Seven Last Words From The Cross:

Father, Into Your Hands I Commit My Spirit!

Good Friday - March 25, 2005

Luke 23:44-46

Our text for meditation, from Luke’s Gospel, the 23rd chapter, verses 44-46: It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" And having said this he breathed his last. (Luke 23:44_46 ESV) So far the text.

We pray Luther's Prayer before the sermon: Eternal God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, give us Your Holy Spirit who writes the preached Word into our hearts. May we receive and believe it and be cheered and comforted by it in eternity. Glorify Your Word in our hearts and make it so bright and warm that we may find pleasure in it, through Your Holy Spirit think what is right, and by Your power, fulfill the Word, for the sake of Jesus Christ, Your Son our Lord. Amen.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Tonight, Jesus resigns Himself into the hands of His Father before He breathes His last breath. Calling out in a loud voice, Jesus says, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!”

There is so much here on which we could meditate. First, there is the loud voice Jesus calls out in. Have you ever been with someone as they breath their last breath in death? A dying person doesn’t have a loud voice, you need to kneel beside the one dying to hear their words. As death approaches, one gets weaker and weaker. Calling out in a loud voice requires strength. And, in hearing Jesus’ words by faith, we understand why His voice is loud and strong. He says, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!”

Jesus’ words from the cross in our text, reflect what He had said earlier. This is His entire purpose. He is dying, but He is the One giving up His life. While it appears it is being taken from Him, He is actually giving His life unto death, for a purpose. Jesus, speaking to the Pharisees, foretells this event, “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may 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 I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” (John 10:17_18 ESV)

And so, from the cross, Jesus boldly proclaims this truth, He speaks with a loud, clear voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” In the midst of His suffering, He is concerned most with the salvation of all mankind. He knows that His suffering and death are for a purpose. As the author of life, nobody can take His life from Him, but, for His perfect life to be yours, He needs to give it unto death. He knows also, that the Father will raise Him from the dead, even as He spoke to His disciples. So, in perfect faith in His Father, He speaks and breathes His last - committing Himself into His Father’s hands.

How often do you struggle against doing just that? You and I are so afraid of death that we refuse to leave our lives and future in the hands of our heavenly Father. He has promised to take care of us and supply all our needs, but we fight that.

Where have you gone to look to your future? Have you watched the horoscope, to see if it will be a good day or bad? Do you look for answers, wishing for the future to be known to you? Have you maybe dabbled with some ways to look at your future, mediums, spiritists, or some such?

When you look at the future, sometimes faith falters - especially when death seems to stare you in the face. Or, maybe when things don’t go the way you’d like, you parrot Jesus’ earlier words from the cross - words, we talked about a few weeks ago, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus suffered hell on the cross - hell, separation from the Father. You and I may speak similar words in doubt and unbelief; Jesus spoke them so that you would never be forsaken. He and the Father were One, yet the Father could not abide the presence of His own Son because He bore in His own body the vile stench of your sin and mine - our doubt and mistrust.

Now we come to these last words of Jesus from the cross. Even as death approached, and He had expressed the dismay of being forsaken by His Father, He now commends Himself into His Father’s hands. Is He losing His mind? The Father who had forsaken Him was now going to embrace Him? Before He was crucified, He knew that He’d be forsaken. He knew what He was to endure. He speaks to bring you comfort and confidence.

Jesus again fulfills the righteous requirements of the Law for us. The First commandment is here fulfilled, He trusted God above all things. Even in His darkest hour, He trusted. We, in our darkest hour, too often doubt and may even curse God.

Christ’s words are words of purest comfort for you. Not only do they teach you to trust, but because you are united to Christ’s death in baptism through faith, they become your words. Christ fills you with Himself, and His trust in the Father becomes your faith.

How often have you wanted to echo the words of the father of the demon possessed boy when confronted by Jesus. The man told of what the demon had done to the boy, and there is this exchange. And Jesus asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." And Jesus said to him, "If you can! All things are possible for one who believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe; help my unbelief!" (Mark 9:21_24 ESV)

How often have we wanted God to be there, to strengthen our faith, to remove fear and doubt? Christ does so for you, for with man this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.

Christ, on the cross speaks boldly and loudly, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” You are in Christ, and so, in these words, knowing that He is making atonement for your sins, Jesus is committing you as well, into His Father’s hands. “Here Father, in my life, in my suffering, and in my death, I take Todd’s sinful life, the suffering He deserves, and the death He ought to die, into My very own flesh. I make full atonement for him and commit his spirit, united to Mine - to you! As you have loved Me, so love Him.” This is also your confidence, you are committed by Christ into the care of the Father's hands.

And having said this He breathed His last. Christ, having come to the point of fulfilling all things, having come to the finishing of the work of your salvation and mine, He dies. He truly and really dies! In His death, breathing His last, the work of your salvation, your victory over sin and death is fully and finally accomplished.

You know the rest of the story, it will be continued on Easter Sunday. But today’s work of Christ on the cross is where the head of Satan is crushed. You and I can look at death and laugh in it's face. You are in Christ! Christ committed you into the Father’s hands. And, knowing the rest of the story, you live, even as He does. Christ’s faith in the Father was not in vain, nor is yours. As Christ was raised, by the glory of the Father, so also you live a new life, confident that you will share in His resurrection.

All that remains to be done for you, is that what Christ purchased with His suffering and death be delivered to you - dispensed to you, as it were. In baptism, you are united to Christ. By the continued hearing of the Word of Christ, you are strengthened in faith as His forgiveness is given to you, you are even forgiven for your doubt.

From the cross today, hear Christ’s Word in your stead, for through your unity to Christ, He is proclaiming what is most true about you in your faith, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" Look expectantly to your future with Him in His kingdom, both here and hereafter in heaven. Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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