Checkmate and Finished

Introduction

Normally, I’d save a post like this for Resurrection Sunday, when we’re all thinking about the cross and the empty tomb. But lately, I’ve been chewing on Jesus’ final moments in Matthew 27:45–47 and John 19:30, especially those gut-wrenching words: “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”—“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”—and the triumphant declaration, “It is finished.” These aren’t just dramatic lines from the crucifixion; they’re a theological thunderclap, a divine checkmate against sin and death. The Greek tetelestai (finished) and the Aramaic lema sabachthani (why have you forsaken me) carry layers of meaning that deepen our understanding of Christ’s victory. Let’s unpack these moments, dive into Psalm 22, and see how Jesus’ words on the cross weren’t just a cry of anguish but a bold proclamation of redemption—paid in full.

The Cry of Forsakenness: Psalm 22 and the Suffering Servant

Matthew 27:45–47 (ESV) sets the scene: “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, ‘This man is calling Elijah.’” At first glance, this is a moment of raw agony. Jesus, experiencing separation from the Father—a taste of hell itself—cries out in Aramaic, echoing Psalm 22:1 (ESV): “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?”

If you read Psalm 22, it’s like a script for the crucifixion. Verse 7: “All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads.” Verse 16: “They have pierced my hands and feet.” Verse 18: “They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” Even skeptics—atheists or those who once claimed Psalms were late compositions—can’t deny the parallels. And since the Dead Sea Scrolls (dated to the 2nd century BCE) confirm Psalm 22’s pre-Christian origin (Vermes 1997, 112) it’s hard to state it’s a “post-event writing.” This isn’t a coincidence; it’s prophecy fulfilled. Jesus, the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53:5 (ESV)—“pierced for our transgressions”—embodies Psalm 22’s anguished yet victorious Messiah.

Why does this matter? The Sanhedrin, whom I call the “varsity Pharisees,” pushed for Jesus’ execution, pressuring Pilate, who “washed his hands” of the matter (Matthew 27:24). These religious elites knew their scriptures cold. Back then, the Hebrew Bible wasn’t divided into chapters and verses—that’s a medieval invention (Langton 2011, 45). They memorized vast portions, often identifying passages by their opening lines. When Jesus shouted Psalm 22:1, the Sanhedrin likely froze. They’d have recalled the entire psalm—its suffering, yes, but also its triumph: “All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD” (Psalm 22:27, ESV). They knew Isaiah 53, too, with its promise of a Servant who “bore the sin of many” (Isaiah 53:12). Jesus’ cry wasn’t just anguish; it was a theological slap, declaring, “I am the Messiah you’ve rejected.” As G.K. Beale notes, “Jesus’ use of Psalm 22 asserts His identity as the Suffering Servant, confronting His accusers with their own scriptures” (Beale 2012, 395).

Matthew notes “some of the bystanders” thought Jesus was calling for Elijah (27:47). Likely not the Sanhedrin—they’d have recognized Psalm 22 instantly. These bystanders may have misheard the Aramaic Eli (my God) as Elijah, a common expectation of a prophetic rescuer (Malachi 4:5). But the Sanhedrin? They knew better. When the temple veil tore (Matthew 27:51), it confirmed their folly—God’s presence was no longer confined, and Jesus’ sacrifice opened the way (Hebrews 10:19–20). Checkmate. Satan thought he’d won; the Pharisees thought they’d crushed a heretic. Jesus proved them wrong with a single cry.

“It Is Finished”: Tetelestai and the Paid-in-Full Receipt

John 19:30 (ESV) captures Jesus’ final words: “When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, ‘It is finished,’ and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” The Greek word here is tetelestai, from teleo, meaning “to complete” or “to perfect” (BDAG 2000, s.v. “τελέω”). It’s not just “done”; it’s “accomplished,” “fulfilled,” “paid in full.” To understand this, let’s step into a first-century story.

In Jesus’ day, debts could enslave you—think indentured servitude, not lifelong bondage. If you owed a master, you worked until the debt was paid. If you wandered off, anyone could challenge your freedom. But when your debt was cleared, you got a receipt, a legal proof of liberty. Guess what was written on it? Tetelestai—paid in full (Wright 2016, 182). When Jesus declared tetelestai from the cross, He wasn’t just saying the job was done. He was announcing that humanity’s debt to sin—our slavery to death—was paid in full. Romans 6:23 (ESV) states, “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Jesus’ death settled the account.

This ties back to the Passover. In Exodus 12:5–7, an unblemished lamb was slaughtered, its blood protecting Israel from death. This was temporary, repeated yearly. Jesus, the “Lamb of God” (arnion, John 1:29; Revelation 5:6, BDAG 2000, s.v. “ἀρνίον”), was the perfect, sinless sacrifice. His death wasn’t just for one year but for all time. Hebrews 10:12 (ESV) says, “When Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.” Paul puts it bluntly in Galatians 2:20 (ESV): “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” Not a party like The Invitation (2015), where characters spiral into chaos, but a call to die to self and live through Christ’s victory.

The Serpent’s Defeat: From Eden to the Cross

Let’s connect the dots. Genesis 3:15 (ESV) records God’s promise after Adam and Eve’s fall: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” The serpent’s lie—“you will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4)—introduced death into God’s creation. Eden wasn’t a GPS location but a state of communion with God, shattered by sin. The Leviticus laws you mentioned—“do this, die; do that, die”—didn’t always mean instant death (e.g., stoning, Leviticus 20:2). They signaled spiritual death, separation from God’s presence, where sin cannot dwell (Bauckham 2008, 67).

God’s plan kicked in immediately. Genesis 3:15, the protoevangelium, promised a Savior who’d crush the serpent’s head. Jesus’ cry of tetelestai fulfilled this. The Sanhedrin saw Jesus as a threat to their power, expecting a warrior Messiah, a Lion of Judah (Revelation 5:5). Instead, they got the arnion, the slain Lamb, serving and suffering (Revelation 5:6). As you hinted, arnion—used 29 times in Revelation—emphasizes Christ’s sacrificial humility, not just His triumph (Beale 2012, 402). The disciples struggled with this, too, wanting a sword-wielding king (Mark 8:32–33). But Jesus’ checkmate was the cross, not a crown.

Tying It Together: Checkmate and Paid in Full

Jesus’ cry of “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” wasn’t just despair; it was a proclamation. By quoting Psalm 22:1, He forced the Sanhedrin to confront their scriptures, revealing Himself as the Messiah they rejected. The torn veil (Matthew 27:51) and tetelestai (John 19:30) sealed it—God’s plan was perfected, humanity’s debt paid. Satan’s apparent victory was his defeat; the Pharisees’ scheme backfired. As N.T. Wright puts it, “The cross is God’s checkmate against evil, turning the world’s worst moment into its redemption” (Wright 2016, 189).

This isn’t the feel-good devotion we often hear. It’s raw, profound, and victorious. Jesus’ arnion identity—sacrificial Lamb—redefines power. Later this week, I’ll dive deeper into arnion’s significance in Revelation, as promised. For now, know this: when Jesus said “It is finished,” He meant your debt is paid, your freedom secured. Checkmate, Satan. Game over.

Bibliography

Bauer, Walter, Frederick W. Danker, William F. Arndt, and F. Wilbur Gingrich. 2000. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 3rd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Bauckham, Richard. 2008. Jesus and the God of Israel: God Crucified and Other Studies on the New Testament’s Christology of Divine Identity. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.

Beale, G.K. 2012. Handbook on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament: Exegesis and Interpretation. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

Langton, Stephen. 2011. The Bible: A History. London: Atlantic Books.

Vermes, Geza. 1997. The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English. New York: Penguin Books.

Wright, N.T. 2016. The Day the Revolution Began: Reconsidering the Meaning of Jesus’s Crucifixion. San Francisco: HarperOne.