IT IS FINISHED
Journey Through the Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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John 17:1–8
CORE MESSAGE
CORE MESSAGE
His redemptive work is finished, and because it is finished, your identity is secured and your mission is empowered.
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Opening Hook:
A.W. Pink: In John 17, the veil is drawn aside, and we are admitted with our great High Priest into the 'holiest of all.' Here we approach the secret place of the tabernacle of the Most High; therefore, it is essential for us to remove our shoes from our feet and listen with humble, reverent, and prepared hearts, for the place whereon we now stand is indeed holy ground. – A.W. Pink, *Exposition of the Gospel of John*
John 14-16 was a personal conversation between the Son of God and His disciples - John 17 is more personal. It is a conversation betwen the Son of God and God the Father.
1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: 2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. 6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. 7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. 8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
Primary Tension / Question Raised:
We live in a culture obsessed with results and completion. Many people look at Christ's earthly ministry and crucifixion wondering: Did Christ finish what He came to do, or was the cross simply an interruption of an incomplete mission?
Bridge to the Text:
The night before the cross, Jesus stands and prays. In this prayer, He makes a declaration that establishes the foundation of our faith:
I have finished the work.
This is not tentative. Not a hope. But a statement of absolute fact.
RECOGNIZING THE REALITY: HIS REDEMPTIVE WORK IS FINISHED
RECOGNIZING THE REALITY: HIS REDEMPTIVE WORK IS FINISHED
Homiletical Point:
Christ declares with absolute certainty that His redemptive work—the work of justification, reconciliation, and atonement—is finished, not ongoing and not dependent on future vindication.
Scripture Anchor:
John 17:4 (Primary):
4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
John 17:1 (Supporting):
1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:
Key Insights:
• Perfect tense throughout ('I have glorified,' 'I have finished') signals accomplished fact, not ongoing process or future hope.
• The crucial distinction: Redemptive work is finished (Christ's accomplishment of salvation); sanctifying work is ongoing (Holy Spirit's transformation of believers). Both truths must be held together.
Illustration / Analogy:
A craftsman who finishes his work doesn't apologize, hedge, or ask for more time. He declares it complete. So Christ declares His work finished.
Application:
Stop waiting for proof that Christ's work is real. The proof is in the finished work He accomplished. You do not need to add to it, improve it, or earn more of it. Your standing with God is not contingent on future events or your performance.
VALIDATING THE REALITY: WHY WE CAN TRUST HIS WORK IS FINISHED
VALIDATING THE REALITY: WHY WE CAN TRUST HIS WORK IS FINISHED
Homiletical Point:
The text provides three converging lines of evidence that Christ's redemptive work is genuinely finished: the timing of the declaration, the use of the perfect tense, and the settled faith of the disciples.
Key Insights:
4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
• Timing: Christ declares the work finished BEFORE the crucifixion. The cross does not CREATE the finished work; it CONSUMMATES what was already accomplished through incarnate ministry, teaching, and obedience.
• Tense: Perfect tense (Greek) = completed action with ongoing results. His work is accomplished; its effects continue in believers' lives through sanctification.
6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. 7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. 8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
• Evidence: The disciples have kept the word, received the teachings, and believed. This is not tentative faith, but settled conviction—evidence of a work so thoroughly accomplished it produces firm faith.
30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
Illustration / Analogy:
A teacher doesn't apologize for incomplete instruction before the final exam; that would undermine students' confidence. Similarly, Christ's declaration before the cross signals absolute confidence in His finished work.
Application:
When doubt creeps in and you question whether Christ's work is truly secure, remember: the disciples witnessed that work and staked their lives on it. Their boldness in persecution, their willingness to die rather than recant—this is evidence that they encountered finished, accomplished redemption.
ILLUSTRATING THE REALITY: HOW FINISHED WORK GENERATES ONGOING TRANSFORMATION
ILLUSTRATING THE REALITY: HOW FINISHED WORK GENERATES ONGOING TRANSFORMATION
Homiletical Point:
The pattern throughout Scripture demonstrates that God's finished work (creation, redemption) does not mean God stops working; rather, His completed accomplishment becomes the foundation for ongoing application and sustainment.
Scripture Anchor:
Genesis 2:1–3 (God finishes creation, rests); Colossians 1:16–17 ('by him all things consist'—ongoing sustainment)
Key Insights:
1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
• God finishes creation (accomplished work), rests from that labor (acknowledging completion), yet continues to sustain all things (ongoing application of that finished work).
• The same pattern applies to redemption: Christ accomplished redemption ('It is finished'), ascended and sat down (rest, acknowledging completion), yet continues to apply and sustain that redemption through the Holy Spirit in believers.
Illustration / Analogy:
A completed foundation does not mean construction stops. The foundation is finished, but the building rises upon it. Christ's redemptive work is the finished foundation; the Holy Spirit's sanctifying work builds the believer's life upon it.
Application:
You can rest absolutely in Christ's finished redemptive work while simultaneously embracing the Holy Spirit's active, ongoing work of transformation in your life right now. These are not contradictory; they are complementary. Your security is in finished redemption. Your growth is in ongoing sanctification.
PERSONALIZING THE REALITY: YOUR IDENTITY AND MISSION IN FINISHED WORK
PERSONALIZING THE REALITY: YOUR IDENTITY AND MISSION IN FINISHED WORK
Homiletical Point:
Christ's finished redemptive work establishes your identity (you are secure in accomplished redemption) and empowers your mission (you are sent as a witness to that finished work).
Scripture Anchor:
John 17:6–8 (disciples as evidence and witnesses of finished work); Series context: 'Sent to Witness'
6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. 7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. 8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
Key Insights (Three Audiences):
New Believers:
Your salvation rests on accomplished fact, not on future uncertainty. Rest in your security and embrace the Holy Spirit's transformation.
Mature Believers:
You may be trying to earn standing through spiritual performance. Stop. Your justification is settled. Your sanctification is active. Embrace transformation without earning redemption.
Unbelievers/Seekers:
Christianity is not merely about future promises. It is about finished accomplishment that has transformed millions of lives across two thousand years. Is the evidence real?
Illustration / Analogy:
The disciples witnessed finished work and became transformed witnesses who turned the world upside down. Their boldness, their willingness to die—this came from resting in finished redemption, not from striving to complete it.
Application:
You are not responsible for completing what is already complete. You are a witness to it. Your identity flows from resting in finished work. Your mission flows from that secure identity. You are sent to testify to what Christ has finished.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
Restatement of Core Message:
His redemptive work is finished. Your identity is secured in that accomplishment. Your mission flows from that security.
Summary of Narrative Arc:
We began with the cultural temptation to doubt Christ's work (waiting for proof, searching for results). We heard His declaration ('I have finished the work') and examined the evidence for it (timing, tense, disciples' faith). We saw the biblical pattern that finished work generates ongoing transformation. And now we understand who we are because of that finished work: not striving to complete, but secure in what is complete. Not uncertain about our foundation, but bold about our mission.
Final Call to Action / Response:
You are a witness to finished work. Stop trying to complete what is already complete. Rest in your security. Embrace transformation. And remember: Next week, we explore what it means to be sent as a witness to Christ's finished redemption.
Altar Call
Altar Call
Before you leave today, I want to invite you to respond to what Christ declared: "The work is finished."
If you've never trusted in Christ's finished redemptive work— if you're still waiting for proof, still doubting whether His work is real—I'm inviting you to step forward. Come to one of our counselors. Let's talk about what it means to rest in finished redemption. You don't have to keep striving. The work is done.
If you're a believer, but you're exhausted from trying to earn your standing with God— if you're performing, proving, perpetually trying to improve your spiritual position—I want to invite you to come and pray. Lay down that burden. Confess that striving. Ask God to help you rest in the finished work you already possess. Your justification is settled. Stop trying to complete what Christ has already completed.
If you know Christ's work is finished, but you're hesitant about your mission— if you're uncertain whether you have what it takes to be a witness—come pray. Let God remind you: you're not responsible for completing the work. You're called to testify to it. That's enough. That's everything.
The work is finished. Your identity is secure. Your mission is clear.
