The Gospel of John: It is Finished John 19:16-37 · Join the Journey

It Is Finished

John 19:16–37

There’s something powerful about the end.

The end of a movie.

The end of a book.

The moment when the work is finally done.

Everything has been building to that point… and then it comes.

The final line. The closing scene. At the end of a great story, everything feels finished.

But sometimes what looks like the end… isn’t really the end. Think about those moments in movies where it seems over—but then the story keeps going.

At the end of LOR Return of the king, you think as Sam and Frodo sit on the side of Mount Doom surround by lava that they are going to die having destroyed the one ring. But the story doesn’t end there. Then Gandalf comes, rescues them and they live a full life after that.

At the end of Empire Strikes Back we have that cliffhanger line of “Luke, I Am your father.” Luke falls. But that’s not the end—Luke comes back, faces the emperor and helps redeem his father.

In John 19, we come to one of the most powerful endings in all of history.

But it’s not just the end of a story… But the turning point of the story.

The Scene of the Cross

John 19:16-22

John 19:16–22

Jesus is led outside the city. Carrying His own cross… He walks to a hill called Golgotha—the Place of the Skull. A place just outside the city walls, where everyone coming in and out would see. This wasn’t hidden. This wasn’t private. This was public.

Rome wanted people to see it and fear. The religious leaders wanted people to see it and forget Him. And above His head is a sign: “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”

Written in Hebrew. Latin. Greek. Everyone could read it.

The leaders didn’t like it. They wanted it changed. But Pilate said, “What I have written, I have written.” And without realizing it… he told the truth.

What Happens at the Cross

John 19:23-24

John 19:23–24

As Jesus hangs there, the soldiers divide His clothes. The only possessions He had… taken and gambled for. It fulfills Scripture.

Before we rush past this moment… don’t miss what’s happening.

The Son of God… is hanging on a cross. Bleeding. Suffocating. Dying. Not for His sin… but for yours.

John 19:25-27

John 19:25–27

Even in His suffering—God is still in control. Nearby, His mother is standing there. And in the middle of His pain… Jesus looks down and makes sure she’s taken care of. To his mother He says, “Woman, behold your son.” And to the disciple that He loved He says, “Behold your mother.”

Even on the cross… He is caring. He is intentional. He is finishing what He came to do.

Nothing Left Undone

Then John tells us something important:

John 19:28-30

John 19:28–30

Jesus, knowing that everything had now been accomplished, said,

“I am thirsty.” They give Him sour wine.

And then… He says the words: “It is finished.” And He gives up His spirit.

The phrase Jesus uses It is finished.

It was a word people used in everyday life.

If a servant completed a task—they would say, “It is finished”

If a priest examined a sacrifice and found it acceptable—“It is finished”

If a debt was paid in full—they would stamp it… “It is finished”

Jesus isn’t whispering defeat—He is declaring victory.

This is not the cry of a victim… This is the shout of a Savior who has completed the mission.

What Was Finished?

At first glance, we might say: Well… His life was finished.

But that’s not what Jesus meant. When Jesus said, “It is finished,” He wasn’t saying, “I’m done.” He was saying, “The work is done.”

So what work? What did we see last week in John 4?

John 4:34

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.

Yes—Scripture was fulfilled. Everything God had promised… completed in that moment. But it’s bigger than that.

The Story Begins – Genesis

To understand what was finished… you have to go back to the beginning.

In Genesis 1 and 2, God creates everything. And on the seventh day… His work was finished.

There was something in the garden called shalom. Shalom is Hebrew for peace… but not just peace. It means wholeness. Completeness.

Everything exactly the way it should be.

In the garden there was:

• Shalom with God — Adam and Eve walked with God face to face

• Shalom with each other — no shame, no division

• Shalom within themselves — no guilt, no hiding

• Shalom with creation — everything in order

Everything was right. Everything was whole.

The Problem – Genesis 3

Then sin enters the story. And everything breaks. Shalom is shattered.

• They hide from God

• They blame each other

• The ground is cursed

• They are cast out of the garden

Sin separates. Sin disrupts. Sin destroys shalom.

And let’s make this personal for a second… When we talk about sin, we’re not just talking about Adam and Eve.

We’re talking about:

• The guilt you carry

• The habits you can’t seem to break

• The shame you hope nobody finds out about

• The distance you feel from God

That’s not just brokenness “out there”… That’s brokenness in us.

From that moment on… the story of the Bible is about one thing: How do we get back to what was lost?

Now let’s jump to…

The End of the Story – Revelation

In Revelation 21:1-4

Revelation 21:1–4

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” m for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ u or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

A new heaven. A new earth. God dwelling with His people again.

No more death. No more pain. No more tears.

God says: “Behold, I am making all things new.”

Shalom… restored. Fully. Completely.

So Where Does the Cross Fit in this story between the garden and glory?

Right in the middle. The cross is the turning point of the entire story.

Because what was broken in Genesis 3… is dealt with in John 19.

1st Sin Is Finished

When Jesus says, “It is finished,” He is declaring: Sin’s power is broken. The reign of sin that began in the garden… ends at the cross. Jesus took sin on Himself.

1 Peter 2:21-24 says:

1 Peter 2:21–24

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” r

23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”

He bore our sins in His body on the cross. But why?

So we could die to sin… and live in righteousness. So we could be brought back.

Jesus bore our sins on the cross to… bring back Shalom.

The power of sin is broken.

The penalty of sin is paid.

But the presence of sin is still something we fight—until Jesus returns.

Back to Shalom

Through Jesus… We are brought back into relationship with God.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says:

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old is gone. The new has come.

That’s shalom being restored. Not perfectly yet… but truly. Jesus didn’t just come to forgive you… He came to restore you. To make you new.

Forgiveness means your sin is gone. Shalom means your life is made whole.

God isn’t just trying to get you into heaven one day— He’s trying to restore what sin has broken in you right now.

What Do We Do with This?

So here’s the question: Will you come back?

Because that’s what repentance is. In Hebrew, the idea is teshuvah (to-shu-va)—means, to turn around and return to the path. It is the word we translate repent. It literally means to be going one direction and to turn around.

Sin is what disrupted shalom/peace in your life. But Jesus has already done the work to restore it.

“It is finished” means:

You don’t have to fix yourself.

You don’t have to earn it.

You don’t have to clean yourself up first.

You just have to come back.

The story starts with everything right. The story ends with everything made new. And right in the middle… stands a cross.

Where Jesus declared: “It is finished.”

It’s like carrying around a bill you can’t pay. Every day it’s there… reminding you. Stress. Anxiety. Pressure.

And then one day you open it—and stamped across it are the words:

PAID IN FULL. That’s what Jesus did on the cross.

Sin no longer has the final word. Separation is no longer the end of your story. The way back to God is open.

So the question is simple:

Will you return? Will you step back into the life… the peace… the wholeness… that God created you for?

So what does it look like to return?

It means:

• Stop running

• Stop hiding

• Stop trying to fix yourself

And simply come to Jesus.

Bring your sin… He gives you forgiveness. You bring your brokenness… He gives you wholeness. You bring your past… He gives you new life.

This isn’t just a story about the cross… This is your story.

You are somewhere between the garden… and glory. And the question is—what will you do with the cross?

Today could be the moment where your story changes… because you trust in what Jesus already finished. Turn from your sins. And accept the finish work of Jesus meeting Him in baptism.

Because the work is done. The invitation is open. And Jesus has already said the final word: “It is finished.” So wont you come today!

And what looked like the end… wasn’t the end.

Because three days later… the story keeps going.