tetelestai means: Literally, the Greek word “It’s finished” is translated as “It’s done”. It appears in two Greek translations in John 19:28 (and John 19:30) and it is the only place in the New Testament. It is found in 19:28. To indicate that a bill was paid in full, the word “tetelestai” could also be written on receipts or business documents in New Testament times. This is what the Greek-English Lexicon by Moulton and Milligan states. Receipts can be introduced with the phrase sic tolestai. These phrases are usually abbreviated …” and p.630. John’s Greek-speaking readers would have seen the connection between receipts, and Christ’s work. It would have been obvious that Jesus Christ died for them. (in Community Dictionary, added by Keyon Simon)
