Finished

Introduction

Well, good morning!

If you’d take your Bible and open it up with me to John chapter 19…John chapter 19.

This is the third week in our sermon series, looking at statements Jesus made during the crucifixion…And as we’ve mentioned, every week, we’re tying these statements into the Best News evangelism strategy we use here at FBC.

The bad news, which is that we’re all sinners and that the wages of sin is death…We looked at Jesus’s statement, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.” Jesus was cut off from the Father because of our sin that He bore, and He experienced a very real death, a death we deserve.

And then Justin walked us through the worse news, which is that there’s nothing we can do about that sin problem on our own. We looked at Jesus’s statement, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Forgive us because we don’t know any other way. It’s impossible for us to see God and turn to God on our own…We needed Jesus to fix our sin problem. We, on our own, we’ll never be good enough…and we, being of guilty sin, we’re unable to seek forgiveness on our own.

Which brings us to the good news this morning…Jesus, being God…He came into this world, He came to His own, He took on flesh…The Bible says He lived a perfect life which allowed Him to be a perfect, innocent sacrifice for the sins of mankind. And being 100% man, on the cross, Jesus paid the penalty of man’s sins…and being 100% God, on the cross, He completely satisfied the wrath of God because of His own righteousness.

And the best news, which we’ll talk about next week…its that, through the person and work of Jesus, He provided the free gift of salvation for anyone that would repent and believe in the gospel.

And so, John chapter 19…This morning, we’re gonna focus on the statement Jesus makes in verse 30, “It is finished.”

Listen, if you’re keeping up with your calendars, today, it marks Palm Sunday…its the day that starts off Holy Week…the day that Jesus came riding into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey…knowing how the rest of the week would end for Him. He knew that Thursday night He’d be arrested…He knew that Friday morning He’d be crucified…He knew that Friday afternoon He’d die…But listen, as Jesus came riding in on that donkey, Jesus came confidently because He knew that on Sunday, He’d rise to life again. He knew the grave couldn’t hold back the Son of Man.

The accounts we’re gonna dig into this morning, it shows Him as our sacrificial lamb. And guys, these accounts, understanding its implications on our spiritual life, it’s crucial for us. The Bible tells us that in order to receive eternal life, we must repent and believe. That belief part, it involves us recognizing Jesus as Lord…and listen, it involves believing that His work on the cross was enough to pay the penalty of our sin.

When Jesus says “its finished” in our text today, I want you to understand, whether you’re a believer or not, this declaration its demonstrating Jesus’s completed work in our salvation…and at this moment where He says, “It is finished,” He opened a way for us to experience reconciliation, and freedom, and eternal hope in Him. These three little words, they couldn’t be more important for us to understand and to cling to today. IT IS FINISHED!

And so, if you’re there with me this morning, let’s stand and read our passage together. Starting in verse 28:

John 19:28–30 ESV

After this (after all the events of the cross), Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Thank you, you can be seated.

[Prayer]

If you’re taking notes, I have three points for us this morning…number 1, the finality of Jesus’s sacrifice…number 2, the reconciliation of Jesus’s sacrifice…and then, number 3, the power of Jesus’s sacrifice.

And so, if you’re following along with me…let’s look at this first point together.

I. The Finality of Jesus’s Sacrifice

The finality of Jesus’s Sacrifice

Look at verse 28 with me again. It says, “28 After this, [after all the horrific events of the cross] Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”…He gave it up…it was on His terms.

Now listen, there’s a couple of things here…If you remember, we actually looked at this passage in greater detail last Palm Sunday. And I would encourage you, if you wanna dive a little deeper into this text, go back and watch that sermon…we covered verses 28 through 37. And there’s a ton here in this passage…There’s all kinds of prophecies fulfilled. There’s a bunch of important significance to the details we see in this story…like Jesus thirsting…Him being given sour wine…it’s all Old Testament prophecy being fulfilled. And that’s important…because it just shows us the creditability of the Bible.

Listen, after Jesus had been beaten and mocked…after He was lead to Calvary…after they nailed His hands and feet to the cross…after He’s hung there for hours, struggling with every single breath…His work of dying a sacrificial death for us, it was nearly complete…and its at that moment, Jesus utters the words, “I thirst” and “It is finished.”

Again, remember that in these moments, Jesus, He’s sovereign over everything that’s happens. He’s completely in control…He knows what’s happening, He knows what’s gonna happen…and in this moment, He feels death coming. It’s like how we feel when sleep comes over us as we lay down at night. Jesus feels that wave of death crashing toward Him…and in that moment, just before He gives His Spirit up, just before He dies…He says, “I thirst” and then He says, “It is finished!”

I love the first part of this passage, because it reminds us…Jesus isn’t just God…He’s also fully human. I said this already…but if man is guilty of sin and deserves a just punishment…who should pay for man’s sins?…Mankind has to pay for the wrongs they’ve commited against God, right?

And so, understand…part of the good news, its that Jesus took on flesh…He lived a perfect life, all so that He could go the cross and take on our punishment as man…And His statement, where He says, “I thirst,” it just reminds us of Jesus’s humanity.

And listen, again…this section of the passage, there’s a lot more there…Psalm 22 and Psalm 69 kind of talks about these prophecies and what the Messiah would experience. And without going into detail, again check out last year’s sermon, Jesus perfectly fulfilled all those prophecies.

But listen, this morning, all I really wanna us to focus on…its Jesus’s statement, “It is finished.”

Paul tells us in Ephesians 1:4-5:

Ephesians 1:4–5 ESV

even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

Guys, I want you to understand…before God created anything, He knew you…and He had a plan to save you. At the moment of creation, God began to work everything toward our salvation; even before the first sin was ever committed. And when you begin to understand that, it just leaves you in awe. Before we ever wronged God, He had a plan to redeem us.

When Jesus utters those words, “It is finished.” It’s a declaration that EVERYTHING needed for humanity’s salvation, it was fully and completely satisfied. Jesus came to do what we couldn’t do for ourselves…He bridged the gap between sinful humanity and a holy God (we’ll talk about that more in a second).

By His perfect, sinless life…and by His sacrificial death…He was victorious over sin and the wages of sin…meaning, from that point on, there was no longer anything left for man to do to earn God’s favor. Jesus’s life and death, it was completely satisfying to God.

And listen, the good news of the gospel…its that mankind no longer needed to work for their salvation. Jesus did it all.

If you go back to the Old Testament…after God rescues the Israelites from slavery and after He gives them the law…we see that in order for them to remain in God’s pleasure…in order for them to remain in God’s favor…there were things they had to do. They had to make daily and yearly sacrifices. There were laws that had to be upheld…there were penalties for laws broken, up to and including death. In order for the priest to go into the presence of God, in the most holy of holies, once a year…there were all kinds of things they had to do to make themselves pure.

And guys, here’s what you have to understand…all these things the people of Israel had to do, they were all temporary. Meaning, they had to be done over and over again…they weren’t permanent solutions.

Obviously, knowing who we are at our core…that we’re all sinners…that we all fall short of God’s glory…there’s no way the Old Testament law was sustainable for us. And guys, that’s the point of the Old Testament. It’s meant to be a mirror for us…to show us that we all fall short…that we’re all inwardly focused. That none of us are righteous. It was meant to show us that we needed something more permanent…more final.

Which is why Jesus’s sacrifice is so incredible. When He says, “It is finished.” What He’s saying…we’ve been freed from the burden of our works. We’ve been freed from the burden of trying to earn God’s favor. It should bring rest…it should bring peace to our hearts. When Jesus took on our sin…and when He paid its consequences…Jesus’s righteous, it was given to us, as believers.

And for those who put their trust and faith in Him, we get to rest in the finality of Jesus’s work. We have remember constantly, that while we may do good things because of the Spirit that now lives in us…our work, it doesn’t grant us…it doesn’t take away God’s favor in any way. Jesus’s work, that was the single element in our favor with God. As God’s people, our salvation, it was sealed…it was completed…it was made final, at Jesus’s death…Do you believe that?

There’s nothing else you can do to earn God’s favor. Simply repent and believe! Cling to what’s been done, and not what you have done or what you can do.

And for the unbeliever here this morning, the good news of the gospel, it turns everything we’ve been taught about this life on a head. Eternal life, salvation…its not about your works…its not about the things you do…its not about how often you come to church or read your Bible, its not about baptism…its not about how much money you give…its not about the good you do. Should you do those things? Absolutely! But that doesn’t lead to salvation, those things are results of salvation.

It doesn’t matter how bad you think you’ve been, the only thing that can save you, is repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.

Repentance, it simply means to turn…its a change of mind. You turn from the world…from your performance, your achievements…and you turn to Christ, turn to His performance…turn to His worldview. And its believing that He is God, that He rose from the dead after His crucifixion (Romans 10:9).

You do that, simply placing all of yourself into the hands of Jesus…into the work He’s already accomplished. And you will be saved.

And listen, no matter what, from that point on in your salvation, you can live with a hope in the finality of Jesus’s sacrifice. You belong to Him, and you’re no longer identified by the things you’ve done or might do in the future, you’re identified by the things Jesus did on the cross. And that sacrifice, it was final. That’s why Jesus says, “It is finished.”

That’s why Paul says in Romans 8:1:

Romans 8:1 ESV

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

The work of our salvation, it was final…that’s the first point.

II. The Reconciliation of Jesus’s Sacrifice

The second point…with Jesus’s statement here, we see the reconciliation of Jesus’s sacrifice.

When Jesus declared, “It is finished,” and when He gave up His spirit…the meaning behind that statement, it went far beyond just showing us the finality of Jesus’s sacrifice.

One of the most significant outcomes as a result of His sacrifice, it was the tearing of the temple veil, I mentioned this a couple of weeks ago.

But in Matthew 27:51, it says:

Matthew 27:51 ESV

And behold (at the moment of Jesus’s death), the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.

Guys, the veil, if you know your Bible…it separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple. The veil was the barrier between a holy God and sinful humanity. And as I mentioned a second ago, only once a year, the high priest, would be able to enter into this place…he’d only be able to stand in the presence of God, once a year. And even then, after doing all the things that were necessary to cleanse themselves, they stood in God’s presence with great fear and trembling, according to the Bible.

And if you’ve read some of these things in the Old Testament, you might sit back and you might ask yourself, “Well, why couldn’t other people enter into this Holy of Holies? Why couldn’t other people be in the presence of God if God desires that? Why did there have to be a physical barrier between the Holy of Holies and the people of God?”

It really boils down to understanding two words…holiness…and sin!

Holiness, it refers to a state of being set apart, consecrated…A person that’s holy, they’re morally pure…Sin on the other hand, it’s rebellion against God’s nature. And so, if God’s holy…meaning He’s morally pure…then our sin, its the opposite of that, making us selfish and wicked. And listen, when those two things come in contact with one another…when something that’s holy comes in contact with something sinful, God does the only just and righteous thing He can. He eradicates sin…meaning, if we’re consumed by sin, the wages of that, its death.

And so, the separation we see here with the veil, its not about God being mean…its about God protecting us from His righteousness…from His holiness.

It’s the same thing He tells Moses in Exodus 33:20:

Exodus 33:20 ESV

“You can’t see my face, for man shall not see me and live.”

God was protecting Moses here…Its the same reasons men died when they touched the Ark of the Covenant. Sin can’t come in contact with holiness and survive.

A lot of people today, they say, “Well, why doesn’t God just deal with sin and evil now? Why doesn’t He just set all things right…like right now?” Listen, what people don’t realize when they ask that, its that if God did that, a lot of God’s elect wouldn’t be included in salvation because dealing with sin means dealing with us…and if He dealt with us right now, for some of us that’s He’s chosen, for some that haven’t responded to the gospel, they’d miss out on eternal life because of their sin. Salvation, takes repentance and faith, right? And being in God’s presence, fully, it takes sanctification.

Sin, as we mentioned the last couple of weeks, it creates a gap between us and God…and Jesus’s sacrifice, it bridged that gap.

Listen, while the veil was a very real thing in the temple of God, it also symbolized the separation caused by sin. And according to Scripture, when Jesus died, the veil, it torn from top to bottom…not from bottom to top, which would signify human effort…it torn from top to bottom, symbolizing God’s work to restore the relationship between Himself and His people. The tearing of the veil, it was a divine act…showing us that through Jesus’s sacrifice, a way was made for all of God’s people to approach Him directly…because of THE HIGH PRIEST! Only one could enter the Holy of Holies each year…and only One could open up the Holy of Holies for all and usher us in to the presence of God.

And so, when Jesus said, “It is finished.” It’s showing us a high priest was no longer needed. Jesus (who again, remember, is God Himself), He took on that role and He became our mediator Himself.

And listen, remember the main point of the high priest in the Old Testament entering into the Holy of Holies…it was to atone for the sins of Israel, right? With Jesus’s statement…with the tearing of the veil…we all get to approach God directly, having confidence that our sins were reconciled by Jesus’s sacrifice.

That’s what Hebrews 10:19 through 22 shows us:

Hebrews 10:19–22 ESV

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Wow!…What amazing confidence and hope we have in Jesus!

Just imagine, for a second, standing at the entrance of a great palace. The doors, they’re locked…there’s guards there preventing you from entering in. And then all of a sudden, the King Himself, He arrives, He walks to the door, He unlocks it, and He opens it wide, saying, "Come on in, and be with Me."

That’s exactly what Jesus did when He tore the veil. He unlocked the door to God's presence and He invited us in. Not just for a visit, but for a lasting relationship.

Listen, as believers, what this means for us…when Jesus said, “It is finished,” it means because of what Jesus did, we no longer have to fear that God’s distant or inaccessible. The good news of the gospel, its that Jesus, through His finished work on the cross, He’s opened the way for us to come into God’s very presence without hesitation. We don’t have work for it…we don’t have to rely on rituals or ceremonies or other sacrifices…we don’t have to confess our sins to other people…Because of Jesus…we have an intimate relationship with the God of the universe, knowing that our sins, they’ve been forgiven and that we’re welcomed as His children.

Jesus’s statement, it demonstrates the finality of His sacrifice and it demonstrates the reconciliation offered through His sacrifice.

III. The Power of Jesus’s Sacrifice

And then, finally…point number 3…with Jesus’s statement, we see the power of Jesus’s sacrifice.

Listen, if there’s anything you take away this morning, let it be this point…When Jesus said, “It is finished,” He wasn’t just making a statement about His life coming to an end…it wasn’t just about His suffering ending…When Jesus said, “It is finished,” He was declaring the ultimate victory over sin, and over death, over the forces of darkness. What seemed like a moment of defeat, in reality, it was the greatest victory in history. This declaration, its a proclamation of completed redemption…a victory that brought hope…and freedom…and ultimately eternal life to all who would repent and believe.

Guys, through Jesus’s work on the cross, we weren’t just reconciled to God…we were also given the power to live transformed lives in the present…lives that have victory over sin.

The significance of this statement, it speaks to the fact that Jesus fully dealt with the problem of sin. As I’ve mentioned already…from the beginning, sin, it had caused this divide in humanity’s relationship with God…and as a result, it brought death into the world…both physically and spiritually…it brought pain, it brought suffering, it brought disease, it brought selfishness…And Jesus, through His perfect life…and through His sacrificial death, He took upon Himself the penalty of sin, He took upon Himself God’s wrath and judgement…which removed the power sin once had over us.

When Jesus died, He defeated the power of sin that separates us from God.

But listen, it didn’t stop there. 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 declares:

1 Corinthians 15:55–57 ESV

“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

In this moment of victory on the cross, Jesus, He didn’t just deal with our sin problem but He also conquered death itself. His resurrection, which we’ll talk more about next week, it sealed this victory, ensuring that death would no longer have dominion over those who are in Him. The hope of eternal life is now available to anyone who repents and believes, because Jesus has taken the sting of death away and turned it into a gateway to eternal life.

Jesus' declaration, it also marks the defeat of Satan and all the powers of darkness. From the beginning, it was Satan’s plan to lead humanity into rebellion against God. He succeeded in the Garden of Eden, when man brought sin into the world. But on the cross, Jesus disarmed the powers of darkness.

Colossians 2:15 says:

Colossians 2:15 ESV

He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

The enemy thought he had won when Jesus was crucified, but in reality, the cross was the means by which Jesus defeated him. The death of Jesus was the ultimate defeat for Satan, as it provided a way for us to be forgiven and reconciled to God. Satan no longer has power over those who are in Christ, because Jesus has already won the victory. This gives us the hope and confidence to live in freedom, knowing that the enemy's hold over our lives, its been broken.

Listen, it upsets me a little bit when we say things like, “Well, Satan’s been on my back this week…He’s really been tempting me.” Guys, this isn’t even just about my end times theology (I do believe Satan’s been bound), but right now, regardless of how you see the end times, as a believer, you have real power over sin. You’re not a slave to it anymore…and so, if you’re struggling with temptation, that’s not Satan at all…its your own flesh…its your own desires.

Paul even affirms this in Romans 7. He says in verse 19:

Romans 7:19–20 ESV

For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

Paul’s saying, its a battle with the flesh. But listen, I love again Romans 8:1:

Romans 8:1 ESV

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Even though, I may struggle with the flesh…through Christ…I’ve been given power, and regardless of my actions, I’m not held in contempt because of it…ultimately because of the work Jesus did. There’s power in His sacrifice.

Paul’s argument here, its not to say we can just do whatever we wanna do…but He’s trying to show these Roman Christians, you have real power inside of you. You are no longer a slave to the enemy.

And because of that, Romans 6:6:

Romans 6:6 ESV

We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

Because of this power in us, we get to live with hope in our future eternal life. And that reality, that understanding of the future, it has profound implications for our present lives. The power of Jesus’ finished work, its available to us today, transforming how we live. Because Jesus conquered sin and death, we’re no longer slaves to our old ways of thinking, or behaving, or living…just as Paul says in Romans 6:6. That’s power.

The beauty of this finished work of Jesus is that it’s available to everyone. No matter how deep your struggles are, no matter how great your failures, no matter how far you feel from God, the power of the cross, its sufficient for you. Jesus took on all of our sin and shame, and in exchange, He offers us forgiveness, and peace, and the hope of a new life…He offers us reconciliation…and righteousness.

This hope is not just a vague wish but a confident expectation grounded in the reality of Jesus' victory.

1 Peter 1:3-4 says:

1 Peter 1:3–4 ESV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,

This living hope, its not dependent on our circumstances…I want you to listen to me, this hope, its anchored in the truth that Jesus has completed the work of salvation. No matter what we face in this life—trials, or suffering, uncertainty—we can hold fast to the hope that Jesus has already secured our future and our freedom…because His sacrifice, it has real power.

Closing

Listen, as we close this morning…I want us to reflect on the moment Jesus uttered those words, “It is finished,” and when He gave up His spirit.

Listen, you might feel burdened this morning…maybe lost, confused…maybe your situation seems hopeless…Guys, I want you to understand, when you cling to the fact that “It is finished,” when you cling to that, that truth, through the Spirit of God, it empowers you to live as a new creation in Christ…and with that, as result of that, you’re filled with peace, you’re confident in His love.

Your past, your failures, your fears…none of that defines you anymore…As a believer…it’s Jesus’s finished work that now defines you…It’s Jesus finished work that empowers you…It’s His finished work that sets you free and allows you to enter into the very presence of a holy God. His work, its final…His work has reconciled you…His work, it gives you real power.

Jesus’s statement, its not about His pain or suffering coming to an end…its about Him completing His plan of salvation…its about Him reconciling His people…Its about Him giving us power to overcome sin in our lives today.

Believe that truth, live in that truth.

Would you bow your head and close your eyes with me?

Listen, as a believer this morning…maybe you just need to reflect on Jesus’s sacrifice for just a moment. That’s the point of why we do things like the Lord’s Supper or constantly reading God’s Word…its to remind us of what we know to be true. It’s to encourage us.

Guys, reflect on His sacrifice, remember His words…, “It is finished.” It doesn’t matter what you’re walking through…through Jesus, you have power over darkness…and through Jesus you have peace through your most trying times.

Cling to that…reflect on that.

But listen, this morning, if you’ve not placed your trust and faith in Jesus Christ, I want you to listen to me for just a moment.

As I’ve mentioned today, when Jesus cried out “It is finished,” He wasn’t giving up—He was declaring victory. He wasn’t defeated—He was conquering sin, and death, and everything that separated us from God. That moment on the cross wasn’t the end of hope—it was the beginning of new life.

The truth is, we were all born into a world broken by sin. We've all gone our own way, trying to live life apart from the God who created us. And the result of that sin is separation from Him—now and forever. No amount of good works, or religion, or effort can bridge that gap. And the wages of sin, its death.

But here’s the good news, Jesus did what we could never do.

When He went to the cross, He took the weight of our sin on His shoulders. He paid the full price—once and for all—so we could be forgiven, restored, brought back into relationship with the Father. His final words, “It is finished,” means the debt, it was paid in full. Nothing else needs to be added.

Through Jesus, the way back to God is open. The gap’s been bridged. The veil’s been torn. And today, you don’t have to wonder where you stand with God. You can know.

The Bible says in Romans 10:9, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

That’s it. It’s not about what you can do for God—it’s about what Jesus has already done for you. He finished the work. He offers you forgiveness, and freedom, and eternal life as a gift. And so, all you have to do, its repent and believe in Jesus. Turn from yourself…and turn to Jesus with trust and faith.

That’s I what I want you to consider doing this morning…if that’s you. Repent and believe.

And so listen, the praise team’s gonna play…I’m gonna be down front. Whoever you are, whatever’s on your heart, you to take this time…and I’ll close us in just a moment!

[Prayer]