Day 6: The Finished Work
Scripture Reading: Matthew 27:45–51; John 19:30; Hebrews 10:19–22
The Road: The Tearing of the Veil
On Good Friday, the Road to Resurrection reaches its darkest and most important point at Golgotha, the Place of the Skull. From noon until three in the afternoon, darkness covered the land. When Jesus gave up His spirit, the earth shook and the rocks split.
At the same time, three miles away in the Temple, something just as dramatic happened. Matthew writes in Matthew 27:51 (NIV), “At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split”.
To see how important this was, picture the curtain. Jewish tradition and historians say it was not a thin fabric. It was about 60 feet high, 30 feet wide, as thick as a man’s hand, and made from 72 twisted strands of thread. It was so heavy that it reportedly took 300 priests to move it.
This veil was the main barrier. It separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, the dwelling place of God’s presence. Only the High Priest could go through it, and only once a year on the Day of Atonement, never without blood. It served as a constant theological statement: God is holy; you are not; keep out.
When Jesus died, this huge barrier was torn apart. The Bible says it tore "from top to bottom." If people had done it, they would have started at the bottom. The direction shows that God Himself was the One who tore it. At the same moment Jesus’ body was broken on the Cross, the barrier to God was torn in the Temple. The "House of Misery" and the "Holy of Holies" were finally joined.
Just before Jesus took His last breath, He cried out one word in Greek in John 19:30: Tetelestai (τετέλεσται). In our English Bibles, this is translated as the sentence, "It is finished." But Tetelestai means more than just an ending; it is a transaction. Archaeologists have found this word on ancient tax receipts and business documents. It means "Paid in Full."
This is the idea behind "The Great Exchange." The law demanded perfection, but we could only offer brokenness. This debt gave sin power over us and allowed death to claim us. When Jesus shouted Tetelestai, He was not announcing a defeat; He was announcing a receipt. The debt was paid off. The legal claim of Satan over your life was cancelled.
This connects directly to our sermon today. We often try to fight sin by "muscling through" (Bios effort). But the only way to truly kill the power of sin is to recognise that its legal power has already been broken. You are not fighting to get free; you are fighting because you are free.
Application: Walking Through the Torn Veil
Sadly, many Christians today live as if the veil is still there. We stand outside the Holy of Holies, weighed down by guilt, thinking we must "clean ourselves up" before coming to God. We try to fix the curtain with our own shame.
Good Friday declares: The way is open. Because the work is finished, you do not need to add to it. You cannot add to a finished painting, nor can you pay a paid-off mortgage.
The Bios Application: Trying to earn God’s love through your own efforts goes against what Jesus did on the Cross. Stop trying to pay a bill that Jesus has already paid.
The Zoe Application: Your new life is one of access. You have the right to walk into the presence of God, not because you are good, but because the receipt says "Paid."
Today’s Fasting Focus: The Receipt
As you fast today, you are likely feeling the physical effects of the week: weakness, hunger, and maybe even a headache. Let these feelings remind you of the decision to fast.
The Accuser: When the enemy whispers that you are too weak, too sinful, or too broken for God to use, answer with the legal verdict.
The Visualisation: Picture your sins, your "dead things," your failures, your "House of Misery," all written in a ledger. Then imagine a red stamp falling onto the page: TETELESTAI.
The Action: Do not fast today to earn forgiveness. Fast to celebrate that you are already forgiven.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, I stand under the Cross today and listen to Your cry. "It is finished." I receive this word into the deepest part of my heart. I will not add my own works to Your finished work. I refuse to let guilt rebuild the veil You tore down. Thank You that my debt is paid. Thank You that the barrier is gone. Because of Your torn body, I now have the boldness to enter the Holy of Holies. I step over the torn veil and run into the arms of my Father. Sin has no claim on me. Death has no sting. I am free. In Your Precious name, Amen.
