It Is Finished: The Cross
Month 6: The Cross — Why Jesus Died · Bible Story
Today's Scripture
Read together: John 19:16–18, 28–30
16 Then Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified, and the soldiers took Him away. 17 Carrying His own cross, He went out to The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified Him, and with Him two others, one on each side, with Jesus in the middle. … 28 After this, knowing that everything had now been accomplished, and to fulfill the Scripture, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of sour wine was sitting there. So they soaked a sponge in the wine, put it on a stalk of hyssop, and lifted it to His mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished.” And bowing His head, He yielded up His spirit.
Memory Verse
“But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”— Isaiah 53:5 (BSB)memorize this week
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Proverbs 25–27
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 165 of 365 — wisdom for everyday life.)The Heart of It
They led Jesus out to a hill called Golgotha. There they nailed Him to a cross between two criminals. This is the saddest scene in all of history. It's also the most wonderful. Jesus had never sinned, yet He hung there in pain for hours. He could have called down angels to stop it (). But He stayed. Love held Him there far more than any nail did. He was not a victim caught by surprise. He was the Lamb of God, laying down His own life on purpose (). He did it for your sins, and for mine.
At the very end, Jesus cried out, "It is finished!" (). In the original language, that was just one word. People wrote that word across a bill when it was paid in full. Jesus wasn't saying, "I am finished," as if He had simply run out of strength. He was announcing victory. The great rescue was complete. The debt of our sin was paid in full. Nothing was left to add. We don't come to God hoping our good days outweigh our bad ones. We come trusting in His finished work. That is why the cross is the center of everything we believe.
Around the Table
On the cross Jesus said, "It is finished!" That means He did everything needed to bring us back to God.
Let's do it: Make a cross with two fingers and say together, "Jesus paid it all!"
"Paid in full" was stamped on a bill when nothing more was owed. Jesus paid the whole price for our sin.
Let's talk: If Jesus already paid it all, can we add anything to make God love us more?
Jesus chose the cross — no one forced Him. His death was planned, willing, and complete.
Let's go deeper: What's the difference between earning God's love and receiving a finished gift?
💬 Conversation Starter
Has someone ever paid for something so you didn't have to? Maybe a meal, a ticket, or even a mistake. How did that feel? That's a small picture of the cross.
🛡️ Defending the Faith
How do we know Jesus really died on that cross? Even non-Christian historians wrote that Jesus was executed under Pontius Pilate. Two of them were the Roman writer Tacitus and the Jewish writer Josephus. And Roman soldiers were experts at crucifixion. They did not let people survive it.
For Dad · Go Deeper
Dad, the cross isn't just the start of the Christian story you tell your kids. It's the steady ground you stand on every single day. When you fail as a father, and you will, you don't crawl back to God to top up a payment He already stamped "finished." Christ's cry from the cross means the verdict over your life is settled. Not by your performance, but by His. So lead your home from that settled place. Children can sense a dad who is secretly trying to earn his standing. And they relax when they see a father resting in grace. Preach "it is finished" to your own heart before you preach it to theirs.
Draws on: Paul Tripp, New Morning Mercies; Tony Evans, The Power of the Cross.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You that Jesus said it is finished. Thank You that He paid for all our sin. There is nothing left for us to add. Help our family rest in what He has done, and help us love Him for it. In Jesus' name, amen."
Jesus said, "It is finished." So my standing with God is paid in full, not earned by my trying.