Four Things Jesus Finished on The Cross

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up
his Spirit. (John 19:30)

At Jesus went through the agony of his suffering, enduring all the pains of hell. He has cried out from the
depths, but now he’s announcing his victory. He moves into death, not defeated, but triumphant: “It is
finished.”

What did Jesus finish?

1. The long night of his suffering

I put this first because John described how someone held up a sponge soaked in vinegar on a stick, and
the Apostle says, “When Jesus had received the drink, he said ‘It is finished.’

When He had received that last indignity in the vinegar they gave Him, He said, “This is the last. I am
now going out of their reach.”

This was the end of his excruciating suffering. Jesus knows suffering from the inside—more than anyone
has ever known it. But he is not suffering now. He’s done with that. He’s at the right hand of the Father
where he intercedes for us.

That is of massive importance for us. A suffering world needs a savior who knows about suffering.

Our Savior has triumphed over suffering. That is what we have in Jesus. He was plunged into
indescribable suffering, and He came through it and he triumphed in it.

2. The full course of his obedience

Remember why Jesus came into the world. The Son of God became a man to live the life you and I
would have to live in order to enter heaven. Jesus lived the perfect life. There was no sin in him.
The night before he died, he was able to say to his Father, “I have brought you glory on earth by
completing the work you gave me to do” (John 17:4).

Jesus said, “I have not come to abolish [the law] but to fulfill [it]” (Matthew 5:17). Every commandment
of God was fulfilled in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Throughout his life, Jesus loved God the Father with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength, and he loved
his neighbor as himself. He’s the only person who has ever done it.

Jesus’ perfect life of obedience was now complete and he was about to lay it down, so he said, “It is
finished.”

3. The decisive battle with his enemy

Jesus spoke with absolute clarity about Satan or the devil. Confronting the devil was the first act of
Jesus’ public ministry. The Spirit led him into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Throughout his
ministry we see Jesus casting out evil spirits that were holding human lives in bondage.

The story of this conflict goes back to the beginning of the Bible. Satan tempted the man and the woman
and led them into sin that caused them to lose the joys of the paradise of God.

They got the knowledge of evil and came under the power of the evil one. That’s been our story ever
since. It is the explanation of what we see in the world today.

But God promised that a Redeemer would come, saying to Satan, “You will bite his heel, but he will
crush your head” (Genesis 3:15). What a picture! When a snake bites you there is an anti-dot to its
poison. By this I mean; as Christian if the devil attacks us we have Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

God’s promise in Eden is precisely what happened at the cross. In Christ’s death, he breaks the devil’s
power:

Having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them
by the cross. (Colossians 2:15)

When Jesus died, he went beyond the reach of Satan. Satan could no longer tempt him. The devil could
no longer afflict him or cause him to suffer. When Jesus went into death, it was “game over” for the
devil and “game on” for us. The decisive battle with the enemy had been won.

4. The complete work of his atonement

Jesus came to seek and save the lost. He came to give his life as a ransom for many, and on the cross he
says, “It is finished.” He has borne the guilt of our sins. He has endured the punishment of our hell. The
divine wrath has been spent on him. The justice of God has been satisfied in him.

The perfect sacrifice has been offered. Complete atonement has been made. Hell has been vanquished.
The condemnation has been removed. Now the Redeemer says, “It is finished.”

What can be added to Jesus’s redemptive work, his death and resurrection? It is finished! His long night
of suffering is over. He’s no longer on the cross. The full course of his obedience is over. The decisive
battle with his enemy is over.

Christ finished. You haven’t. But with him you will.

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What Did Jesus Come to Accomplish?

What was finished? What was this mission that was now finished? Why did Jesus come? Let's look at
how Jesus defined his mission -- and later, how his apostles understood it. We read about his
commission to "preach the Gospel to the poor" (Luke 4:18, 43), "to bring life" (John 10:10b), "to destroy
the devil's work" (1 John 3:8b), "to bring fire upon the earth," (Luke 12:49), "to testify to the truth" (John
18:37). But each of these seems like a means or aspect of the ultimate purpose, to save us from our sins.
Consider these purpose statement verses:

"Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29)

"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." (Luke 19:10)

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for
many." (Mark 10:45)

"Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." (1 Timothy 1:15)

"But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins." (1 John 3:5)

The Cup and the Baptism

Jesus had a very clear view of what lay ahead of him. He used two metaphors: "To drink the cup," to
partake fully of an event, and "to be baptized," to be immersed fully in the event.

"Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?" (Mark 10:38)

"But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! (Luke 12:50)

"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." (Luke 22:42)

"Jesus commanded Peter, 'Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?'"
(John 18:11)

The cross in all its horror -- and in its redemptive power to bear the sins of the world -- hung heavily on
Jesus during his last days in the flesh. His struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane was the climax, the
point at which he surrendered ultimately to the Father's will. And now the cup had been drunk, the
baptism completed. It is finished.

It Is Finished!

Look again at the passage. It is remarkable in how it repeats one singular idea -- completion, fulfillment,
finishing.
"Later, knowing that all was now completed (teleō), and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled
(teleioō), Jesus said, "I am thirsty" ... When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished (teleō)."
With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." (John 19:28, 30)

These three words derive from the same Greek root, telos, which means "end" -- primarily a
termination point, then by extension, the end to which all things relate, the aim, the purpose.53

"Completed / finished / accomplished" in verses 28 and 30 is the related verb teleō, "to complete an
activity or process, bring to an end, finish, complete something." With regard to time, it means, "come
to an end, be over."54 Moreover the tense of this verb is important to us -- perfect tense (tetelestai). In
Greek the perfect tense signifies a past action, the effect of which continues into the present. It has
been completed and is still complete. The effect of the tense in this verb is a sense of finality.

In the last couple of centuries scholars have found thousands of papyrus scraps with Greek writing on
them. Many of these are mundane commercial documents in which we find this word. Moulton and
Milligan pored over many of these receipts and contracts to better understand New Testament Greek.
They observed that receipts are often introduced by the phrase tetelestai, usually written in an
abbreviated manner indicating that the bill had been paid in full.55 The obligation has been completed.
The debt has been paid off. Tetelestai -- it is finished.

A Cry of Victory

It is clear from Matthew and Mark that just before Jesus breathed his last, he "cried out again in a loud
voice" (Matthew 27:50, cf. Mark 15:37). John gives us the content of this loud cry: "It is finished!"

Those who are defeated go out with a whimper, but the victor announces his victory loudly and broadly:
"It is finished!" The victory shout of Jesus echoed across the small flat hilltop and to the world beyond. It
is finished!

The Announcement of Obedience Fulfilled

It is a cry of accomplishment, but it is also an announcement of obedience fulfilled. This shout began in
the painful will of the Father -- the cup, the baptism, the suffering, the cross. "It is finished" announces
the full obedience of the One who, though equal with God:

"... Made himself nothing,

taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself and became obedient to death -- even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

and gave him the name that is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:7-11)

Make no mistake. The ability to say, "It is finished" to the Father's commission was not the beginning of
some kind of "glory road," but the end. It was the final culmination of a life of obedience, humility, and
suffering that now ushers in a new era.

What Should We Learn from "It Is Finished"?

When we meditate on this Sixth Word from the cross, what should we learn for our lives? This is what I
see.

1. We Are to Live Lives of Purpose

First, we are to live lives of purpose. Unless Jesus had a purpose, a mission to complete, the words, "It is
finished" would have had little meaning. He wasn't speaking of his earthly life that was finished -- in
fact, his life has no beginning and has no end. Rather, he is speaking of that which the Father had
instructed him to do.
Our lives may not be so clear, so purpose-driven as Jesus' life. However, I believe that one of the signs of
maturity in our lives is to discern our spiritual gifts and abilities, and then order our lives so as to
maximize what God has given.

Jesus told the Parables of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) and the Pounds (Luke 19:11-27). In each case,
success for the servant was to "trade with" what the master had given him in order to produce the
largest possible outcome for the master, given each servant's unique talents, time, and circumstances.
The reward was to hear the master say, "Well done, good and faithful servant ... enter into the joy of
your master" (Matthew 25:21, RSV).

2. We Are to Live Lives of Focus

Second, living lives of purpose requires us to focus on our priorities. Instead of living scatter-shot lives,
we are to be marksmen that aim carefully at the target and make our shots count. This requires focus
and discipline. It means saying "No" to some choices so that we can say "Yes" to opportunities that are
even better.

3. We Are to Live Lives of Obedience

Third, to be able to say, "It is finished," as Jesus did, our lives must be marked by obedience. Jesus is
God, but in his earthly life he willingly obeyed. "He humbled himself and became obedient to death"
(Philippians 2:8). Paul put it this way:

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I
live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)

Obedience is the opposite of independent action. It means living in obedience to God, not to ourselves.

4. We Must Be Willing to Suffer to Achieve God's Purpose

Finally, to say "It is finished," we must be willing to suffer to achieve God's purpose for our lives. We
continue in the sunny summer days as well as the stormy winters of our lives. We don't give up just
because things are difficult. We are willing to suffer whatever is necessary to complete the Father's plan
for our lives.

When our lives are over, we want to be able to say with St. Paul,

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"The time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept
the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the
righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his
appearing." (2 Timothy 4:6-8)

And with Jesus to say: "It is finished!"

Prayer

Father, I've wasted much of the momentum of my life because I've tried to go in so many directions.
Please corral me so that I will focus on your purposes and your direction for me, that I might finish this
life well. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Question for Personal Meditation

Q6. (John 19:30) What had Jesus "finished"? What can we learn for our own lives from this Sixth Word:
"It is finished"?

Questions for Group Discussion

What did Jesus come to accomplish? What was his "prime directive"?

What was the "cup," the "baptism" that he faced in order to accomplish his mission?

What was the significance of the word "Finished" written on ancient papyrus receipts?
Why did Jesus shout out this Sixth Word, rather than say it quietly? (John 19:30)

What do we learn from the Sixth Word about purpose? About focus? About obedience? (John 19:30)

How is the willingness to suffer vital to finishing one's mission?

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12 Reasons Why Jesus Meant It When He Said, “It Is Finished”

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Christians should never think their works contribute to their justification or salvation in any way.
Thankfully, here are twelve reasons why Jesus meant it when he said, “It is finished” (John 19:30).

1. Jesus—being true God and true human—was the perfect, once for all sacrifice for sin.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son
from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but
into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself
repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he
would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared
once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (Hebrews 9:24-26)

2. Only Jesus kept the law fully—he was the true Son of Israel who loved God and his neighbor
perfectly.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but
to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17)

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness
of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in
every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15)

3. There is nothing we can add to Jesus’ finished work on our behalf.

He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those
of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. (Hebrews 7:27)

But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.
(Hebrews 10:12)

"So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, 'We are unworthy servants; we
have only done what was our duty.'" (Luke 17:10)

4. Salvation is God’s gift to us—and so is our faith.

But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have
the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.
(Romans 5:15)

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not
a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

5. We could not keep the law perfectly because of our sin.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the
likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous
requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the
Spirit. (Romans 8:3-4)
Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we
also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law,
because by works of the law no one will be justified. (Galatians 2:16)

6. Any necessary works of ours would nullify the grace of God.

But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.
(Romans 11:6)

I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no
purpose. (Galatians 2:21)

7. It is Jesus’ obedience that saves us, not our own.

Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to
justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so
by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:18-19)

Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”
(Galatians 3:11)

8. Jesus paid our debts in full.

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive
together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses by canceling the record of debt that stood
against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. (Colossians 2:13-14)

9. All believers stand justified before God in Jesus Christ alone.

And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as
righteousness. (Romans 4:5)

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in
hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:1-2)

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now
live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

10. Believers are free from condemnation forever.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of
life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2)

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of
Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6)

For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. (Hebrews 10:14)

11. Our fruit is evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives, not our own faithfulness.
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither
can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in
him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:4-5)

And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we
wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies….For those whom he foreknew he also
predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among
many brothers. (Romans 8:23, 29)

But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and
I will show you my faith by my works. (James 2:18)

12. God has promised to justify—and glorify—every person he has predestined and called.

And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those
whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:30)

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same
image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2
Corinthians 3:18)