Session 6

Friday: The Now and the Not Yet

From Holy Week Devotional

It’s Friday, and the crowd that shouted “Hosanna” mere days ago has turned. Judas’s betrayal is complete. Pilate, pressured by an angry mob of Jewish people and religious leaders, hands Jesus over to be crucified. Peter, who swore he’d never deny Jesus, has done it three times in a single day. Other followers were fleeing and hiding, afraid of retribution for following this man as God. They must have been filled with disbelief, disillusionment, and despair. Could it really be over? 

Jesus, on the cross in the midst of a brutal death, has a better word to speak. Tetelestai—it is finished. Death is defeated. The punishment for sin is off our shoulders and situated squarely on His. He breathes His last. 

Today, we still sit in this same tension of the now and the not yet. Death is defeated, but we still attend funerals. Salvation belongs to us, but we battle sin over and over. God is healer, but the diagnosis still comes. In the now, it’s easy to forget about the not yet. When the worst happens, we, too, say, “Could this really be it?” 

The good news: tetelestai. It is finished, no matter how finished it feels or looks at this moment. If you’re facing disbelief, disillusionment, and despair, trust in the final words of Jesus on the cross. 

Journal: Have you ever doubted God when the worst moments became reality? Know that you’re not alone. His disciples felt the same way as they saw Him crucified. Get honest with God about your current circumstances, and ask Him to show you the hope that the word “tetelestai” brings.