LUKE 23: 44-49 [JESUS’ LAST DAY SERIES]
COMMITTED UNTO DEATH
[Psalm 31:5; John 10:17-18; Hebrews 10:19-22]
In our text today we have the last act of the Savior before He died. It is an act of commitment, faith, confidence and love. While Jesus hung upon the cross seven times His lips moved in speech. This is His final word, His seventh word from the cross.
What our Lord accomplished on the cross was an eternal transaction that involved Him and the Father. The first word was "Father forgive" and now His last word, "Father into Thy hands I commit My spirit." Between those utterances He had hung there for six earthly hours: three spent in sufferings at the hands of man and Satan; three spent in suffering at the Hand of God, as the sword of Divine justice was "awakened" to smite God's substitutionary lamb. During those last three hours, God had withdrawn from the Savior, evoking that terrible cry, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" But now all is finished. The cup is drained; the storm of wrath has spent itself; the separation is past, and the Savior is seen once more in communion with the Father, never to be broken again.
Let us look at the culmination of the event that opened heaven's door for you and for me.
I. THE DARKNESS OF THE CROSS, 44
II. THE TEMPLE VEIL TORN, 45.
II. THE LAST WORD OF THE CROSS, 46.
III. THE PEOPLE AROUND THE CROSS, 47-49.
Luke notes four things that occurred at the time Jesus died [the other gospel writers note others]. First, two symbolic events took place while Jesus was on the cross. At the mid-point in Jesus’ crucifixion verse 44 states that an unusual darkness falls over the whole land. “And it was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour and the sun failed.”
Luke calls our attention to a tangible darkness. The day was counted from 6 a.m. as the first hour, to 6 p.m., the twelfth hour. The three hours of darkness, from roughly noon to three o'clock, were supernatural, like God had turned off the lights of His glory. It could not have been an eclipse because it would not have been possible during the Passover season when there was a full moon. The darkness that covered “the whole land” I believe was God-sent [due to the seriousness of the cosmic tragedy that was occurring (Amos 8:9)]. It shrouded the cross while the Son of Man was made sin for us (2 Cor. 5:21). It was as if nature itself closed its eyes in mourning while its Creator suffered and died.
Both Matthew (27:45f) and Mark (15:33f) record our Lord's heart breaking cry at the end of these three hours of unimaginable agony: "Eloi, Eloi, Lama sabachthani"--My God, My God, why has Thou forsaken Me? While this abandonment is not explained it is most likely God turning His back on Jesus when He became sin for us.
Our Lord would then cry, "It is finished!" (JN 19:30) a declaration of victory over sin. Jesus had finished the redemptive work the Father gave Him to accomplish. The work of ransom was finished, the prophecies fulfilled (Heb. 9:24-25) and God’s justice was satisfied. The Savior could now rest.
II. THE TEMPLE VEIL TORN, 45.
To show that this was an hour of victory and not defeat, verse 45 continues with Luke noting the supernatural renting of the temple veil. “And the veil of the temple was torn in two.”
This significant event symbolized what had happen through Christ's work on the cross. The temple had three parts: the courts for the daily sacrifices; the Holy Place, where only priests could enter; and the Most Holy Place, where the high priest alone could enter once a year with blood to atone for the sins of the people. It was in the Most Holy Place that the ark of the covenant, and God's presence with it, rested. The curtain that was torn was the one that closed off the Most Holy Place from view. At Christ's death, the barrier between God and man was split in two. Now all people can approach God directly through Christ (Hebrews 9:1-14, 10:19-22).
The curtain of the temple was not some delicate piece of fabric but was a very heavy curtain with layer upon layer of folded fabric. It would have been next to impossible to tear by natural means, but God obviously had torn the curtain in the temple. The tearing from top to bottom (Matt. 27:51) symbolized the fact that now, because of Jesus’ atoning death, people had free access to God as they no longer had to go through the sacrificial system (Rom. 5:2; Eph. 2:18; 3:12). Jesus was the only Sacrifice needed to enable people to have a proper relationship with God. A new covenant had just been inaugurated (begun) in the broken body and shed blood of Jesus.
III. THE LAST WORD OF THE CROSS, 46.
Jesus has spoken to the Father five times previously. Now, one more time, He speaks in verse 46 and then yields His spirit to God the Father and lays down His life. “And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit." And having said this, He breathed His last.”
Jesus' last words on the cross were a cry which, in its loudness, indicates physical strength quite incompatible with the exhaustion which death by crucifixion caused. To me this strength and the content of His words confirms that He died not because His physical powers were unable to live longer, but by the exercise of His own will. Jesus’ death occurred because He willed it. Breathing His last, He voluntarily gave up His life (John 10:15, 17–18)
The Lord Jesus died as none other ever could or did. His life was not taken from Him; He Himself laid it down. This was His claim in John 10:17-18: "I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again."
Jesus died because He chose to, and He chose to die because He loved us and would save us. We die because of weakness, Jesus died because of love.
In His death and in this concluding statement of death Jesus taught us how to live. We should live and die by these same words Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit. The word Father was frequently on our Savior's lips. It was the strength of this relationship that moved Jesus to the level of commitment and obedience that led Him in His perfect life and sacrificial atoning death. The Father loved and honored His Son and the Son loved and completely trusted His Father.
We too have God as our Father. He loves and cares for us and is always ready to lead us in the everlasting way. What He waits on is our yielding our self into His hands so that He might more fully direct our life.
That is why Jesus could commit Himself unreservedly, completely into the Father's hands. He was betrayed into the hands of sinners (MT 26:45; LK 24:6-7) and how they treated Him is well known. They took full advantage of their opportunity. They gave full vent to the fallen hearts hatred for God. Wicked hands had done their worst (Acts 2:23). It is all over. The cross and the separation had been endured.
Voluntarily the Savior had gone into the hands of sinners, for He could have called 10,000 angels, and voluntarily He now delivers His spirit into the hands of the Father. Never again will He be at the mercy of the wicked. Never again will He suffer shame. The Father now looks after His interests. Three days later the Father will raise Him from the dead. Forty days after that the Father exalted Him high above all principalities and powers and every name that is named, and set Him at His own right hand in the Heavens. And there He now sits on the Father's throne (Rev. 3:21), waiting till His enemies be made His footstool. For one day, before long, the tables will be turned. The Father will send back the One whom the world cast out, and send Him back in power and glory: send Him back to rule and reign over the whole earth with a rod of iron. Then shall the situation be reversed. When He was here before man dared to ridicule Him, but then shall He sit and judge them. Once He was in their hands, then they shall be in His. Once they cried "Away with Him," then shall He say, "Depart from Me." And in the meantime, He is in the Father's hands, seated on His throne, awaiting His good pleasure!
The end was now reached. The perfect master of Himself and life, unconquered even by death, cries out with a loud voice of unexhausted strength and delivers up His spirit into the hands of His Father.
Yes, He died that He might extract the sting out of death. Death may be the king of terrors to the awakened unsaved, but to the believer who commits their life into the Father's hands, it is simply the door which admits them into the presence of the Beloved. Your attitude in life will be reflected in your attitude in death. One day after our long journeying on earth we will cast our soul into the arms of love, just as a river after many turnings and wanderings pours itself into the ocean.
IV. THE PEOPLE AROUND THE CROSS, 47-49.
Luke records three different responses from the people gathered around the cross that day. The first was the centurion in verse 47. “Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, "Certainly this man was innocent (righteous)."
Pontius Pilate confessed three times before all assembled that day that Jesus was innocent (23:4, 14, 22). Herod Antipus, who was familiar with Jewish customs also confessed His innocence (23:15). Even the criminal crucified at Jesus' side admitted Jesus innocence (23:41).
Now after looking upon the way Jesus died, the centurion announces Jesus' innocence. A centurion was a season veteran of combat. He was accustomed to seeing death. Since He was assigned to the crucifixions this day it would be easy to assume He had been assigned to others. He was there as the officer in charge to confirm the successful carrying of Roman execution orders.
Yes, the war hardened centurion was contemplating on the unexplainable darkness and the earthquake (Mt 27:54). But it must have been the way Jesus suffered and died that evoked this studied observation. Jesus shouted out with strength and then simply “breathed His last.” Victims of crucifixion often lingered for days completely robbed of their ability to speak coherently. But Jesus died as one that was just with no fear of what He was to face. He controlled death, death did not control Him.
Apparently Jesus' death was so impressive that the centurion spoke words of “praise to God.” He probably was not a believer but He was a man that knew and admired courage and strength, especially from one so badly scourged and mocked.
The second response Luke records are the people who witnessed Jesus’ death mourning in verse 48. “And all the multitudes who came together for this spectacle, when they observed what had happened, began to return, beating their breasts.”
Luke now tells of the multitudes response to His death. They had come to see a spectacle of the miracle workers demise but had seen something else. The real life drama impacted them so forcefully that they “beat their breasts”. This not only involves sadness over what had occurred but due to the parallel statement in 18:13 remorse and realization of guilt. It was a recognition that it was Jesus who was innocent, not them. But in spite of their initial judgmental attitude, there was now hope for them. Although they were involved in condemning the Christ, possibly even shouting “Crucify Him” many may have been saved at Pentecost or later.
Any time anyone will truly look at the spirit of God bearing witness to the crucifixion of Jesus, they will be convicted of their sins, of their part in nailing Him to that tree.
Verse 49 records the third group on people. “And all His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee, were standing at a distance, seeing these things.”
Our Lord's friends were also there, including the group of women that followed Jesus and ministered to the disciples in Galilee. These women will have an important role in the next two episodes (23:55-56 & 24:1-12). It is significant the women were the last at the cross and the first at the tomb on resurrection morning.
Women who have been touched by Jesus have always proven themselves faithful to Him even in the most difficult of circumstances.
In CLOSING
Truly, in all things Jesus has left us an example. The Savior committed His spirit into the hands of His Father in death, because it had been in the Father's hands all through His life! Is this true of you? Have you committed your spirit into the hands of God? If so, you are in safe keeping. Can you say with the apostle, "I know in whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day" (2 Tim. 1:12)? And have you Christian fully yielded yourself to God? Are you living for the glory of Him who loved you and gave Himself for you? Are you walking in daily dependence upon Him, knowing that without Him you can do nothing (John 15:5), but learning that you can do all things through Christ that strengthens you! If your whole life is yielded up to God, & death should overtake you before the Savior returns to receive His people unto Himself, it will then be easy and natural for you to say, "Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit." Balaam said, "Let me die the death of the righteous" (Num. 23:10). Ah, but to die the death of the righteous, you must live the life of the righteous, & that consists in absolute submission to & dependency upon God.
