Totally Finished – by Abby Kelly

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was complete in so many more ways than we recognize in our annual skim through the last few chapters of the Gospels.The word telos (the end of an act, by which a thing is finished, the aim or purpose) occurs several times in John’s gospel. It points the totality of the finished work of Christ.

John 13:1 says that Jesus “loved [His own] to the end”, or telos. Next, in John 19:28, as Jesus hung on the cross, moments before He spoke His last words, the Bible gives us a peek into His mind. “After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished…”. Finally, Christ’s last words, “It is finished,” in John 19:30.

The word telos in each of these verses bears more weight than we ascribe. Throughout His ministry, Jesus said that He came to give us many things. He came to heal the sick, to bind up the broken hearted, to bring us abundant life and complete joy.

Without Jesus we would be alienated from God and dead in our sins. When we believe on Jesus Christ, we are saved. But there’s more! We receive all good things from the bounty of our Heavenly Father’s riches. “He who did not spare his own Son…how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32, NIV)

May we fall to our knees in gratitude for all that He has given us—far beyond eternal life. He came to bring healing, joy and life. There is nothing that we need or desire that remains undone.

Abby Kelly is a Christian blogger and author. Read Surviving the Predatory Lies of Anorexia. Contact