Why “It is finished” gives hope even when we’re surrounded by darkness

By Dean Collins

Darkness comes, but it does not win. It can’t because according to Jesus, it is finished.

Tetelestai is the New Testament word translated from Greek manuscripts into our English Bibles as “It is finished.” I remember enough of my three years of college Greek to know that the Greek tense is perfect, which means it’s an action that, while completed in the past, carries forward into the present and beyond. In other words, when Jesus said it is finished he indicated that his mission was accomplished and it was accomplished for everyone in the past, in the present, and for everyone who is yet to be born.

When Jesus finished his work on the cross, he prayed his last words to his Father: “Into your hands I commit my spirit.” And the darkness came. It was a strange time for the darkness, just noon in Jerusalem. It should have been the brightest time of the day, but Scripture tells us it was dark for three hours. The one who spoke in Genesis and brought the light said it is finished and brought darkness.

I wonder what those who experienced this darkness in Jerusalem said during those three hours. We have a quote from only one person during this period, and it came at the beginning of the darkness. Three of the Gospel writers record the words, spoken by a Roman centurion. He said Jesus was innocent, righteous, truly the Son of God. We don’t know what anyone else said as Jesus died, neither his grief-stricken followers nor the simply curious crowd.

Last breath

But we do know what we say in our dark days when someone we love breathes their last breath. The sun may be shining, but in these moments we pay no attention. The silence of the last breath of a loved one creates a loud darkness. There is the shock that it happened, even though we always knew it would. It is disorienting. The equilibrium of our lives is suddenly sent off balance.

Often there is a sense of relief, because we know the one we loved now experiences no more pain. Their suffering is over, but ours lingers. I think it’s safe to assume that in the darkness of the crucifixion, those in Jerusalem who loved Jesus experienced these same emotions.

It usually isn’t long before the silence and darkness are broken by action. There are things we do in these cold, dark moments. Decisions must be made. The same happened with the friends and family of Jesus. We can be sure the familiar stories of Jesus were told and retold throughout the local community. It’s a healthy and normal way to process grief and to honor the dead.

New hope

The three-hour darkness ended that afternoon. But soon nighttime came as it always has since the day our Creator separated the day from the night. Darkness is apparently good when we experience the ebb and flow of creation. It was on the second day of creation that God created the separation of morning and evening. And he saw that it was good. With each sunrise and sunset, we echo the psalmist’s praise for the glory of the heavens (Psalm 19:1) and we know that the flow of day into night and back to daytime is very good.

In our seasons of grief, these beautiful moments of creation’s rhythms sometimes go less noticed because of the pain of our separation. But the words from the cross that it is finished birthed a whole new hope that was yet to be known. Soon the resurrected Jesus appeared to his disciples and declared, “Peace to you!”

The disciples stood in disbelief, just as the temporary darkness created by our passing loved ones creates a sudden lostness. But the physical and fully visible body of Jesus stood before the disciples. To calm their shock, Jesus continued, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”

The resurrection of Jesus means that the darkness of our loss will one day be replaced by the full resurrection of our loved ones who have died in Christ. The resurrection of Jesus brings light into our darkness. We will enjoy more sunsets and sunrises. Some now and more forever.

Darkness comes but it never wins.

Hope rises even today.

Your time with God’s Word
‭‭Luke‬ ‭23:44-49; Genesis‬ ‭1:1-4‬, 8; ‬ ‭Isaiah‬ ‭60:1-3‬; John‬ ‭1:4‬; ‭‭Luke‬ ‭24:36-39 ESV‬‬

Photo by Warren Wong on Unsplash

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