Good Friday Service | Sunday, April 3, 2026

After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst." Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there, and they filled a sponge with the soured wine, and they put it on a hyssop, and they put it to his mouth, and so when Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and bowing his head, he gave up his spirit. (John 19:28–30)

On Good Friday, the dying Christ utters the most triumphant word in human history: "It is finished."

The Word We Love to Say: "Done"

Good afternoon, and I'm so glad you could join us today. This is an important day in the annual life cycle of the Church, commemorated every year for the last 2,000 years. I don't think it's just my opinion—I think it is the view of the Scriptures and the view of the Church for a very long time—that this is the most important turning point in all of human history.

In thinking about it this last week, one word kept circling in my mind. It's a word every one of us loves to utter, whether out loud or within our own hearts: done. If you've worked hard on a paper or a project, how wonderful to finally say, "Done." If you've worked to pay down a loan, that last payment lets you say, "Done." At the end of a long day or week, or before going on vacation, there is a joy in closing everything down—exit the inbox, close the laptop, put the phone on do not disturb—and just saying, "Done."

Done is a great word. And effectively, that is the last word of Christ on the cross. That is what I want us to consider today.

The Declaration of a Victor

In most English translations the words are "It is finished," but in the original Greek it is just one word: tetelestai. This is the final declaration of Jesus on the cross. Previously in John's Gospel he said, "No one takes my life from me; I give it up freely." Here we see that fulfilled—he gave up his spirit—but not until he had uttered this final declaration.

Don't miss this: Jesus was not gasping out one final word on a final breath, dying as a victim and sighing, "It's over." That is not the sense here. It is not the word of a victim. It is the declaration of a victor. He is making an awesome declaration about something accomplished. We see it in the opening of the passage: "Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished." It has been finished.

The Long Path Began on the Mountain

That requires us to back up to the passage we've spent the last six weeks studying in Luke chapter 9. About four Sundays ago we were on the Mount of Transfiguration. That is really the starting point of the long path to Calvary, the mountain just outside the northern gate of Jerusalem.

Who met with Jesus on that mountain? The Gospel writers record that Moses and Elijah were there—the representatives of the law and the prophets. And what did they discuss? Luke 9:31 tells us: "They spoke with Jesus of his decease, which was about to be accomplished at Jerusalem." His exodus. Here in John 19:28, knowing that all things were accomplished, Jesus completes everything the law and the prophets looked forward to.

That is why it matters that Moses and Elijah were there. The whole law and prophets are oriented toward this fulfillment. Not just Moses and Elijah, but Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Obadiah, every prophet, and all the teachers of the law, the Levites who gave the sense of the law to Israel for 1,400 years from Sinai until Christ's advent. They all spoke of the accomplishment of this task: the deliverance of mankind, the redemption of humanity from the bondage of sin and death.

Jesus's Purpose Statements

This was his objective, the purpose for which he came. In Matthew 5:17, Jesus says, "I have come to fulfill the law and the prophets"—not the smallest mark will pass away till all is fulfilled. In Mark 10:45, the theme verse of that Gospel, "the Son of Man has come to give his life a ransom for many." In Luke 19:10, the theme verse of Luke, his purpose is "to seek and to save that which is lost." And in John 10:10, he came to overcome the death the serpent brought through sin, and to give life more abundantly.

So among his purpose statements are these four: He came to fulfill the law and the prophets. He came to seek and to save that which is lost. He came to give his life a ransom for many. And he came to give us life, and that more abundantly. That is his task. And seeing those things accomplished, he sums it all up in one word: tetelestai. It is finished.

The Telos: Understanding the Purpose of a Thing

That word comes from the Greek root telos. This concept matters greatly in Western culture and philosophy, going back to the Greek philosophers, especially Aristotle. The telos was Aristotle's most important way of understanding reality. When we look at things—even ourselves—we shouldn't only ask what they are made of or what caused them, but also: what are they for? What is their purpose? What are they moving toward? What is their proper fulfillment?

According to Aristotle, nearly 2,500 years ago, to understand something fully you must understand its end. The telos of an acorn is an oak tree. The telos of medicine is healing. The telos of politics, Aristotle said—and you may find this fascinating in our current climate—was the ordering of life toward the good, toward human flourishing. The telos of ethics was eudaimonia, human flourishing. There is a purpose to everything.

Jesus tells us his telos. He did not come merely to heal the sick, feed the poor, perform miracles, or walk on water—those things validate who he is. He tells us his purpose: to fulfill the law and the prophets, to seek and save the lost, to give his life a ransom for many, so we would have life and that the death Satan and sin brought would be done away with. And that purpose is summed up in tetelestai.

"It Has Been Finished and Remains Accomplished"

The specific form of this word matters. You may wonder why. It communicates something: Jesus is not saying, "Finally, I'm done," gasping at the end of a brutal ordeal. He is saying, "It has been finished. It stands accomplished." The full weight of tetelestai is this: it has been brought to completion and it remains accomplished. What Jesus did on the cross brought everything to completion for all the future. It never has to be done again.

This is important. Read the Old Testament and you find it filled with sacrifice. Some of you tried to read the Bible in a year and stopped at Leviticus because it's hard, wondering, "What's the point of all these sacrifices?" The point is to show how costly it is to redeem us from sin and death. Every sacrifice had to be offered daily, weekly, monthly, annually, for all time, because they could only cover sin for a time, not take it away. With every sacrifice came a reminder of sin and the reminder, "I'll have to do it again." How many of you have noticed you still fall short even after being justified? We all fall short. But Christ's work is done once for all.

Five Things Finished at the Cross

What is done once for all through the cross? Let me give you five things the Scriptures show are accomplished when Jesus says tetelestai.

First, he finished paying your debt. He did not die for himself; he died to pay the debt of sin—every sin we have committed or ever will commit. Archaeologists have found papyri with the word tetelestai written on them, used like a receipt: "paid in full." On the cross, Jesus finishes paying your debt.

Second, he finished breaking Satan's power. Humanity handed that power to the serpent in the Garden through rebellion and sin. The devil loses his hold when Jesus declares, "It is finished." He is declaring the end of the war. The battle is done; he is the victor.

Third, he finished opening the door to God. Now we can come boldly before the throne of grace. No longer do we need a priesthood, an altar, a sacrifice; no longer is there a veil separating man and God. At any moment you can come before him in prayer in Christ Jesus. That is awesome news.

Fourth, he finished fulfilling the law. All its requirements are accomplished in Christ Jesus—everything in Leviticus and Exodus concerning atonement for sin.

Fifth, he finished making us right with God. Reconciliation is achieved in Christ. "He himself is our peace," says Paul in Ephesians 2. He has broken down the middle wall of separation and reconciled us to the Father. We who were once at enmity with him are brought back into right relationship. The war is over—not just between Satan and God, but between us and God.

Scriptures That Drive It Home

Consider Hebrews 10. "We have been sanctified"—past tense—"through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." Every priest stood ministering daily, offering repeated sacrifices that could never take away sins. "But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God. By one offering, he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified." The work for our salvation and sanctification is finished when Jesus says tetelestai.

In Colossians 2:13–15: "you, being dead in trespasses, he has made alive together with him, having forgiven all your trespasses." It's done; everything is forgiven. He wiped away the handwriting of requirements against us, nailing it to the cross, and having disarmed all principalities and powers, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them. Here we have both Christ the victor and Christ the one who atones—substitutionary atonement.

And Romans 8:1: "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." What the law could not do, being weak through the flesh, God did by sending his own Son—condemning sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us. I could go on; dozens of passages say the same.

Do You Recognize It Is Done?

Two questions remain. The first is theological: do you recognize that it is done? Like the man in Luke 9 whose son Jesus was about to heal—"Lord, I believe; help my unbelief"—sometimes we read the Scriptures with unbelief. Colossians says we are holy and beloved, and we say, "Really? Because I know me." So we have to return to the Scriptures and be reminded what they say about us. Do you know these realities of what is finished?

Are You Living Like It's Finished?

The second question is more important: are you living like it's finished? Or are you still striving, still trying to make up for past failures? Many Christians know these truths intellectually. They can quote you the passage in Hebrews, the verse in Romans 8. Yet they still live under guilt, shame, and condemnation, thinking, "I have to do something more." This is the practical question, where theology must be applied. Every theological position that has no clear application, that can't be applied theology, is in my opinion basically worthless—and I'd get good arguments over that with my friends at Southern Seminary, but I still hold it true.

Every other religion, and Western culture in a big way, says: do more, do better, you haven't done enough yet. So it is never quite finished. There is always something hanging over our heads. Let me give you one example—probably the first time I've ever quoted the Book of Mormon here. Second Nephi 25:23 reads, "For we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." There's the divergence. If you want to know the difference between true Christianity and false faith, it's summed up in five words: after all we can do.

That is not what the Scriptures say. "For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." It doesn't say "after all we can do." But that is what our conscience says, which is why that flavor of religion is so attractive. Buddhism says deny your desires. Confucianism and Hinduism say attain a higher consciousness. Go down the list—every one says you have to do more, do better.

But Christ says it is finished. And so he says to you and to me, "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." That is the word of Good Friday. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest—because tetelestai, it is finished, done once for all. Amen.

Closing Prayer

God, thank you for this word—the word of freedom, of reconciliation, of peace and rest and joy, the word that gives us ultimate hope. It's not wishful thinking that says, "I hope I've done enough." It's the hope that says, "I'm absolutely certain of my standing, because Jesus, you did it all." We rejoice in you today—in your goodness, your graciousness, your kindness. We are thankful, and we pray that you would give us boldness to share this reality with others, because so many are still striving, finding no rest. You are the one who says, "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Thank you, Lord, for your rest. We praise you in Jesus' name. Amen.