotion tied up in the end of something—good, bad; happy, sad; relief, despair.

It’s complex, weighty stuff.

“It is finished.”

Those are the last words Jesus spoke from the cross.

As Jesus spoke “It is finished,” in the language He would have spoken, it was just one word: tetelestai.

These last words, or more accurately, the last word of Jesus has just captivated me.

This is how John records it:

It is finished.

Tetelestai.

Done.

I like to imagine what those who might have heard Jesus’ last word believed He meant by it?

Was it good news for them or bad news?

Did His last word— “Tetelestai.”

“It is Finished.”

— did that please them or sadden them?

Did Jesus’ last word bring tears or a smile?

I like to imagine what those who heard this were thinking.

What did it mean to them?

What was going through their mind when they heard Jesus say “It is finished.”

Think about the women there that day.

Matthew says there were “many women” who witnessed the death of Jesus:

A number of women had followed Jesus (disciples in their own right) from Galilee to Jerusalem.

That’s a good 80-100 miles, hoofing it all the way.

It was tough going.

Jesus Himself said that He didn’t have anywhere to lay His head; they weren’t staying nightly in the Israel Inn & Suites.

Following Jesus was no walk in the park.

These women followed Jesus.

They were His followers.

They were faithful.

They watched as Jesus was hanged on the cross, nails in His hands and feet.

Crown of thorns on His head.

Shouts of derision and mockery from the crowd.

They witnessed all of it.

They heard Jesus’ words from the cross.

They watched with agony Jesus suffer and bleed.

They watched Jesus die.

After the wine-soaked sponged quenched His thirst, Jesus gave up His spirit.

The women gathered around their Savior heard Him utter that one word: Tetelestai.

Finished.

What must they have been thinking?

Matthew tells us that a few days after the death of Jesus, a few of the women went to look at the tomb.

That’s a fairly depressing statement.

They went to look at the tomb.

There wasn’t any hope in their hearts.

It was all grief.

It was despair, maybe.

They were just going to look.

Look at the place where Jesus body was laid.

“Let’s go look...”

Grief and darkness, their closest friend.

When they walked to the tomb on that first day of the week, I imagine them walking quietly.

"They said nothing as they walked.

Silence.

Aching silence.

Heavy, breaking, agonizing silence.

He was dead—dead---dead.” - Calvin Miller

When Jesus had said, “It is finished,” they probably figured He meant what He said.

That was the end.

They had ventured to the tomb early on the first day of the week to anoint Jesus’ body.

It was over.

Jesus’ “It is finished” meant, for these women, as far as we can tell, that Jesus was finished.

That was that.

Jesus crucified.

Dead.

Buried.

They were witnesses to the whole, horrible ordeal.

And this much everyone knew: dead men don’t get better.

“Finished” meant “finished.”

For Jesus’ disciples—the Twelve—I imagine “It is finished” had a similar significance.

We don’t have much detail about 9 of the 12 disciples between the arrest of Jesus and His crucifixion.

We know Judas took his own life after selling Jesus to the authorities for a few lousy pieces of silver.

John writes for us that he and Peter were following Jesus after Jesus’ arrest.

John knew some important people, so he was able to to go with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard.

John was even able to get Peter a ticket to the main event.

So, at the end, 75% of Jesus’ disciples had skedaddled, scattered, vamoosed.

Cowards.

No doubt, they thought if Jesus was arrested, they’d probably be next.

So, most of them got the heck out of Dodge.