Veterinarian James Herriot, author of All Creatures Great and Small, tells of an unforgettable wedding anniversary he and his wife celebrated early in their marriage. His boss had encouraged him to take his wife to a fancy restaurant. James balked. He was a young veterinarian and couldn't afford it. "Oh, do it!" the boss insisted. "It's a special day." James reluctantly agreed and surprised his wife with the news.

On the way to the restaurant, James and his wife stopped at a farm to examine a farmer's horse. Having finished the routine exam, he returned to his car and drove to the restaurant unaware that his checkbook had fallen in the mud. After the meal, James reached for his checkbook only to discover it was gone. Embarrassed, he tried to offer a way of making it up.

"Not to worry," came the waiter's reply. "Your dinner has been taken care of!" James's employer had paid for the dinner in advance.

When Jesus said on the cross, "It is finished," it meant "paid in full."