What Did Jesus Mean By: 'It Is Finished'?

In this regular feature Dave and Tom respond to questions from listeners and readers of The Berean Call.  Here is this week’s question:Dear Dave and T.A., I have heard you state on some of your radio programs that Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of mankind on the cross.You quoted the Greek words Jesus cried out from the cross which are translated “it is finished,” and have indicated he paid the penalty in full at that point.Some time ago, you wrote an article that seemed to imply that Jesus died spiritually.My question are: 1) How could Jesus’ words have referred to his having paid the full penalty God’s justice required when he had yet to die physically?2) What is the difference between Jesus died spiritually of the Word Faith teachers, Copeland, Hagin, and so on, and your view of Jesus dying spiritually?

Dave:

Tom there’s too many questions there to answer.

Tom:

Okay, let’s go for the first one.Jesus said it is finished.

Dave:

Right.

Tom:

But he hadn’t died yet.

Dave:

Tetelistai.It says, he said it is finished AND he gave his spirit into his Father’s hands.He said no man takes my life from me, I lay it down of myself.So at the moment that he said it is finished he gave his spirit into his Father’s hands.So I would say that was the moment of death, but it wasn’t just that he died.The physical suffering of Jesus being nailed to the cross and so forth, that wouldn’t save us.There was something more involved.He had to pay the penalty for our sins.It says he tasted death.

Tom:

Yes, Hebrews:2:9But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
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Dave:

Right, he tasted death for every man.Now there’s something more than physical death involved.Now because man is not just a physical being.He is a spiritual being, body, soul, and spirit.And in fact the soul and spirit do not die.The soul and spirit will be—death is separation.Your soul and spirit are separated from your body.You are separated from this world [and] from your loved ones and so forth.

Tom:

When Adam and Eve sinned they were separated from God.

Dave:

Absolutely.So death—the full penalty that faces mankind, is separation from God forever and forever. Now how Jesus endured that on the cross in presumably those three hours of darkness when the world could not look upon him, he endured the full penalty for the full human race.Well he had to, you can’t divide up sin.You can’t die for this person’s sins and not for that person’s sins.He had to pay the penalty for sin itself; for Adam’s sin.

Tom:

And as an infinite God he had to experience infinite death.We can’t comprehend that.

Dave:

Infinite punishment—eternal punishment—eternal separation from God for every human being.Now that’s not just a physical thing, but there’s a spiritual—it’s a spiritual separation, so he cries out in agony, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me.”Tom, I can’t explain it, you can’t explain it.Why doesn’t the Bible explain it?Because it’s beyond our comprehension.

Tom:

Right, as finite beings we can’t understand the infinite aspects of it.

Dave:

Exactly, but we know that he must have paid the penalty; otherwise God could not forgive us.We couldn’t be forgiven unless the penalty was paid.Now the teaching of the so-called faith teachers Hagin, Copeland and various ones in that camp, they say, but Jesus had to sink into hell, where he was tortured three days and three nights by Satan and the demons.Various popular Christian singers sing the song about there was a holiday in hell and the demons are celebrating because Jesus is dead.Copeland says that Satan dragged his emaciated spirit body up and down the corridors of hell you know, and then he was born again, a born again man in hell and he muscled out and defeated Satan.No he did not defeat Satan.First of all, Satan is not the proprietor of hell.

Tom:

Not yet.

Dave:

He hasn’t even been put there yet.One day he will be thrown into the bottomless pit and then into the lake of fire, but Satan is not running hell.He’s not torturing anybody down there; furthermore Jesus said it is finished.Now Kenneth Copeland says when Jesus died on the cross his blood did not atone, he had to suffer in hell at the hands of Satan.Well wait a minute!Supposing Satan is just clever enough.He just tortured Jesus enough, but not quite enough.So Satan didn’t torture Jesus enough to be for us to be saved.So how could Jesus say it is finished before he was tortured by Satan?And if Satan did torture Jesus and that’s where our salvation comes from, is he our co-redeemer?Do we thank Satan for this?I mean this is, I am sorry Tom, it is a false gospel and anybody who believes that Jesus paid the penalty for their sins in hell at the hands of Satan, they are looking to Satan as their co-redeemer, and this is not the gospel that saves.So there is a big difference.But it was not just a physical death, but a spiritual separation from God forever that he endured for all mankind. And how he did that and the agony of it—that’s why he sweat as it were great drops of blood in the Garden. It wasn’t because of having his hands and feet nailed to the cross. It was the being made sin for us and paying the penalty for our sins. That was something beyond our comprehension.

Tom:

Dave let me quote in full Hebrews:2:9But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
See All..., “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” He paid the price; he paid it in full and that’s our salvation.

Dave:

Interesting it says he was laid in a new tomb where no man had ever laid. That’s typifying what he did for us.