Lauren Ducommun

“When Jesus cried, ‘It is finished’ from the cross, what did he mean? And why is this so significant today?”

I received a copy of It Is Finished by Stephen Wellum in the mail yesterday, picked it up last night after putting the kids to bed, and read it in one sitting. It was so good! At first, when I realized Wellum began to retell the redemption story, my response was, “Why am I reading this? I already know this.” However, as I continued, I was struck again by how much Jesus did for us. It reminded me of how Milton Vincent (and Martin Luther) reminded Christ followers of the need to preach the gospel to ourselves daily.

It Is Finished was one of the most excellent and succinct retellings of the redemption story I have read. It felt neither repetitive nor overwhelming, and Wellum’s heart shone through. He says, “I want to explain more fully from the Bible why Jesus alone is indeed the exclusive and sufficient Lord and Saviour, uncovering why he is worthy of all of our trust, love, and obedience.” And later, “My goal is lead you not merely to a deeper knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, but to a greater adoration of him.”

Wellum introduced the book by talking about our human condition, who God is, and what exactly is wrong with us. He then follows the storyline of Scripture to show how there is only one Saviour who meets our need because there is only one Saviour who is human yet stands in perfect relation to God–because he is God.” I liked how Wellum then dived deeper into what exactly Christ has done by reflecting on his work as prophet, priest, and king.

Who is this for?

While written for believers and full of sentences rich in doctrinal truths, It Is Finished is easy enough to understand for a non-believer or even a new believer. There is no gate-keeping of fundamental truths here! The Essential Series from Union Publishing is a collection of concise books that introduce readers to the essential, non-negotiable truths of the Bible.

While It is Finished is a mere 102 pages, don’t let that fool you! Wellum covers so many facets of the gospel and responds to numerous questions. This is an excellent book to read through with a men’s or women’s discipleship class or even to add to a high school Bible curriculum. I’m always on the lookout for books for my kids, and this is one I plan for my 7th grader to read from each Sunday for Spiritual Formation.

Reading a systematic theology textbook can sometimes be clunky, dull, or simply overwhelming. But Wellum (who unironically recently wrote a systematic theology book) writes with passion, introducing so many christological and soteriological doctrines in such a compelling way that you forget you are reading a theology book. His love for Christ shines through these 100 pages and whets your appetite for theology; theology that leads you to adore Christ. 

Favorite Quotes:

• “Who can satisfy God’s righteous demand other than God himself? This is the major question that drives the Bible’s story, and it is a crucial one for us today, because unless we grasp its importance, we won’t see why we need a specific Saviour to meet our need and to remedy the problem of our sin.”
• “The Bible’s claim that Jesus is the only way isn’t a hammer to hit people with or a platform from which to look down on others. And it’s not that there really are many ways to God, but Scripture arbitrarily narrows it down to one. Rather, Jesus Christ is the only way because of who he is: he is the only one who can meet our need.”
• “Jesus Christ was a prophet during his earthly ministry, but his prophetic work extends far beyond those brief years. It persists throughout Scripture, both in the Old and in the New Testament.”
• “As crucial as Christ’s great prophetic work is, we need more than a teacher of truth, for our human problem is more than ignorance… what we desperately need is a priest.”

I received this book from Union Publishing as a gift. All opinions are my own.

It Is Finished
by Stephen Wellum
Union Publishing, 2025
160 pages