In his sermon for Passover, Rob Wilson reflected on Jesus' words on the cross recorded in John 19:30: "It is finished."
The Greek word for "it is finished" is tetelestai, related to teleo, meaning goal or purpose. Jesus had accomplished the goal of his mission to earth. There was still more to do. It wasn't a termination, but a fulfillment.
Passover is a time to consider God's redemption in past, present, and future. One lesser-known account of God's rescuing his people is 3 Maccabees, in which an Egyptian leader, Ptolemy IV, attempts to kill many Jews in Alexandria but is miraculously prevented from doing so.
3 Maccabees 5:27 is the only place in the LXX where the Greek word tetelestai appears. This verse describes one stage in God's rescue of the Jews in Alexandria.
Rob noted that we have been "passed over" by the death angel many times, since we are still alive. God has preserved our lives for a purpose, and we should live to carry it out, so that one day we can also say, "It is finished."
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