The Cross They Foretold
Month 11: The Cross & the Empty Tomb · Why We Believe
Today's Scripture
Read together: Psalm 22:16-18 & John 19:23-24
16 For dogs surround me; a band of evil men encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet. 17 I can count all my bones; they stare and gloat over me. 18 They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. — Psalm 22:16-18
23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided His garments into four parts, one for each soldier, with the tunic remaining. It was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. 24 So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it. Instead, let us cast lots to see who will get it.” This was to fulfill the Scripture: “They divided My garments among them, and cast lots for My clothing.” So that is what the soldiers did. — John 19:23-24
Memory Verse
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”— John 3:16 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Acts 13-15
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Paul's first missionary journey, and the Jerusalem council settles how Gentiles come to Christ.)The Heart of It
Here is something that should make us sit up straight. King David wrote about a thousand years before Jesus was born. That was long before crucifixion was even invented as a way to kill people. Yet listen to what he wrote. "They pierced My hands and My feet… They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots" (). David was describing, in vivid detail, exactly what would happen at Calvary. Pierced hands and feet. That is crucifixion. Soldiers gambling for the clothing. That is precisely what John records. The soldiers took Jesus' tunic, and rather than tear it, they said, "Let us cast lots for it" (). John even points it out. This happened "that the Scripture might be fulfilled."
Why does this matter for why we believe? Because the cross was not Plan B. It was not a tragic surprise. It was not an accident that ruined God's plans. From a thousand years away, God had already painted the picture. The Bible is full of these prophecies. Isaiah said the Messiah would be "pierced for our transgressions," silent before His accusers (). When we line up the predictions with what actually happened, we are looking at fingerprints. They are God's fingerprints, pressed into history. This is the same God of who "so loved the world." He planned the rescue before the fall. He announced it through the prophets. And He carried it out exactly. A faith built on fulfilled prophecy is not a leap in the dark. It is a step onto solid rock.
Around the Table
A long, long time before Jesus was born, the Bible said bad people would hurt His hands and feet and want His clothes. And that's just what happened! God knew the whole story ahead of time.
Let's do it: Hold up your hands and feet and say, "God knew, before it ever happened!"
describes the cross hundreds of years before crucifixion was even used. That's like writing about something that hasn't been invented yet. Only God could do that.
Let's talk: How does it help your faith to know God told the cross story long before it happened?
The prophecies in and are detailed and specific. They were written centuries before Jesus. And they were kept in copies older than He is. The fulfillment isn't vague. It is pierced hands, divided garments, and soldiers casting lots.
Let's go deeper: What if someone said, "the Gospel writers just made the story match the prophecies"? How would you respond? (Hint: they couldn't fake Roman soldiers' actions or the public way He was executed.)
💬 Conversation Starter
What's the longest you've ever waited for something you knew was coming? God's people waited a thousand years for the cross. And He kept His word right on time.
🛡️ Defending the Faith
When someone says… "The Bible's 'prophecies' were just written after the fact to match Jesus." Kindly answer this way. The Dead Sea Scrolls are copies of Isaiah and the Psalms found in caves at Qumran. They are dated before Jesus was born. So we know these prophecies existed first. They weren't invented afterward. And the details fulfilled at the cross weren't things the disciples controlled. Roman soldiers, not the Gospel writers, chose to gamble for Jesus' clothing and to pierce Him rather than break His legs (). The match between ancient text and public event points to a God who knows the end from the beginning (). We always give this answer with gentleness and respect (). We don't say it to win an argument. We say it to point a friend to a trustworthy Savior.
For Dad · Go Deeper
Fulfilled prophecy is one of the strongest and most kid-friendly apologetic arguments you can hand your family. Its force lies in two things you can verify. First, the prophecies are early. The Great Isaiah Scroll is dated to roughly 125 B.C. Second, they are specific. We see pierced hands and feet, divided garments, and lots cast. The odds of one man fulfilling them by chance are vanishingly small. And many details, like the soldiers' actions, were entirely outside the disciples' control. But there is a pastoral payoff here too. A God who scripted the rescue centuries in advance is a God who can be trusted with your family's future. Let your children see that you don't believe despite the evidence but with it. And remember that in the end, the Spirit opens a heart, not a clever argument. Reason clears the path. God draws the soul.
Draws on: J. Warner Wallace, Cold-Case Christianity.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You that the cross was never an accident. You planned our rescue long ago, and You told us ahead of time. Thank You that we can trust Your Word. Make our faith strong. Help us share it kindly with others. In Jesus' name, amen."
God described the cross a thousand years early. His Word can be trusted, and so can He.