Introduction

Ladies and Gentlemen, brothers and sisters in Christ, we gather here today under the banner of our Savior's love, basking in the warmth of His grace, and standing firm in the truth of His word. We come together, not as separate individuals, but as one body, united in Christ, ready to feast on the spiritual manna that is God's word. We are here, not to simply listen, but to understand, to internalize, and to live according to the divine wisdom that the Lord has so graciously imparted upon us through His holy scripture.

We turn our hearts and minds today to the Gospel of Luke, chapter 23, verse 46, where we find our Lord Jesus Christ in His final moments on the cross. The scripture reads, 'Jesus called out with a loud voice, 'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.' When he had said this, he breathed his last.'

In the face of unbearable physical pain and emotional anguish, Jesus provides us with an example of absolute surrender to the Father's will, an unshakeable trust in His divine plan, and the courage to speak the Father's words even in the midst of unimaginable suffering.

The great preacher Charles Spurgeon once said, 'It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness.' In the midst of suffering, can we truly say we enjoy the Lord's presence? Can we, like Jesus, commit our spirit into the Father's hands with complete trust and surrender?

As we ponder these questions, let us bow our heads in prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your unfailing love and mercy. We thank You for the example of Your son, Jesus Christ, who showed us the way to live a life of surrender and trust in You. As we reflect on Your word today, we ask that You open our hearts and minds to understand Your truth. Guide us, Lord, to live our lives according to Your will and to speak Your words in our struggles. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

So, we find ourselves at the foot of the cross, looking up at our Savior who surrendered Himself to the Father, who trusted in the Father's sovereignty even in the midst of suffering, and who spoke the Father's words in His struggle. Let us take a closer look at these truths, as they are presented in the life and death of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Surrendering Self to the Savior

In the midst of our human struggles, we often find ourselves grappling with the desire to control our circumstances, to shape our destiny according to our own understanding and desires. Yet, the life of Jesus Christ presents a stark contrast to this human tendency. He, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage. Instead, He made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, and humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.

This act of surrender is not a mere resignation to fate, but a conscious choice to submit to the will of the Father. It is a decision to let go of our own plans, our own understanding, and to trust in the wisdom and sovereignty of God. It is a step of faith, a leap into the unknown, trusting that the Father's hands are strong and secure, that His plans are good and perfect, and that His love is unfailing and unconditional.

The first aspect of this surrender is the surrender of our will. We often have our own plans, our own dreams, our own ambitions. Yet, as followers of Christ, we are called to surrender these to the Lord, to submit our will to His. This does not mean that we become passive or indifferent to our lives. On the contrary, it means that we actively seek the Lord's will in all aspects of our lives, that we align our desires with His, and that we strive to live according to His commands and teachings.

The second aspect of this surrender is the surrender of our understanding. Our human understanding is limited, flawed, and often clouded by our own biases and prejudices. Yet, God's understanding is infinite, perfect, and unbiased. When we surrender our understanding to the Lord, we acknowledge our limitations and trust in His infinite wisdom. We let go of our need to understand everything, and instead, trust in the Lord's understanding, knowing that His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts higher than our thoughts.

Thirdly is the surrender of our strength. We often rely on our own strength, our own abilities, our own resources to navigate through life. Yet, the Bible tells us that God's strength is made perfect in our weakness. When we surrender our strength to the Lord, we acknowledge our weakness and rely on His strength.

Finally is the surrender of our fears. Fear is a powerful emotion that can paralyze us, keep us from moving forward, and prevent us from living the abundant life that God has promised us. Yet, the Bible tells us that perfect love drives out fear. When we surrender our fears to the Lord, we acknowledge that He is in control, that He is our refuge and our fortress, and that in Him, we have nothing to fear.

Transition. In all these aspects of surrender, we see a common thread - the letting go of our self and the embracing of God. It is a shift in focus, from self to God, from our will to His, from our understanding to His, from our strength to His, from our fears to His love. It is a journey of faith, a journey of trust, a journey of surrender. And as we walk this journey, we find ourselves drawing closer to God, growing in our relationship with Him, and becoming more like Christ, who is the perfect example of surrender to the Father's will.

Suffering and the Sovereignty of God

As we continue to reflect on the words of Jesus, 'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit,' we find ourselves confronted with the harsh reality of suffering ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO