What did Jesus mean, "It is finished"?

In John 19:25-37, Jesus speaks His final words from the cross: "It is finished." Dr. Toby Holt explains why those three words are the heart of the gospel.

From the cross, Jesus entrusts His mother to John. Then, having borne the full weight of God's judgment against sin, He cries, "It is finished," and gives up His spirit. The debt is paid in full — nothing left for us to add — and the Old Testament sacrifices are complete. To confirm His death, a soldier pierces His side, and blood and water flow out, fulfilling Scripture.

Questions this study answers:

1. What was "finished"? The full payment for sin. Jesus bore God's judgment in the place of His people, so nothing more needs to be added to be saved.

2. Why does it matter that Jesus' bones were not broken? It fulfilled Scripture about the Passover lamb, showing Jesus is the true Lamb of God whose death rescues His people.

3. How do we know Jesus really died? A soldier pierced His side and blood and water came out — clear proof of death, witnessed and recorded by John, who was there.

"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 (NKJV)

Dr. Toby Holt is President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio. Find more verse-by-verse Bible teaching at newgeneva.org; support this ministry at newgeneva.org/give.