It Is Finished… But Not the End: The Cross That Changes Everything

The Power of the Cross and the Invitation to Respond

This Good Friday at Myrtle House Community Church, Martin O’Brien led us into one of the most profound and sacred moments in history—the moment Jesus gave His life on the cross. Far from being an accident or a tragic ending, the cross was a deliberate and powerful act of love. It was God’s rescue plan, carried out with purpose, for each and every one of us.

In John 19, we hear Jesus’ final words: “It is finished.” These words are not a cry of defeat, but a declaration of victory. But what exactly was finished?

At the cross, Jesus dealt with the full weight of human brokenness. Not just the brokenness we see in the world around us, but the brokenness within us—our guilt, our regrets, our mistakes, the things we wish we could undo. The Bible calls this sin: the tendency to live life apart from God. This separation is something we cannot fix on our own.

But God, in His love, made a way.

Through Jesus, the debt was paid in full. The barrier between us and God was removed. Shame no longer has the final word. Guilt no longer defines us. Because of the cross, forgiveness is not just possible—it is complete.

Real forgiveness always comes at a cost. On Good Friday, we are reminded that Jesus willingly paid that cost for us. As Hebrews tells us, He endured the cross for the joy set before Him—and that joy is us. You and I were worth it. That truth alone has the power to change everything.

And yet, while the work of the cross is finished, the story is not.

Good Friday is not the end. Sunday is coming.

Because of what Jesus has done, our past can be fully forgiven, our present can be transformed, and our future is secure. God doesn’t leave us where we are—He walks with us, strengthens us, restores us, and gives us a new purpose and a living hope.

This message is not just something to reflect on—it is something to respond to.

Good Friday invites us to make a decision. To receive the forgiveness that has been offered. To step into the freedom that has been paid for. To begin a new chapter with God at the centre.

The cross stands as a reminder that love went to the very end—and beyond.

The question is simple, but deeply personal:
What will your response be?