It Is Finished
Month 11: The Cross & the Empty Tomb · Family Worship
Today's Scripture
Read together: John 19:28-37
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. 31 It was the day of Preparation, and the next day was a High Sabbath. In order that the bodies would not remain on the cross during the Sabbath, the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies removed. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and those of the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out. 35 The one who saw it has testified to this, and his testimony is true. He knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. 36 Now these things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of His bones will be broken.” 37 And, as another Scripture says: “They will look on the One they have pierced.”
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 26-28
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Paul reaches Rome at last, preaching the kingdom of God boldly to the very end of Acts.)The Heart of It
Let's gather close, because we have come to the moment the whole Bible was leaning toward. Jesus had suffered for hours. He knew that everything written about Him was now accomplished. He said, "I thirst." Then He spoke one of the greatest words ever uttered. "It is finished!" (). In the original language, it is a single word. Tetelestai. It was the word merchants wrote across a bill when it had been paid in full. It was the word a servant said when a task was done. Jesus was not gasping, "I am finished." He was announcing, with the last of His strength, "The work is done. The debt is paid. The rescue is complete." Then He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. He chose the moment. No one took His life from Him. And John stood right there and watched. He tells us he saw blood and water flow when the soldier pierced Jesus' side. And he wrote it down so that we would believe ().
Think about what was finished. The price for sin was fully paid right there. That means every lie, every unkind word, every wrong thing any of us has ever done. There is nothing left for us to add. There is nothing we must do to earn God's love. There is no debt still hanging over those who trust Him. This is reaching its highest point. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. And the Son finished the giving. Now the door to "everlasting life" is open wide. The invitation goes out to "whoever believes." So this is not just a sad story to feel quiet about. It is the best news in the world. The cross looked like the end of Jesus. But it was actually the finish line of God's rescue plan. And as we will soon celebrate, three days later the tomb would be empty. Let's worship the Savior who loved us enough to finish the work.
Around the Table
Jesus' big last words were "It is finished!" That means He did everything to save us. All done, all paid! It's the best news ever.
Let's do it: Throw your hands up like crossing a finish line and shout together, "It is finished!"
"It is finished" was one word that meant "paid in full," like writing PAID on a bill. Jesus paid for our sin completely. There's nothing left for us to pay.
Let's talk: If Jesus already paid it all, what do we add to be saved? It's a trick question. We add nothing! We just trust Him.
The word tetelestai means "paid in full" or "accomplished." Jesus declared the work complete, then chose to give up His spirit. John was an eyewitness. He recorded the blood and water so that we would believe.
Let's go deeper: If salvation is finished by Christ, why do some people try to add their own good works to it? How does "it is finished" set us free from that?
💬 Conversation Starter
Have you ever finished a really hard, really long project and felt that big relief of "Done!"? Jesus said "It is finished" about the greatest, hardest work ever done. How does it feel to know He did it for you?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Was Jesus really dead? Roman executioners were experts. To be sure, a soldier pierced His side, and out came "blood and water," a medical sign of genuine death (). The "swoon theory," that He merely fainted, doesn't fit the evidence. Jesus truly died. That is why the empty tomb truly matters ().
For Dad · Go Deeper
Tetelestai is the watchword of the gospel of grace. It tells us the atonement is finished. It is a completed, sufficient work, not a process we top up with our own religious effort. This is where you anchor your family against two dangers. The first is legalism. That is the quiet, exhausting belief that we must add our goodness to Christ's cross to be accepted. "It is finished" demolishes that. The bill is marked PAID. The second danger is presumption. That is treating "finished" as a careless guarantee that asks nothing of us. But the same Jesus who finished the work calls us to receive it by faith and to abide in Him (). The cross is fully sufficient and freely offered. We enter its benefit through a living, continuing trust. Tonight, lead your family in genuine worship, not just study. Linger. Thank Jesus out loud. Let your children see that the finished work of Christ moves their father's heart, because a family worships the way it sees its dad worship.
Draws on: Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You for the love that finished the work of saving us. Thank You, Jesus, that on the cross You cried, 'It is finished.' The price for our sin is paid in full. We don't add anything. We simply trust You and receive Your gift. Help our whole family rest in Your finished work. And help us love You with all our hearts. In Jesus' name, amen."
"It is finished." Jesus paid it all, so I can stop earning and simply trust Him.