Gospel of John | Episode 9: It Is Finished— Will You Accept the Sacrifice?

In this episode, we walk through John 19, the chapter that brings us to one of the most powerful moments in all of Scripture: the cross.

We examine Pilate’s decision, the crowd’s choice of Barabbas, the rejection of Jesus as King, and the truth that God’s plan was still unfolding even when everything appeared chaotic.

Most importantly, we sit with Jesus’ final words: “It is finished.”

What was finished?

The mission.

The work.

The sacrifice.

Redemption was accomplished.

The debt was paid.

The question is not whether Jesus completed the work,

The question is:

Will you accept the sacrifice?

Scripture: John 19

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:32

Welcome back to Gospel Girlies, the Gospel Center podcast for women. I'm your host Angel, and around here, we're about honest faith, real life, and choosing obedience even when the road doesn't make sense. So get ready to have your hearts filled, your souls lifted, and your faith ignited. If you're new here, welcome home, girly. If you've been here, you already know the vibes. Hey girl, hey! Alright, y'all. Updates, updates, updates. So what's been going on in Angel's World? Okay, so on Saturday, I went to this place called Carrion Farms. Um, it's like a man-made little hole um that you you know swim in. They have places where you can jump off. So um we get there, y'all. It was so hot outside. It was um basically our young adult group um had like our end of the semester celebration, and so that was where we went to celebrate. Um, it was six of us, um, and we had a wonderful time. Um, they made your girl do something that she really when I was little, y'all. I used to do so much stuff, and now as an adult, you cannot pay me enough to do some of the things that I used to do as a kid. I don't know what it is, but just can't, right? So there is this dive, and it's a very high dive, okay. Um, and you like most people do like a little run and jump into the water. Um, some people stand on the edge and just jump down. Um, the girls, so it was three girls, three boys. Um, the girls was like, nah, we're not doing that. Maybe later. So we go down um to get into the water from like the easy way, you know. Um, but when we got into the water, y'all, that water was so cold. It was so cold. We was like, okay, we just gonna jump. So we decided that we was gonna jump. So we go all the way back. Um the guys had already jumped in. Um, so they was down in the water, like like yelling our names, let's go, doing all this stuff. And we like, y'all, shut up. Cause y'all drawing so much attention, like just be quiet. Um, so everybody go, and I didn't want to be the first one, but I also didn't want to be the last one. But I ended up being the last one in, and y'all, everybody did like the little run and jump into the water. Well, I don't like doing stuff like that, and so your girl heart was racing. Um, and so it comes to my turn, so I was getting ready to do it, and then I was like, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah. And they're down in the water, let's go, Angel. I'm like, oh my god, be quiet. My heart is pounding in my chest right now, like just hush. Um, and so then when I did decide, so I didn't want to like fully run and jump off, like I just wanted to build momentum and then like leap. But anyways, so that's what I did. Like, I did a little a little small run and jump, and then I kind of paused and then jumped into the water, and so I could hear my people down there, like, oh my god, I'm like, okay, they tripping. So, y'all, when I hit that water, I went down, mind y'all, we had life vest on, um, but I went down and I was kind of like, now I jumped, feet going down, and I was like kind of in a water, like on my back or whatever, and I don't know what happened, but when I come up out of the water and swim to the group or whatever, one of the guys is like, oh, you're bleeding, you're bleeding, your nose is bleeding. I'm like, what? What are you talking about? So I wipe my face, and yes, I have blood on my hands. I'm like, bro, what the heck? So I'm thinking, like, maybe the pressure from like going under, you know, did whatever to my nose and it made my nose bleed. Um, and everybody was like so concerned because they said that you were so close to the wall, and I'm like, bro, no, I wasn't. Um, so there was like are you okay? Are you sure you're okay? I'm like, yes, I'm fine. So I like my face, I have blood on my hands. Y'all, it ended up being that I think when I reached to like hold my nose, um, I think my nails scratched like the side of my nose, and I guess from like all the pressure, or maybe my ring did it. I really don't know how it happened. Um, I think I scratched like the side of my nose and made myself bleed. So that was that. Um outside of that, I actually really, really, really had a really good time. I love being in the water, just chilling, you know what I'm saying? So, and the day before, Friday night, we had our student group, which I'm a leader over. Um, we had that group, and um we went to the pool. So I've been and I was in the water all weekend and I loved it. I even like when we left the pool, I was like, um on Saturday, I was like, I'm going home when I'm getting in the pool because I like being in the water. I did not get in the water. I actually ended up having to go get my nails done because one of my nails was like coming up and it hurt so bad whenever I did anything. So when I left there, I had to go get my nails done. Um, and so I did not go swimming again on Saturday. Um, but y'all, I had a really good time. I even taught someone some skills, some techniques on how to swim. So look at me. And on Friday, a baby trusted me to be in the water with me and let me hold him, and he had such a good time. Um, another update is on Sunday. Um, I was talking to one of the girls that go to church. Um, well, yeah, that goes to church, but she was serving. So we were just talking, giving a little update because I hadn't seen her in a minute or whatever. Um, and she has been in school. Well, she finished school, but she has been trying to take her um BCBA exam, which is the same exam that I have to take. Um, and she has not had really good luck with her exam, and I know that it had been beating her up, you know. We had a conversation about it. Um, and so she was saying how like whenever she looked at the materials, she began to get overwhelmed, and like there is like a certain area that was like holding her back and that she wasn't doing so well in. And so then service starts. Um, and during service, um, the pastor had I can't even remember what the pastor said because the feeling that came on me hit me so hard that I had to start writing. But I got a feeling that told me to pray for her after service, and I'm like, and honestly, usually I'm probably like you sure you want me to pray? But I was like, okay, cool, I'm gonna pray for her. Sorry, I hit the mic. Um, so I was like, okay, and so then all throughout service, certain things to say kept popping up and popping up and popping up. So I'm like writing it down so I don't forget because I am a very forgetful person for whatever reason. So I'm writing it down, writing it down, write it down. And then we get to the end of the service, and because she's serving, she has to leave out, and I'm like, oh man, I'm not gonna be able to do it. So before she walks off, I was like, Hey, um, I asked her, I was like, Are you leaving? She was like, No, I gotta go back up to the front. I was like, Okay, cool, don't leave before I talk to you. I didn't tell her that I had to pray for her. I said, Don't leave until I've talked to you. And so then service finally ends, and we and I, you know, go out to the lobby to find her, or whatever, and we're out there, and it's like she was talking, um, the kids were, you know, picking, trying to get me to buy something from our little our resource center, um, or whatever, and so and then two other people walked up, and I'm like, Oh my gosh, I don't like an audience, y'all. That's one thing about me. I do not like being the center of attention, I do not like being put on the spot. So I'm like, all right, we're gonna wait. So then the girls eventually leave, and y'all, I prayed for my friends, and um, you know, I just told her that like the next time she takes that test, she's gonna pass when she looks at that material, it's gonna be easy, the knowledge is gonna be there. Um, so I prayed that prayer over her. So that was the start. Then we had a um leader meeting um on Sunday, same day, but like later that evening, right? So we go through the whole meeting, blah blah blah, everything is good, and we're like getting ready to pray, and like we hold hands to pray during service, and then also anywhere we are, and so um we're holding hands and we're standing in a circle. And why did our the youth uh campus pastor um he goes, Angel's gonna pray us out, y'all. The way I looked at that man was like, who? You said who for the prayers out? I know not, and my homegirl Katie, she was like, Yeah, girl, I felt the same way when it happened to me, and I'm like, oh my gosh. Then um, one of the guys was like, Oh, I got a prayer request. I'm like, look now, in my head, I'm like, look now. We already pushing it with me praying in front of everybody, and now you got prayer requests. Uh y'all. So his prayer request was not um like too deep, it was just for boldness or whatever. And so, y'all, I prayed. Oh, girl, leg was shaking, was trembling in my skin. But I prayed, and um, my e-group leader, he was like, You didn't want to pray. Like, listen, let me just tell you, that took a lot out of me, okay? Um, but yeah, I had a pretty good weekend, had a pretty good week. Um I also purchased a new Bible, it's a CSB study Bible, it's rose gold, y'all. It looks so good. I am so excited to start doing studies out of that Bible. Oh, y'all, I can't wait, okay. Um, so yeah, that was pretty much my week. Oh, lastly, I almost forgot, and this is I was supposed to be telling my updates in order, but oh, actually, I did, I did. Monday, um, today is actually what is it? It's Wednesday, y'all. It is Wednesday. I usually beat and done this by now, but hey, I had a pretty busy weekend. Um, so yeah. So on Monday, I registered for my last semester of my program. I'm so excited, I'm also nervous. I almost forgot because I was in the middle of doing something, and we have like a WhatsApp group chat for like all of our classes, and when I say it was like it was eight in the morning, um, and it was probably like 8.03, 8.04 when I came downstairs. But when I looked at like my phone was just boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, just going off. I'm like, what is going on? So I'm looking, and the notifications and stuff around like, oh, I can't get in this class, it's already full. And I was like, oh, snap! So I run down, get on the laptop, and register because I had already pre-looked at all of the classes that I had to take and kind of wrote them down and what classes I was gonna take, right? So all I had to do was search them, add them, register, right? And because I didn't want to get bumped out of anything, I registered one by one um each class instead of adding them all at once and then registering. I just didn't want to like not get into the classes. So y'all are almost I ain't gonna say I missed registration, it was just the first day, and like don't when I say everybody be on there right at 8 a.m. soon as the clock hit eight o'clock, we own it because we want to get the good classes, right? So register for my last semester. I am so excited, I'm also so nervous at the same time. Um, because I'm just one step closer to having to sit for that same exam that I prayed for my friend for. I'm gonna have to take that exam as well. So y'all pray for me. Um, I have five classes, and thank the Lord that some of those classes I don't have lecture videos. Um, some of those classes I don't have actual online meetings because five classes, y'all, shoo, that's a lot, okay. Um, but yeah, I'm so excited. Um, it's crazy because this summer uh semester ends August 15th, fall semester starts August 24th, so yeah, not really a big break at all. Um, and it goes from August 24th to December 12th, which is my actual graduation date, December 12th, 2026, y'all. We in there like swimwear, and for my birthday, I'm gonna do a little photo shoot, and part of it is going to be my graduation pictures, and then the other part is gonna be my birthday pictures, so I'm so excited for that. Um, I already know who I want to take my pictures, um, I don't know what I want to wear. Um, and then I know I already designed my cap. Well, I know the design that I want for my cap, so I can't wait um for that as well. And then when graduation time comes, I'm gonna take a couple more pictures because I have yet to be on the campus because my school is in Florida, um, and so I'm gonna go to Florida like a couple of days before graduation, so I can pick up certain things. Um, and then I'm going to um take pictures on the campus. I'm gonna have a couple pictures that you know that I want to take. And so I have that picked out, but like as far as my graduation fit, birthday fit, fit for the pictures, I don't have it, but that's okay, we're gonna get there because it is June 10th, and birthday is September 1st, and graduation is December 12th, so we got time, we got time, but because I know I'm kind of in the size of sometimes, we gotta start planning right now, okay? Anyways, um let's go ahead and jump into the episode, y'all. So last episode we sat with John chapters 17 and 18, and the question was when your faith is under pressure, will you stand? We watched Jesus pray before the storm, we watched Judas betray, Peter denies, Pilate hesitated, the religious leaders reject, everybody was under pressure, yet everybody responded differently, and through it all, Jesus remained faithful to his assignment. Today we arrive at the moment everything has been leading toward the cross, the completion of the mission, the fulfillment of God's plan for redemption. And of course, we do have another question, and today's question is will you accept the sacrifice? Most people know the phrase, it is finished. We've heard it preached, we've seen it on church signs, we've heard it quoted during Easter messages. But have you ever stopped to ask what exactly was finished? Because Jesus wasn't saying I am finished. He was saying the mission is finished, the work is finished, the sacrifice is complete. And before we go any further, I think we need to define a word that often gets used in church, but isn't always broken down in a way that's easy to understand. Because at the heart of this chapter is something scripture calls redemption. Redemption simply means being bought back or rescued at a cost. In the Bible, redemption is God's plan to rescue humanity from sin and restore our relationship with him. And the cost of that redemption wasn't money, the cost was Jesus. Which means when we get to John chapter 19, we're not simply reading about crucifixion, we're watching redemption being accomplished. As the chapter begins, we find ourselves standing with Pilate once again. Pilate was the Roman governor responsible for overseeing the region. He had authority, he had influence, and he had power to make decisions. Over and over again, he says he finds no faults in him. Not once, not twice, but repeatedly. Pilate knows Jesus is not guilty. Yet he still hands him over. He questions Jesus. He presents Jesus to the crowd. He looks for a way out. It's almost as if he knows what the right decision is, but he doesn't want to deal with the consequences that may come with making it. Because sometimes the hardest part isn't knowing what is right. Sometimes the hardest part is doing what is right when there is a cost attached to it. Y'all, excuse me. Somebody was outside. Because again, Pilate had authority, he had influence, he had the power to make a different choice, yet eventually he allowed public pressure to influence his decision. While reading this chapter, I found myself thinking again, Pilate had authority, but he lacked courage. He knew what was right, he simply didn't do it. Because agreement and action are not always the same thing. Acting on truth requires courage. And one thing Pilate reminds us is that delaying a decision doesn't remove responsibility. Eventually, Pilate had to choose. And the choice he made changed everything. One of the saddest moments in this chapter to me happens when the crowd is given a choice. Jesus or Barabbas. To really understand why this moment matters, we need to look at the choice being presented. At the time, it was customary for a prisoner to be released during the Passover festival. So Pilate presented the crowd with a choice. One man would be released, the other would remain condemned. And the two options could not be more different. On one side stands Jesus, the innocent man, the man Pilate repeatedly says he can find no fault in. The man who healed the sick, restored sight to the blind, raised Lazarus from the dead, taught truth, loved people, and lived without sin. Then on the other side stands Barabbas, a criminal, a man known for rebellion and violence. Yet when the choice is presented, the crowd chooses Barabbas. And what stuck with me is that this isn't simply a story about people rejecting Jesus. It's a story about people choosing something else instead. Truth was standing directly in front of them, yet they chose another option. And I think that's what makes this moment so heartbreaking because they weren't choosing between two good options, they were choosing between the innocent savior and a known criminal. And still they chose Barabbas. The crowd had a choice, and so do we. Because every day we are deciding what will have first place in our lives, what we will trust, what we will follow, what we will surrender to. And scripture reminds us that having Jesus in front of us does not automatically mean we choose him. After the decision is made, Jesus is mocked. A crown of thrones is placed on his head, a purple rug, rug, Lord, a purple robe is placed on his shoulders. The shoulders mocked him as king. Eventually, a sign is placed above the cross, king of the Jews. And what fascinates me about John's gospel is how often people speak truth without realizing it. The sign was intended as mockery, but it was true. Jesus really was king. The soldiers didn't understand it, the crowd didn't accept it, the religious leaders didn't believe it, yet it remained true. Jesus didn't become king after the resurrection, he was already king. He was king when he healed the sick. He was king while standing before Pilate. And he was still king while hanging on the cross. The crown they gave him was meant to humiliate him. The robe was meant to mock him. The sign was meant to ridicule him. Yet every attempt to mock mock him ended up pointing back to the truth. Because people may reject truth, people may misunderstand truth, people may even mock truth, but none of those things have the power to change it. Jesus was king whether they acknowledged him or not. And he is still king today. As I continued reading, one thought kept returning to my mind. God's plan does not stop working simply because circumstances look chaotic. I will say that again so y'all hear me. God's plan does not stop working simply because circumstances look chaotic. Because when you read this chapter, everything appears to be falling apart. Jesus is arrested, mocked, beaten, rejected, crucified. And from a human perspective, it looks like evil is winning. It looks like injustice is winning. But John shows us something different. Scripture is being fulfilled. Prophecy is being fulfilled. God's plan is unfolding exactly as intended. And I think that's what makes this chapter so powerful because everyone involved thinks they are making their own decisions. Pilate thinks he is making a decision. The crowd thinks they are making a decision. The religious leaders think they are making a decision. The soldiers think they are carrying out a sentence. Yet above every human decision, God is still accomplishing redemption. Nothing catches him by surprise. Nothing forces him to come up with a new plan. Nothing causes him to lose control. Things don't make sense. Doors close, people leave, plans change, rejection happens. And in those moments, it's easy to assume that because our circumstances feel chaotic, God must have stopped working. But John nineteen reminds us that God's plan does not stop working simply because we cannot see what He is doing. What looked like defeat was actually redemption. What looked like the end was actually the fulfillment of God's plan. And maybe that's a reminder some of us need today. Just because life feels chaotic does not mean God has stopped working. And then we arrive at the moment that the entire gospel has been moving toward. Three words, it is finished. And these may be some of the most powerful words Jesus speaks in all scripture. Because Jesus wasn't declaring defeat, he was declaring completion. The mission was finished, the work was done. Redemption was accomplished. The sacrifice was complete. The debt had been paid. Thank you, Jesus. The work of the Father sent him to do had been completed. And I think that's important because when we hear those words, it's easy to focus on the fact that Jesus was about to die. But Jesus wasn't saying, I am finished. He was saying the assignment is finished. Everything the Father sent him to accomplish had been completed. Think about everything Jesus endured to reach this moment. Betrayal, false accusations, rejection, mocking, beating, suffering, humiliation, the cross. And through all of it, he remained faithful. Which means Jesus said, which means when Jesus said it is finished, he wasn't speaking from a place of defeat. He was speaking from a place of victory. Because redemption had been accomplished. The debt humanity could never pay had been paid. The sacrifice humanity could never provide had been provided. The separation caused by sin had been addressed. Access to the Father was being made available. Because Jesus wasn't saying that his life had no more value. He was declaring that the mission he came to fulfill had been completed. Not partially, not almost, not close enough, finished. What God sent him to do, he completed. Honestly, I think there's something beautiful about that because from the very beginning of John's gospel, we've been watching Jesus move toward this moment. Every miracle, every teaching, every conversation, every I am statement, every chapter, everything has been leading here. And now the mission of redemption is complete. What challenged me most about this chapter is that Jesus finished what he started. Because honestly, a lot of people start, few finish. We start goals, we start assignments, we start healing, we start obedience, we start pursuing what God has called us to do. But finishing can be difficult, especially when the journey becomes painful, especially when people disappoint us, especially when things don't go the way we expected. And while planning this episode, I found myself thinking about something. Our campus pastor said during First Wednesday flow. He said, rejection does not mean the mission is over, it doesn't mean you stop, it means you pivot. Because life brings rejection, doors close, people leave, plans change, opportunities disappear. And sometimes when those things happen, we assume the assignment is over. We assume God is finished. We assume the mission has failed. But rejection does not automatically mean the mission is over. Sometimes it simply means God is leading us in a different direction than we expected. And the reason he didn't have to pivot is because the rejection wasn't taking him away from the mission. The rejection was part of the mission. The betrayal was part of the mission. The suffering was part of the mission. Everything that looked like an obstacle was actually leading him toward the very thing he came to accomplish. So while we may experience rejection that causes us to adjust our plans, Jesus continued walking the exact path the Father had set before him because that path was redemption. And I think that's the part that stayed with me. Not simply that Jesus died, not simply that Jesus suffered, but that he remained faithful all the way to completion. Because at the end of the chapter, Jesus wasn't saying, I tried. And that's the level of faithfulness that challenges me. Before we end, I want you to sit with something this week. Jesus completed the work, the sacrifice was made, redemption was accomplished, access to the Father was opened, the debt was paid off, the mission was finished. Jesus did exactly what he came to do. And I think that's important because sometimes we read John chapter 9 and focus only on the suffering. The suffering matters, the sacrifice matters, the cross matters. But this chapter is also a reminder that God's plan was accomplished. What looked like defeat was actually victory. What looked like the end was actually redemption. What looked like a tragedy was actually the fulfillment of God's plan. Which means the question is no longer whether Jesus completed the work. The question is what we will do with what he completed. Will we accept the gift that was offered? Will we accept the sacrifice that was made? Will we accept the redemption that was purchased at such a great cost? Because Jesus finished the work, will you accept the sacrifice? I appreciate you so much for spending this time with me today and allowing me to spend this time in the Word with you. If this episode encouraged you, challenged you, or gave you something to reflect on, I'd truly love to hear from you. Leave a review, share the episode with a friend, or let me know what stood out to you most. And don't forget to stay connected with Gospel Girlies throughout the week. You can follow us on Instagram at GospelGirlies and on TikTok at GospelGirlies with one underscore for encouragement, updates, and conversations beyond the podcast. For the next few moments, no music, no distractions, no phones, no pressure to perform, just you and God. And we're still practicing together. So remember, as you inhale, Yah, as you exhale, weigh. Okay. Are we ready? Let's do it. Thank you, God. As always, adventure in faith begin today. Remember to walk boldly, live faithfully, and step into God's plan for you. Because it is greater than anything you could ever imagine. I'll see you next time on Gospel Girlings Wednesday at 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Bye.