"It's Over!"

INTRODUCTION

“IT’S OVER!” (John 19:30)[1] Loud, the words echoed—over sound like thunder (Matthew 27:54).[2] Across the Judean hillsides trickles of white lightning might have etched—but no storm. Clouds rolled, enfolding in unusual ways indicating this was not an ordinary dark sky—it was not night. It was noon.[3] “IT’S OVER!” The words echoed—reverberated.

Loudly He cried (Matthew 27:50, Mark 15:37, Luke 23:46, John 19:30).[4] And the echo of His word reverberated against the sky, eliciting gasps from unbelieving (Luke 23:48).[5] “IT’S OVER!” “IT IS FINISHED!” He was gone.

Earth quaked (Matthew 27:51), shaking vision of the eastern sky, blurring sight—and causing images to tumble. Skies darkened (Matthew 27:45, Mark 15:33, Luke 23:44-45), giving an eerie feeling of war, conflict. “IT’S OVER!” reverberated.

It was a door. A door He entered legally—passing through to be our propitiation (Romans 3:25). It had been a fatal miscalculation for a fallen angel, Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12). Meeting “Life” in death backfired. It was “over.” I believe He said, “….Devil.” “It’s over ….Devil."

Death was a door—a doorway—an entrance (Hebrews 2:9, Acts 2:24). It was an entrance leading to keys—keys of hell and the grave (Revelation 1:18). He was taking off humanity, taking action in divinity. There was perhaps a unique perspective for the thief (Luke 23:40)—passing with the Savior into paradise (Luke 23:43).

PARADISE

Paradise was known in Hebrew theology as a compartment of Sheol—that place where Old Testament saints waited and a “place from which the righteous are saved” (Psalm 49:15, 86:13; Proverbs 15:24).[6] Sheol had no hold on the righteous because God would ransom them from its power (Hosea 13:14; I Corinthians 15:55).[7] God does not abandon the righteous in Sheol (Psalm 16:10).[8] Sheol had also been known as that place where the wicked would go upon death (Job 21:13, 24:19; Psalm 9:17, 31:17, 49:14).[9] There were varied meanings in the Old Testament.

But Jesus’ propitiation made a way for those under the New Covenant to enter heaven (Romans 3:25), and His propitiation had been the promised redemption that would make the way out of Sheol for those saints under the Old Covenant (Hebrews 12:1; Romans 11:26-27).

Paradise as the abode of the righteous was viewed as a separate section of Hades, a term equivalent to Sheol (Psalm 16:10, Acts 2:27, 31).[10] The remaining references to paradise in the New Testament (II Corinthians 12:4; Revelation 2:7) being references to heaven make it appear that paradise was moved there—concurring with I Peter 3:18-19.[11]

In the moments on the cross two covenants were bridged, and the moments in transition were conveyed perhaps by Jesus words, “To day shalt thou be with me in paradise,” as he said to the thief (Luke 23:43). Paradise—a part of Sheol—is where Jesus bound the strongman in finality, and there spoiled his goods (Matthew 12:29; Mark 3:27; Colossians 2:15).

It is disputed, yet I believe Jesus entered the area of Sheol where it is held by some that Old Testament saints were awaiting the redemption Christ would offer.[12] There are various references to the after-life in scripture, using various terms. Abraham’s bosom had been a place of rest. The rich man had seen it, looking across at Lazarus (Luke 16:23). And paradise had been another place referenced on occasion in passages as recorded regarding the scene on the cross (Luke 23:43).

I believe Jesus entered Sheol, as might be indicated by I Peter, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: by which also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah” (I Peter 3:18-20).

Jesus, binding the strongman, spoiling his goods (Matthew 12:29, Mark 3:27)—is signified in the power seen in the resurrection of the saints, giving proof of these things. Surely they did not arise from a place already in heaven, for Jesus, the first fruits of the resurrection (I Corinthians 15:20), had not yet ascended (John 20:17). They surely arose from the place from which Jesus led them away. He ascended on high, led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men (Ephesians 4:8)—the Holy Ghost, as in the Earth today, is still in the process of redeeming men supernaturally.

Jesus, passed through death as a man (Hebrews 2:9), and now had keys—of hell, death, and the grave (Revelation 1:18).

And though not yet ascended (John 20:17), Jesus demonstrated His power—for the resurrection had been evidenced in the streets of Jerusalem, as the Old Testament saints whose graves had been opened (Matthew 27:51), demonstrated His glory, walking on the streets of the Holy city in glorified resurrected bodies on their way to streets of gold (Matthew 27:52-53)—along with Christ, Who is the first fruits of the resurrection (I Corinthians 15:20; James 5:7; Revelation 14:4).

It marked the end of the Old Covenant and the beginning of the New.

Ascending, Jesus led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men (Ephesians 4:8). Ransom paid, provision made—it was “Over.”

“FINISHED!”

One rendition of the term teleo—“finished”—signifies paying tribute.[13] The Greek word means “to bring to a close, to finish, to end…passed, finished…to perform, execute, complete, fulfill, (so that the thing done corresponds to what has been said, the order, command, etc.)…with special reference to the subject matter, to carry out the contents of a command…with reference also to the form, to do just as commanded, and generally involving the notion of time, to perform the last act which completes a process, to accomplish, fulfill…to pay, of tribute.” “It is finished or paid” is expressed in John 19:30.[14]

The price had been paid and saints walking the streets of Jerusalem exhibited proof that the completion of the New Testament covenant was sealed (Ephesians 1:13).

To a repentant thief He whispered, “…Over…”
To lambs and sheep He echoed, “....Over…”
To kings and priests gloried, “….Over….”
In the power of His incarnation, “….Over….”
In sovereign determination, “….Over….”
In the power of resurrection, “….Over…”
And a thief had a ring-side seat.

I believe Jesus took the Devil by the scruff of the neck and said, “Over.”

He turned over tables with a demonstrative flare (Matthew 21:12). He stirred the ire of Pharisees with adept candor (Matthew 12:10). He unabashedly admitted He knew everything (John 2:24-25). And in the face of confrontation He surely would never have backed down (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10).

The One that walked in the midst of the coals of the burning fiery furnace to rescue three Hebrew men would certainly never have avoided a walk into another fiery furnace if necessary to rescue millions (Daniel 3:24-29). He was unthreatened by the flames. The One that unabashedly confronted a Babylonian king would certainly confront a literal Devil. The resurrected Lord of Glory had been the Devil’s worst nightmare.

So it was “over.” Meeting “Life” in death had backfired.

Acts tells the repercussions—the sick healed, the lame walk, the dead rise, the truth proclaimed, the gospel preached, and the blind see (Acts 15:12)—in Christ’s name.

How many on a cross shout? One. Jesus Christ. And, “IT’S OVER.”

The centurion marveled (Mark 15:39). And, “IT’S OVER!”
The ground trembled. And, “IT’S OVER!"
Sky darkened. And, “IT’S OVER!”
The crowd shouted, “GONE!” God shouted, “MY SON!”
The Messiah had come.
And “IT’S OVER.”


[1] The Bible Collection (ValueSoft.com, 2006), Strong’s Concordance. Teleo; Word origin: Greek. 1. to bring to a close, to finish, to end. a. passed, finished. 2. to perform, execute, complete, fulfill, (so that the thing done corresponds to what has been said, the order, command, etc.). a. with special reference to the subject matter, to carry out the contents of a command. b. reference also to the form, to do just as commanded, and generally involving the notion of time, to perform the last act which completes a process, to accomplish, fulfill. 3. to pay. a. of tribute.
[2] Ibid. Seismos; Word origin: Greek. 1. a shaking, a commotion. 2. a tempest. 3. an earthquake.
[3] Ibid. Ennatos; 1. ninth. a. the ninth hour corresponds to our 3 o’clock in the afternoon for the sixth hour of the Jews coincides with the twelfth of the day as divided by our method, and the first hour of the day is 6 A.M. to us.
[4] Ibid. Megas; Word origin: Greek. 1. great.
[5] Ibid., John Gills Exposition. Smote their breasts; as conscious of guilt, and as fearing some dreadful judgment would fall upon them, and their nation, for this sin of crucifying Christ. The Persic version reads, “they went back, and kneeled down, and prostrated themselves to the ground,”; as being in the utmost astonishment, confusion, fear, and dread.
[6] Walter A. Elwell, “Sheol,” Evangelical Dictionary of Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2001), 1098.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Ibid.
[10] Ibid., “Paradise,” 891.
[11] Ibid.
[12] Ibid.
[13] The Bible Collection, Strong’s Concordance. Teleo; Word origin: Greek. 3. to pay. a. of tribute.
[14] Ibid.