7. FATHER, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT 8-18-26
These are the final words recorded from the lips of Jesus before His death (Luke 23:46). After saying, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit,” He breathed His last. What a way to end His earthly life. He began His final journey toward the cross in obedience to the Father, and He ended it by placing Himself completely into the Father’s hands. His enemies had not taken His life from Him. He willingly laid it down (John 10:18). So let’s take a look.
I. THIS STATEMENT REVEALS HIS TRUST
Jesus trusted the Father even in death. His circumstances were terrible, but His confidence in God remained. Psalm 31 says, “Into Your hand I commit my spirit” (Psalm 31:5). Jesus knew that the Father could be trusted even when the path led through suffering and death. Faith does not mean that we will never face darkness. Faith means that we know whose hands hold us in the darkness.
II. THIS STATEMENT REVEALS HIS TURNING
Jesus had completely turned Himself over to the Father’s will. In the garden He had prayed, “Not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). Now at the cross, that surrender reaches its final expression. He gave Himself. Paul later wrote that Christ “loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). The cross was not merely something that happened to Jesus. It was something He willingly endured for us.
III. THIS STATEMENT REVEALS HIS TRIUMPH
Jesus died, but death did not have the victory. He would rise again. Peter preached that God raised Him up, having loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that He should be held by it (Acts 2:24). The Savior who committed His spirit into the Father’s hands would walk out of the tomb in resurrection power. The cross was followed by the empty tomb, and the empty tomb declares that Jesus is Lord.
_______________
Prayer: Father, teach us to trust You as Jesus trusted You. Help us to surrender our lives completely into Your hands. When our journey through this world comes to an end, may we be found trusting You, knowing that the One who conquered death will raise us to life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
BDD
