The work is finished.
“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”
Permanent Completion
In John 19:30, Jesus says on the cross: “It is finished.” The word for finished here is tetelestai, from the root verb teleo, meaning to bring to an end, to complete, to accomplish, to fulfill, or to carry out. Tetelestai is the perfect passive indicative tense of the verb.
If you’re not a grammar nerd, that means it describes an action completed in the past whose results will continue; “It has been finished and will remain finished.” Here, Jesus expresses a complete accomplishment.
What was finished?
In such a statement, nothing more needed to be done or added to this work.
Because it happened to Jesus, who is fully God and human, the cross and resurrection happened both in a historical moment and eternity. Jesus is the Lamb slain “from the foundation of the world.” (Revelation 13:8)
Paul further articulates this finished work in Colossians 2. There exist evil spiritual powers, the realm of the Devil, out to kill and devour. On the cross, Jesus disarmed them, triumphed over them, and even made a spectacle of them, as he mocked them.
For those who repent unto Jesus and follow him, we have entered this finished work. The victory was won, both in history and the eternal realms, for our redemption. For our salvation.
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