What did His death and resurrection accomplish for me?
His payment paid my debt in full.
During Jesus’ day, when a prisoner paid his debt to society, the judge would write a word across a piece of paper that listed the prisoner’s violations. The word was tetelestai, often translated, “It is finished.” Another translation is, “paid in full.” It signified the person’s debt to society was cancelled because his penalty had been paid in full. When Jesus hung on the cross, the second to last thing He said was, “Tetelestai”–paid in full. The debt He paid in full was yours and mine.
His resurrection proved His payment was acceptable to God.
At one time, England had debtors’ prisons for those who owed more than they could pay. If a debt became due and the debtor could not be found, the third party who guaranteed payment could be imprisoned for him. The third party could not be released until the debt was paid in full. If the debtor reappeared and saw the guarantor on the streets as a free man, he would know his own debt had been retired because the one imprisoned for his debt was now free.
Jesus is our third party guarantor. He was imprisoned for us. He died in our place. He was raised from the dead. We are free because He is free: the One imprisoned for our debt is alive from the grave.
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