St. Paul National Bible Test Practice

The main idea here is the final statement Jesus makes on the cross, signaling that his work of redemption is complete. In the Gospel of John, Jesus’ last words are “It is finished,” a translation of the Greek tetelestai, meaning that what needed to be done has been accomplished or paid in full. This phrase captures the completion of his salvific mission and the fulfillment of prophecy, marking the moment when the atonement is accomplished. The other phrases reflect different moments of the crucifixion—Jesus crying out in distress, entrusting his spirit to the Father, or a statement tied to a different gospel account—but they are not the concluding declaration about completion in the same sense. So the phrase that best represents the final, decisive word Jesus spoke from the cross is “It is finished.”