On Easter Sunday, my daughter asked me a question. Leading up to Easter, she heard the same claim again and again in social media posts and sermon videos, all driving toward the same dramatic punchline. She wanted to know what was real and what was hype. Her specific question was about tetelestai2 which is the Greek word translated “It is finished” in John 19:30.
She had heard that ancient people wrote tetelestai on business receipts to indicate that a transaction was “paid in full.” Therefore, when Jesus said it from the cross He was declaring that He had paid the debt of sin in full.
It’s a compelling illustration. It’s also not true. Tracing how it started turns out to be an interesting story.
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