Mid Week Meditation

Mid Week Meditation - March 27, 2018

"Jesus called out with a loud voice, 'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.' When he had said this, he breathed his last." (Luke 23:46)

Certainly all the words of a person meeting his or her demise are full of interest, however, there is seemingly special importance attached to the very last of them. Because this is the last word we hear from Jesus and for other reasons, this word claims particular attention. The final word of our dying Savior was a prayer. While prayer is certainly appropriate for all times and for all seasons, we can agree that there are occasions when prayer is singularly appropriate.

Jesus could have organized an original speech to deliver as his dying declaration. We see however that even though Jesus’ body was in tremendous pain, his mind was remarkably clear and incredibly focused. We might even assume that Jesus was perfectly content in light of the fact that He had already said “It is finished” (John 19:30). This leads us to imagine that His sufferings were over and that He was already beginning to experience the joy of victory.

Interestingly, with all the clearness of mind, all the enormity of intellect, and with all the eloquence and fluency of words that Jesus could have drawn from, instead of conjuring up anything original He was moved to look to the Psalms, and glean from the Holy Spirit this expression, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” "Jesus called out with a loud voice, 'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.' When he had said this, he breathed his last." (Luke 23:46)

These words from a Psalm written by David, declaring, “Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth." (Psalm 31:5) are part of an evening prayer used daily by devout Jews. Jesus prays his final prayer with this kind of composure because of His relationship to the giver of life.

Jesus mustered up the strength and, “called out with a loud voice! Loud is hardly expected from a man about to die but Jesus seems determined that his final words be heard. It is evident that for Jesus, death is no out-of-control enemy. Despite the desperation, bleakness and darkness of the situation Jesus knows He is not alone. He knows that His Father is now present to receive his spirit. Jesus entrusts himself to his Father.

As Jesus surrenders human mortality, He commits His spirit trusting his eternal destiny to his Father's everlasting arms. Transitioning from the painful present to the glorious eternal, letting go of this life, Jesus confidently entrusts His after life into the loving hands of His Father.

Jesus surrenders his human life to his Father, commending or committing His spirit to God. He is, in essence, giving it away in the hope of finding it again. In other words, Jesus was making a deposit in a safe place, to which, after the crisis of death was over, He would come and recover it.