John 19:30 - What is NOT finished

Between the Last Supper and His death, Jesus prayed the longest prayer the apostles recorded. In it He prayed:

"I brought glory to you here on earth by completing {finishing!} the work you gave me to do." (John 17:4, New Living Translation, 2015)

What work had He already completed? As He prayed to His Father, He said:
"I have passed on to (My disciples) the message you gave me. They accepted it and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me." (v.8)

Even that wasn't enough. He went on to pray for His disciples, including us: that we would live righteous lives, protected from evil, united with each other, and united with God the Father and God the Son so that we would share His glory. None of that could happen without Jesus' crucifixion being completed.

So when Jesus said on the cross, "it is finished," it didn't refer to all the work that He had already accomplished in His ministry, nor to the work yet to be done. He simply meant that the crucifixion was complete.

Some have made much of the fact that the word Jesus said, "It is finished" (tetelestai) was used to mark a bill that had been paid up in full.*

However, even the death of Jesus wasn't sufficient to give us forgiveness of sin.
If that sounds strange or even heretical, consider what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15...

"14 ... if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. 15 And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. 16 And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. 18 In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! 19 And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world." (1 Corinthians 15:14–19, NLT)

Father,
It makes us happy to celebrate the birth of Jesus on earth.
It is sobering to remember the death He suffered, taking the consequence of our sin.
But above all, we rejoice in the resurrection of Jesus that vanquished death. We place our hope in Him, not just for a better life here and now, but eternal life with You.
In Jesus' living, eternal name we pray, Amen.

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Note: The word "completing" (τελειώσας, Jn 17:4) is the aorist active participle of τελειόω. It is related to the same root word as "finished" (τέλεσται, Jn 19:30), perfect tense--an intensified form of τελέω.

"For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect (τελειόω) the author of their salvation through sufferings." (Hebrews 2:10, NASB)
So not only was the work of sacrifice "made complete" at the crucifixion, but so was the obedience of Christ Himself. (Cp. Philippians 2:5-8)