The first and
last words that anyone says tend to be regarded as important markers as to
defines a person’s life. When you read a book (either fact or fiction), the
first and last words tend to define what the book is about.
It is equally
so when you consider the last triumphant words that Jesus shouted on the cross
and the first one that He uttered to His disciples after He rose from the dead.
The Bible
records that, in John 19: 30, that Jesus said: ‘It is finished.’ (The only
other words He spoke after this was: ’Father, into your hands I commit my
spirit.’ (Luke 23: 46) When we read the words that it was finished, we can read
into them the aura of defeat and desperation, that all did not go to plan and
that the situation was the last roll of the dice.
However, that
is not the case as is evidenced by the Greek word tetelestai that used
by the writer both in this verse and in verse 28. It is the word that is used in
the marketplace for it would have been inscribed on business contracts or
receipts to show that the business transaction had been completed. It means
that the time had come for the plan of action to be completed.
It was the plan
that had been set out before creation and would come to fulfilment on that one
moment on the cross. God had looked down the corridors of time and knew that it
would take the momentous sacrifice of Himself on the cross to bring rebellious,
sinful people back into relationship with Him.
The words are
explicit; ‘But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman,
born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive the
full rights of sons.’ (Galatians 4: 4 – 5)
We can also
find this sentiment in the what is often called the High Priestly Prayer before
Jesus was arrested. He prayed to the Father: ‘I have brought you glory on earth
by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your
presence with the glory I had with you before the world was begun.’ (John 17: 4
– 5)
The means of
the glorification was explained by Jesus to Nicodemus earlier in the same
gospel: ‘Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes
in him may have eternal life.’ (John 3: 14 – 15)
However, Jesus
did not converse in the Greek language whilst He was on earth, but in Aramaic.
The actual words He would have spoken are mashelem.
The word shelem
comes from the more familiar word shalom, which we recognise as being
translated as ‘peace’ in our English versions of the Bible.
The mem
at the commencement of the word shelem indicates a piel infinitive, that
is that there is flexible wording. Unlike the Hebrew language, there is no
infinitive construction or infinitive in the Aramaic. However, similar to its
sister language, the object can come before or after the word. So, in this
instance, the objective of the infinitive is the word it.
The word shelem
is used 84 times in the Old Testament, particularly where voluntary sacrifices
are to be offered (e.g. Exodus 20: 24, Leviticus 7: 27).
In looking the
word up, I found that it could mean a) to be in a covenant of peace, to be at
peace; and b) to be complete, to be sound.
In its piel
format, it can further mean a) to complete, finish; b) to make safe; c) to make
whole or good, restore, make restoration; d) to make good, pay; and e) to
requite, recompense, reward.
It is only when
all of these nuances are taken into consideration that you can understand the
completeness of what Jesus did on the cross. Jesus knew what He was doing and
that it was finished, showing His oneness with the Father in seeking to bring glory
to Himself.
In completing
His sacrificial work, He was bringing those people who would trust in Him into
full relationship with Him, making them eternally safe as John wrote in a
letter: ‘the one who is born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot
harm him.’ (1 John 5: 18) Jesus commented Himself: ‘My Father, who has given
them to me, is greater than all, no-one can snatch them out of my Father’s
hand. I and the Father are one.’ (John 10: 29 – 30)
In Jesus’ work at
Calvary, we have been saved (through our redemption by His blood), are being
saved (through the ongoing work of sanctification) and will be saved (through His
work of glorification). In Christ, the work of Adam and Eve by rebelling
against God has been undone so, as they were expelled from the Garden of Eden,
we will be welcomed into the heavenly city. His work of restoration has been
completed and its full effects will be seen when we spend eternity with Him.
It is to be
noted that the word shelem comes from the same root as the more familiar
shalom. It is the first word that Jesus proclaims to His disciples (John
20: 19). However, it is more than just peace that He is bringing to them.
It was the
confirmation of what Jesus had previous assured them. In the upper room, He had
comforted them by saying: ‘Do not let your hearts be trouble. Trust in God;
trust also in me.’ (John 14: 1)
The word comes
from three Hebrew letters – shin, lamed and men. It means
completeness and wellbeing.
Perry Yoder,
the author of ‘Shalom: the Bible’s word for Salvation, Justice and Peace’) has
argued that for shalom to be present in a person, family, community or
country, there has to be the threefold combination of personal integrity,
material wellbeing and social justice.
When these three are in evidence
together, there will be a society of wholeness and wellbeing.
It has been
further argued that these three strands of shalom are interconnected and
inter-related. The argument runs that, in order to be pursuing shalom,
we need to be upholding and advocating social justice and equality in our
communities, the material needs of all people to be met, to be working toward
these objectives with honesty and integrity.
The point has
to be made, however, is that none of these goals will be reached when there is
no shalom for individuals and, after all, it was to the individual disciples
that Jesus addressed.
Furthermore,
there would be no shalom apart from Jesus for He announced that the completeness,
the human prosperity had been accomplished on the cross. Our wholeness can only
be fulfilled in in and be satisfied in Him.
We have seen it
in the Church as the prosperity ‘gospel’ has been propagated and in society at
large as materialism and consumerism has swept across our world like a plague
of locusts.
Even in the Old
Testament, this lack of shalom was evident: ‘From the least to the
greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice
deceit. They dress the wound of my people as though it was not serious. ‘Peace,
peace, they say, when there is no peace.’ (Jeremiah 6: 13 – 14 cf. Ezekiel 13:
10)
It can only be
granted through relationship with the Almighty as David found: ‘I will lie down
and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.’ (Psalm 4:
8)
We have the
great announcement by the angels that we are reminded of in the Christmas period that the purpose of Christ’s coming was
to bring us that shalom: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to
men on whom his favour rests.’ (Luke 2: 14)
It is through
His sacrifice on the cross and our relationship with Him that true shalom
can be experienced as seen in Romans 8: 6; 14: 17; Galatians 1: 3; 5: 22 – 23.
The faith that we can have in the One who gave His all for us is evident: ‘You
will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in
you.’ (Isaiah 26: 3) Indeed, we are living in tumultuous times and yet still
know that wholeness that only God can provide.
In Isaiah chapter
32, the prophet outlined the terrible things that were going to happen in that
country and still he can affirm: ‘My people will live in peaceful dwelling-places,
in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.’ (32: 18)
I have known
times of terrorism on our streets that have impacted personally, disturbance in
the neighbourhood, as well as times of personal conflict. Yet, I have known
that completeness within me that only Jesus Christ can give. He has gone
through the time of suffering and dying so He can proclaim that the time of
wholeness, completeness, peace can be given to those people who trust in Him
for His glory’s sake.
There is the
assurance in the Bible that, just as Jesus Christ pronounced shalom had
arrived on the cross and then proclaimed it to His disciples after the resurrection,
we will know it in fullest sense when we
arrive in heaven to be with Him physically for ever – forever whole, forever
complete and forever at peace.
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