Father, Into Thy Hands I Commend My Spirit
Luke 23:46
This morning we come to the last of the seven sayings our blessed Lord spoke while hanging upon the cross. These were the last words Jesus would speak before He yielded up the ghost and died. As with the first and fourth saying, these last words were offered as a prayer to the heavenly Father.
The last words of many who were dying have been recorded throughout history. Often, they reveal much about the mindset and condition of those who were facing death. Some are at peace and others die struggling, in torment. These last words of Christ reveal much to us about His person, His position, His power, and His provision. As we close out this series, looking forward to Resurrection Sunday, I want to consider the last words Jesus spoke before He died: Father, Into Thy Hands I Commend My Spirit.
I. The Position Mentioned – And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. For many who beheld the cross that day, it likely appeared that a tragic end had come to a mere man. Jesus had been tried and condemned to death upon the cross. Most of those who followed Him were not present that day. Few who cared for Him were near the cross.
Clearly Jesus had spoken words of compassion, seeking forgiveness for those who had wronged Him. He had promised the thief that he would enjoy paradise that very day. But there were words of anguish as well. Jesus had cried, My God, My God, Why hast Thou forsaken Me? For those who looked on mocking, it may have appeared that Jesus had been abandoned, forced to die alone upon the cross.
We have already discussed the anguish Jesus endured while the sins of the world were placed upon Him. There He suffered the wrath of God for humanity, and He bore that wrath alone. God had turned His back upon His Son as He bore our sin, but Jesus was not forsaken, hopeless of any future fellowship. Here we find that Jesus once again cried out unto His Father, revealing His position and the relationship they continued to share. John 17:4 – I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. Jesus was fully obedient to the will of God.
I find great encouragement in these words. We all deal with sin in our lives. We know sin causes separation. Apart from salvation that separation will endure for eternity. But for the believer there is comfort in these words. We may allow sin to enter our lives and it may hinder our fellowship with the Lord, but it does not hinder our relationship. The saved have been made heirs of the promise, adopted into the family of God, never to be forsaken. If you are a child of God, you will always be a child of God! John 6:37 – All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
II. The Power Mentioned – Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. Here we find a fundamental truth that cannot be overlooked or over-emphasized. Pilate and the Sanhedrin had cast their voice against Jesus. Sentence was declared and Jesus was crucified upon the cross. May I remind us that it was not Pilate or even the religious elite that forced Jesus to bear the cross! Jesus did not endure the suffering of the cross at the will of men. He suffered the torment and death of the cross because this was God’s plan of redemption. Jesus died to provide our salvation!
Jesus bore the cross by His own power and He died according to His own power. This may have been a crucifixion, but it was not an execution. Jesus was not a man who endured circumstances that were beyond His control. He was crucified upon the cross because He had no other choice. Things had not spiraled out of control resulting in His crucifixion and death. Jesus was not killed or murdered; He willingly gave His life. He chose the moment when He would yield up the ghost. Even in death, Jesus was in complete control. The cross stands as a testimony to His sovereignty!
Now, I am not outside the bounds of Scripture here. The word commend means “to place beside or near; to set before.” Jesus placed His Spirit in the hands of the Father before He died. John 10:17-18 – Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. [18] No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. Matt.27:50 – Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. Here the word yielded literally means “to send away; to yield up; to permit or allow.” Jesus was not at the mercy of the cross and the death it would bring. While He hung there, death was subject to His command and power!
That ought to bring joy to our hearts. If Jesus was in control of the exact moment He would die, (and He was,) He has the power and wisdom to handle the issues we face. He is God of all things, death included.
III. The Provision Mentioned – As Jesus commended His spirit to God, and yielded up the ghost, He provided for our redemption. This was the way it had to be. There were no other options, no other choices. Had Christ not carried the events of the cross all the way to death, we would have no salvation. We would yet be in our sins and without hope of eternal life. The cross is central to the gospel. Jesus had to die so we might live. Heb.9:22 – And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
I am in no way making light of the cross or the suffering Christ endured on my behalf. It was there that He paid a debt I owed but had no hope of ever paying. Apart from the cross I would remain condemned and accountable to God for my sins. So, because of that I will glory in the cross. I am thankful for the cross. Gal.6:14 – But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
We live in a day when many want to remove the cross. They don’t want to sing about the precious blood that was shed. They don’t want preachers preaching about the suffering and death of our Lord upon the cross. It is viewed as a “slaughter house” religion. I am not a scholar, but I know, had Christ not died upon the cross, mankind would remain in sin, apart from God, and eternally condemned. Thank God for the cross. Praise the Lord that He was willing to endure the cross. I say sing me a song about Jesus and the blood that He shed. Preach to me about the redemption of Calvary. That is where our debt was paid. John 12:24 – Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. Rom.5:6 – For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. Isaiah 53:5 – But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 1 Cor.15:3 – For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.
IV. The Prayer Mentioned – And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. In this final prayer to God the Father much is revealed about God the Son. As our Savior and Lord, we are to imitate the life He lived. We will never obtain His holiness in this life, but we must strive to be more like Jesus every day. Let’s consider what is revealed in this prayer.
A. Jesus Died Praying to God – In the final moments prior to His death, Jesus spent them in prayer to God. He used those final precious moments as an opportunity to talk and commune with the Father. He lived in prayer and died in prayer. I started out right and I want to finish right!
You would have to agree that we need to be more diligent in our praying. Often, we wait until a difficulty arises before we pray. We need to pray every day. In fact, we need to be in an attitude of prayer always! Pray without ceasing.
B. Jesus Died Trusting God – Jesus died committing His spirit to God. He had endured the cross, even being forsaken for a time, but His prayer revealed that His confidence and trust in God the Father had not wavered.
What a powerful lesson for us to learn. God is good and He is good all the time. God is sovereign and in control of every aspect of our lives. We must trust Him in the valley the same as we do on the mountain. Our circumstances may change, but our God doesn’t! Job 13:15 – Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.
C. Jesus Died Submitted to God – Jesus never once refused to submit to the will of God. Jesus knew He must die so sinners might live and He submitted to that. He was not concerned with His desire, but that of God the Father. That is not to say that Jesus somehow was less than God on the cross, but we know His humanity dreaded the suffering.
If Jesus was willing to submit to suffering and death, bearing our sins in His body, surely, we can submit to live for the Lord and serve Him. Is it too much to ask to live for Jesus after all He has done for us and continues to do?
D. Jesus Died Honoring God – He fully submitted to God’s will. There was not one aspect left undone or one instance of disobedience. As Jesus died on the cross, He did so honoring God.
Doesn’t that challenge you today? Don’t you want to live a life that honors God so you can honor Him at death? If we are to die right, we must live right. The only way to have parting words of peace is to be at peace with God. I can assure you that you can have that peace if you make the Lord your priority in life.
Conclusion: We all have a determined time to die. Heb.9:27 – And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. Jesus has already endured death so we don’t have to face the second death. Do you know Him today? Was there a moment in your life that you trusted Him in salvation?
Christian are you living right so that you may die right? Are you living a life that honors the Lord? Surely, He deserves our submission and commitment. If there is a need, why not come today and get it settled?
