Father, Into Your Hands: Luke 23:46

Today's meditation focuses on the last of Jesus' seven sayings on the cross, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit". Like the first six sayings, this one too fulfilled the Scriptures, being a direct quote from Psalm 31:5.

This verse begins by telling us that Jesus spoke these words "calling out with a loud voice". This was no private moment between Father and Son. This was meant for all to hear. A.W. Pink comments that it was loud so "that all might hear, and that his enemies who judged him destitute and forsaken of God might know it was not so any longer".

This saying represents a transition, a contrast if you may. The Son is back in communion with the Father again after a time of being forsaken. He is no longer in the hands of men, a description of his present state used by the gospel writers. He had voluntarily delivered himself into the hands of sinners so they might crucify him to fulfill the Scriptures. He is in their hands no longer! He now delivers his spirit back into the hands of his loving Father.

This verse also speaks volumes concerning the uniqueness of Christ's death. He had boldly proclaimed that no one takes his life from him, but that he lays it down of his own accord. The Greek words used to describe what Christ did in this verse back up his assertion.

The gospel writers use words that can be translated "he dismissed his spirit", "he delivered up his spirit", and "he breathed out his spirit". All of these put Christ totally in control. At his seemingly weakest earthly moment, Jesus is still in control of his fate.

He died like the Prince of Life, choosing to dismiss his spirit like I dismiss my math class when our class period is over. He delivered his spirit to the Father after using it to complete the work the Father had given him to do. It truly was finished, his atoning work, so now he breathes out his spirit in one last sovereign act as the man Christ Jesus.

So ends our Lord's unique earthly life, one in which he lived sinless at every moment so that we might clothe ourselves in his righteousness. So ends our Lord's unique death experience, an experience which guarantees that when we come to the end of our lives, we too may commend our spirits to our Father, the loving Father of our wonderful Savior Jesus Christ.

by Scott Stengele