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.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NLT): “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”
The Greek word used there for "offering for our sin" is ?µa?t?a (hamartia), which can also be translated as “sin” or “sin-offering.” Paul isn’t just being poetic—he’s being precise. Christ became our sin substitute, bearing the wrath we deserved, paying the debt we could never repay.
At the cross, Jesus didn’t just show love—He absorbed justice. God’s holy wrath was not swept under the heavenly rug; it was poured out in full on the sinless Saviour.
And that is why “It is finished” (John 19:30) is not merely a cry of completion—it’s the shout of victory, the declaration that the ransom has been paid, that grace has triumphed, that the veil is torn and the way to the Father is open.
Praise God that the love of Christ is not a mere example to admire—but a sacrifice to receive, trust, and proclaim!
Point 3: Go! And Walk in the Freedom Secured
Galatians 5:1 (NLT): So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.
When Jesus said, “It is finished,” the power of sin was broken. The curtain in the temple was torn. Access was granted. Freedom was purchased—not temporary freedom—but eternal deliverance.
Romans 8:1–2 (NLT): So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.
The Greek word for condemnation is ?at????µa (katakrima)—a judicial term. In Christ, your verdict has changed. You are no longer condemned—you are justified, free, and alive in Him.
Slaves in the ancient world could never free themselves. They had to be redeemed. Purchased. Their only hope lay in the mercy of another. Christ has redeemed us—not with gold or silver, but with His own blood.
R.C. Sproul stated “Jesus didn’t just die to make you savable. He died to save you.”
Let’s reflect on the powerful truth in Sproul’s words, this is not just a clever turn of phrase — this is Gospel reality! Jesus did not go to the cross to merely create the possibility of salvation. He went with purpose, with power, and with the full intention of rescuing souls from death to life!
In John 10:11 (NLT), Jesus declares: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.”
Not might sacrifice, not considered it — but sacrifices! The Greek word here is t???µ? (tithemi) — to place, lay down, appoint. Jesus actively laid down His life for His sheep. That is specific. That is personal. That is salvific purpose in action.
And then in Luke 19:10 (NLT): “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”
He didn’t come to offer advice to the lost. He came to save the lost. The Greek word for "save" is s??? (sozo) — to rescue, deliver, to bring into wholeness. The cross wasn't potential energy; it was a divine rescue mission, completed with perfect success!
Beloved, we are not dealing with a Saviour who opens the door and says, “Good luck.” We worship a Saviour who walks into the darkness, carries us out, washes us clean, and seats us at the banquet table of grace!
To say Jesus merely made us savable waters down the blood He poured out for us. He did not come to offer salvation as a concept. He came to accomplish salvation as a certainty.
So today, don’t live in spiritual uncertainty. If you have trusted in Jesus, you are not savable — you are saved. Fully, eternally, gloriously redeemed by the finished work of Christ!
Let’s go and live in that confidence — and tell the world: He didn’t die to make you savable. He died to save you! Hallelujah!
Gospel Presentation:
At the cross, Jesus paid it all. There is nothing more to add. You can’t earn your salvation. You can only receive it.
He bore your sin, your shame, your guilt. And tonight, if you don’t yet know Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, He stands ready to receive you.
Call to Action: Go! And Respond to the Finished Work
Friends, Good Friday calls us to live in the light of “It is finished.” Not to strive in our own strength but to walk in the freedom Jesus purchased.
Go and worship. Go and serve. Go and forgive. Go and proclaim this Good News to a world that’s still trying to save itself.
If you’re burdened tonight by guilt or shame—lay it at the foot of the cross. Jesus finished the work so you don’t have to carry it anymore.
Invitation to Faith:
If tonight you feel the Spirit of God stirring in your heart, don’t harden your heart. Come to Jesus. Confess your sin. Receive His gift of grace. Trust in the One who finished the work.
Pray something like this in your heart:
"Lord Jesus, thank You for dying for my sin. I believe You rose again. I turn from my sin and trust You as my Saviour and Lord. Help me live in the victory of Your finished work. Amen."
Closing Encouragement:
Good Friday ends in death... but Sunday brings resurrection! But let us never forget: the resurrection only matters because Jesus finished the work on Friday.
Church, don’t just stand at the cross in wonder. Go! And live in the victory of ‘It Is Finished!’
