Day 28 — “It Is Finished”

“When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished.’ And bowing His head, He yielded up His spirit.”

— John 19:30 (BSB)

After supper that night, Jesus went to a garden to pray. There, one of His own disciples, Judas, betrayed Him. Soldiers arrested Jesus. His other friends ran away.

That night and the next morning, Jesus was put on trial, though He had done nothing wrong. He was mocked, beaten and whipped. A crown made of thorns was pushed onto His head. Then the Roman governor, Pilate, handed Him over to be crucified.

Jesus carried His cross to a hill outside Jerusalem called Golgotha, “The Place of the Skull.” There, soldiers nailed Him to the cross between two criminals. People walking by insulted Him. The sky went dark in the middle of the day.

Even on the cross, Jesus was thinking of others. He prayed for the people who put Him there: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). He made sure His mother would be cared for. He promised one of the criminals beside Him, who turned to Him in faith, that he would be with Him in paradise.

Then, at the very end, Jesus said three words: “It is finished.” And He died.

What was finished? Not Jesus’ life. It wasn’t a cry of defeat. It was a shout of victory. The word Jesus used means completed or accomplished. The job He came to do was done.

Remember why Jesus came? To save us from our sins. Every wrong thing we have ever done deserves punishment, a debt we could never pay. On the cross, Jesus took all of that on Himself. He paid it in full. When He said, “It is finished,” He meant there was nothing left to pay. Nothing left for you to add. Nothing you need to earn.

That’s why Christians call the day Jesus died Good Friday. It was the saddest day in history. But it was also the best day, because on that day Jesus finished the work of saving us.

Take a moment to be quiet and think about what Jesus did for you.

Think about it: Jesus said, “It is finished.” Why is it such good news that there’s nothing left for us to add to what Jesus did?

Try this: Read the story of the cross in John 19:16–30. Then spend a few quiet minutes thanking Jesus for what He did.

Dear Jesus, thank You for going to the cross for me. Thank You for taking the punishment I deserved. Thank You that You finished the work of saving me, and there is nothing left to pay. I love You. Help me live every day thankful for what You did. In Your name, Amen.