If you missed it, read statement 6 here.

Statement #7: Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.

Here we are at Jesus’ final words from the cross. In John 19 we saw him take a drink of sour vinegar water to loudly vocalize the words, “It is finished.” We’re told He then “gave up” His spirit.

Delivered up, handed over, released, “the ghost,” some translations say.

Did people take His spirit? Holy scripture says, He gave it up.

It was just a few years ago that this hit me profoundly. I used to always say things generally like, “they killed Jesus.” And yes, that’s true. Sort of. To a point. But this phrase “gave up,” and the next phrase we’re about to see, makes me halt now when I explain His death. It’s and/both, right?

Jesus was no victim of circumstances. He was obediently working out the plan of God.

Remember what He says in John 10:17-18, “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life – only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

So yes, the Roman soldiers brutally scourged, flogged, and crucified Christ. But Jesus said when it was time to finally go. He had, has, and always will have the final say. Let’s look at a few more things to drill home this point.

We see John’s documentation of Jesus’ final moments.

From Luke’s perspective we see this…

Statement #7: And Jesus called with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit (commend, yield, released, entrust) my spirit.” Then he breathed his last. (Luke 23:46)

Jesus doesn’t just give it up, he makes a statement to let us know He’s the one who gave it up.

His final prayer…

God wanted us to see the last of Jesus’ prayers to Him while humbling himself and becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Phil 2:8)

Here’s another personal element. Jesus’ words come from a well-known Jewish prayer, Psalm 31:5,

In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.

It seems this was a common prayer parents said with their children at night. I wonder if Mary and Joseph recited this with Jesus at bedtime?

Notice the intimacy is back. “Father, into your hands…”

Remember back in statement #4 when Jesus cries out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”

What’s the difference here?

In the bible almost every time Jesus referred to God, He is Father. He called God “Father” about 150 times, often referring to Him as “my Father”.

Except for one time when there was complete and total darkness during the three hours mid-day when there was separation, no intimacy between them, the pouring out of God’s wrath, the inability for Jesus to experience God’s grace.

The intimacy was broken for a time. But now it’s back. It’s no longer “My God, My God,” but, “Father.”

Into your hands.

Finally, because for the last 15-18 hours Jesus was in the hands of humans. You know the gruesome brutality of what Jesus endured. If you don’t, read more in statements 1 & 2. It was the worse form of capital punishment. So terrible that it was only for the worst of criminals. Romans wouldn’t even allow their own citizens to be hung on a cross.

Yes, Judas betrayed Jesus. Yes, Pilate handed him over to the angry crowd. But the events unfolded because Jesus let them, “so that scripture would be fulfilled.”

That’s what Jesus did for us. To be honest, I’m not the type of person to over-emphasize how much Jesus loves people. Now, I’d rather over-emphasize why they should love Him. Into human hands He took on the agony and torture, was ripped to shreds, and was unrecognizable. I say, point people to that graphic content and they’ll be changed. If not, ask if you can check their pulse and see if they are alive!

Thankfully, we see here in Luke chapter 23 that Jesus is back into the Father’s hands. I know it must have looked horrible from His mother’s view. I know John probably brought back the angst from what he witnessed to the other disciples. But we who know the full story now can feel relief when, “then He breathed his last.”

Jesus was in control of His fate.

He said he could have called in more than 12 legions of angels to step in and help him (Matthew 26:52). Essentially it wasn’t the nails in his wrists and ankles, the crown of thorns, or the whippings and lashings that killed him. It was his love for humanity and commitment to God’s plan.

As we read further in John 19 we see that when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. (v. 33)

 For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.”(v. 36, Psalm 34:20)

It was a regular thing for crucified criminals to hang for a few days. Six hours sounds like a long time but another two days of suffering alive would be common.

The soldiers broke the legs of the other two criminals next to Christ because they didn’t want the bodies on the cross on the Sabbath. They weren’t dead yet. Jesus was.

None of the Evangelists describe our Lord as dying. You and I die passively, but he actively gave up & committed his spirit to his Father. In his case, death was an act; and he performed that act from the glorious motive of redeeming us from death and hell. So, in this sense, Christ stands alone in his death.

It even surprised Pilate.

 Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. (Mark 15:43-44)

Then, he breathed his last.

As God rested after six days of work on the creation (Gen. 2:1-3), so Jesus rested after six hours of work on the cross, in which He made a new creation.

Look what happens next…

Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.” (Luke 23:47-49)

So what?

People responded. The centurion praised God. The crowds beat their chest in anguish because they were convicted on the spot. Either they felt remorse and repented, or felt fearful of God’s judgment for what they did. Perhaps they thought they missed their chance.

There’s good news, no matter where you’re at in life, you haven’t.

What’s your response?

You don’t have to stand at a distance and watch these things. You now know He loves you. The question is, do you love Him?

It’s time to either beat your chest and walk away, or make a choice and commit because “Truly this is the Son of God.”

So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. (1 Pet 4:19)

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. (John 4:23)

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Th 5:23)

Don’t worry…

Friday was terrible.

But Sunday happened.

The tomb was empty.

That’s where we’re going to next.

God Bless,

Coach Theo