The Father sent His Son, while the Son came on His own volition to do God’s will and accomplish His work. In it all, the Holy Spirit sustained Him from beginning to end, as He offered Himself through the eternal Spirit without spot to God (Heb. 9:14). At the same time, as a Man, Christ fully met God’s holy requirements: God did not diminish any demand because He was now dealing with His beloved Son. These are blessed mysteries to our human minds.

And so the holy and righteous God was fully satisfied with the work that Christ Jesus accomplished—from His coming into this scene, all through to the very end of His work. Then Jesus spoke that solemn and powerful Greek word, tetelestai: it is finished, completed, paid in full! God accepted His work! The veil, separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy, was torn in two, right down the middle, from top to bottom (Mk. 15:38). This emphasized that men played no role in it, and indicated that the entrance to God’s holy presence was now opened for access to Him, a theme developed in the Epistle to the Hebrews. God’s rights had been fully satisfied by the work and sacrifice of Christ; God was now able to come out towards man, to declare him righteous who believes in Jesus (Rom. 3:24–26), and invite him to enter into His presence, now and forever.

This sweet fellowship as sons with God and God with us is possible because of Christ’s accomplished work on the cross, His death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and exaltation at God’s right hand. From there He sent the Holy Spirit so we can now enjoy this free access. Praise God!