So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. John 19:30
This wasn’t the last desperate gasp of a dying man. It was the victorious shout of a conqueror. We could discuss all the nuances of the Greek verb, and there are many. We could discuss the sovereign control Christ held over His own life. No one took it, but He willingly gave it at the moment of His and the Father’s choosing. Instead, let’s consider the “it.”
When Jesus said, “It is finished,” what, exactly, was finished? For starters …
His suffering was ended.
God’s plan for our redemption, the plan put in motion before the foundation of the world was completed. The full awful price for our sin was paid. The debt was canceled.
The Law with its requirements and system of sacrifices was fulfilled.
The cross destroyed any notions we could be good enough to merit God’s favor as He demonstrated the heavy penalty our sins required. Grace is undeniably our only hope.
Sin and our rebellion against God were finished. Satan’s power over us and his dominion over the world had run its course. We are free to reject sin and embrace Godliness.
Our separation from God came to an end and access was restored.
Jesus carried out the work the Father gave Him to do, ending His incarnation and earthly ministry, fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies in the process, forever proving His worthiness.
That’s just a quick list of what was finished. I’m sure we could add more. The important thing about Jesus’s work on the cross is that He finished it utterly, perfectly with no hint of omission. Nothing can be added to it, Nothing needs to be added.
With such a consummate work done on our behalf, how can our response be any less than embracing it with all that we are?