Go! And Live In The Victory Of ‘it Is Finished!’ (Good Friday) - John 19:30 Series

Go! And Live in the Victory of ‘It Is Finished!’ (Good Friday) - John 19:30

John 19:30 (NLT): When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Introduction

Good Friday. The darkest day in human history… and yet, the most glorious for the redeemed. The cross—Rome’s symbol of cruelty—became for us the ultimate symbol of grace, love, and triumph.

Today, we gather not to mourn a defeat, but to celebrate a victory. When Jesus cried out, “It is finished,” it wasn’t the final gasp of a dying man. It was the victorious shout of the Saviour who had completed the mission given to Him by the Father.

I want to speak to you on this Good Friday under the title: “Go! And Live in the Victory of ‘It Is Finished!’”

Point 1: Go! And Know What Was Finished

John 19:30 (NLT): When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

The Greek word translated “It is finished” is tet??esta? (tetelestai)—a word rich in meaning. It was used to declare the full payment of a debt, the completion of a task, the fulfilment of a vow. Jesus was declaring the eternal work of redemption was done.

Hebrews 9:12 (NLT): With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever.

The high priest in the Old Testament entered the Holy of Holies year after year with the blood of animals, a temporary covering for sin. But Jesus, our High Priest, entered once—for all—offering not the blood of another, but His own.

He didn’t die saying, “I am finished.” He said, “It is finished.” There’s a world of difference. The mission was completed, but His resurrection was yet to come.

Imagine paying off a debt so large you couldn’t begin to calculate it. Then one day, someone comes along and pays it all. Not a loan. A gift. They hand you a receipt stamped: “Paid in full.” That’s tetelestai.

Preacher and Author Tim Keller said “The gospel is not good advice to be followed; it is good news to be believed.”

These words strike right at the heart of what we proclaim, especially on this Good Friday. “The gospel is not good advice to be followed; it is good news to be believed.” That’s powerful—because the gospel isn’t a checklist of things we do for God. It’s the declaration of what God has done for us through Jesus Christ!

Advice tells you what you ought to do. News tells you what has already been done.

The Greek word for gospel, e?a??????? (euangelion), means “good news.” And what is the good news? That Jesus lived the life we could never live, died the death we deserved, and rose to give us new life. That’s not advice—it’s a finished work. That’s not a suggestion—it’s a saving truth.

Paul put it this way in Romans 1:16 (NLT): “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.”

The gospel is not a ladder we climb; it is the bridge Christ laid down with His own life so that we might cross from death to life.

So let us not reduce the gospel to mere instruction—it is the glorious invitation to believe, to receive, and to live in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

As Tim Keller reminds us, it’s not about what we do—it’s about what He has done! Hallelujah!

Point 2: Go! And Understand the Price Paid

Isaiah 53:5 (NLT): But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.

Jesus bore the weight of every sin, past, present, and future. He became our substitute. The wrath we deserved fell upon Him.

Romans 5:8 (NLT): But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

The word "pierced" in Hebrew is ??????? (mecholal)—wounded fatally, profaned. Jesus wasn’t just harmed; He was utterly crushed under the weight of divine justice.

He did not die as a victim of circumstance but as the Victor over sin.

Picture a courtroom. The judge declares you guilty and sentences you. But then he steps down, removes his robe, and takes your punishment himself. That’s what happened at Calvary.

John MacArthur stated “Christ’s death was not just an example of love; it was the very payment our sin required.”

MacArthur's words cut right to the heart of the Gospel message. Yes, the cross is the greatest demonstration of love the world has ever seen, but it was so much more than that. It was not symbolic—it was substitutionary. It was not merely sentimental—it was sacrificial. Christ’s death wasn’t just to inspire us; it was to redeem us.