“Father into your hands I commit my Spirit”

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

Insurance. Typically these conversations are never fun. Unless you benefit nerd - you don’t like talking about it. A normal person only brings up insurance unless you are going through something awful. The company Allstate plays on this idea. They have a series of commercials that where you see the embodiment of “Mayhem”. There is a number of situations that Mayhem causes negative things. Car Crashes. Accidents. Home Damage. Then it gets to the punchline where Mayhem says, “You wanted to be protected from Mayhem like me.” Then Allstate gives the famous company tagline - Allstate - “You’re in Good Hands.” The thing about Insurance - you don’t know how great the hands you’re in are until you go through a crisis. The insurance company you have could claim to be “great hands” to be in, but maybe in the crisis when you need them you receive a dial tone. Or maybe when you’re dealing with your own Mayhem you receive no answers or a long list of contracts filled with the fine small print on the bottom of the page instead of a nice person to talk to.

Transition line: As people of Jesus we claim to be found in the Good Hands of God, but how do we know we are received in His hands?

We all know the Children’s song - “He’s got the whole world in His Hands”. Maybe its been awhile since we have sung that song. But we openly talk to others and at church we confess that God is in control and does have the whole the world in His hands. No matter how many times we say it to others, there are times in life that perhaps cause us to wonder if we are found outside of His Hands of care and love. Maybe for you - you confess He’s got the whole world in His hands, but your close knit group of friends that you look to for fellowship are battling health issues and you aren’t able to enjoy that fellowship like you once did - you feel alone. Or maybe you sing out He’s got the whole world in His Hands, but you begin wonder why doesn’t He work in your children and grandchildren’s life that they may hear the truth of His love. Or the finances for you are little tighter this year and you can’t enjoy the luxuries you are used to.

TL: Maybe you know and sing He’s got the whole world in His hands, but there are moments when you feel outside of those hands.

Today, we gather on a day, when if anyone going through circumstances that would cause Him to wonder if He was outside of the Hands of God - is Jesus on the cross. Today is Good Friday, and its anything but Good for Jesus. Jesus has been betrayed by His closest followers. He has been put through multiple kangaroo trials. He was mocked, beat, paraded around as He carried a cross - an instrument of death - that He didn’t deserve. He endured pain, suffering. Even as He hung there on the cross, He heard mocking from the crowd, the soldiers, and even the other criminals. Throughout the season of Lent, we have been focusing on the words of Jesus from the cross, Crosswords. And we have finally gotten to our last one, “Father into your hands I commit my Spirit.” Jesus as He hung there, cries out this prayer of trust. “Father into your hands, I commit my Spirit.” In other words, Jesus is saying, Father I know you are going to receive Me. I know you aren’t going to abandon Me forever even as I go through death and hell. Jesus in the moment of darkness and death, the moment when He carried the sins of the whole world trusted and knew that the hands of God would receive Him.

TL: Jesus knew the Hands of God would receive Him.

Jesus word from the cross, “Father into your hands I commit my Spirit.” shows His humility and trust in God. Jesus had the power to come down from the cross. Jesus had the power to set Himself free. Jesus wasn’t caught by surprise or caught off guard by the unruly crowd. But Jesus went to the cross willingly to carry out the will of the Father. He knew the Father was faithful. He knew as we hear in Scripture that the Father would raise Him from the dead. Jesus revealed a complete and utter trust in the will of the Father.

Jesus went to the cross for you because It’s only through the nail pierced hands of Jesus - that we know that the Hands of God receive you. Today on Good Friday, where do see the Good hands of God in action? Where do see God caring for the whole world in His hands? Today, where do we see the hands of God providing for you? It’s at the cross. We see the love and the faithfulness of God for you. Jesus went to the cross to take your sins away; not because you asked nicely. Not because you filled out a great insurance claim after that really big sin in your life. Not even because you carried out all the fine print at the bottom of the contract. We see the love of God for you through the nail pierced hands. It’s in the death of Jesus - that we see your sin paid for. Its Jesus on the cross that we know - we have a place in God’s presence forever. Its because of the nail pierced hands of Jesus that we know the Hands of God receive you.

When Mayhem strikes, just like in Allstate commercial, it can shake up your life. It can cause us to search for comfort. Search for stability. And there are a lot of other hands in this world that promise “they’re good”. There are the hands of finances. There is hands of friends and community. There are the hands of acceptance. But these hands eventually fail. These hands don’t last. These hands don’t have a grip that lasts forever. If true comfort can’t be found in these - then where do we turn?

On Good Friday, we don’t see empty hands, we see pierced hands for you. These hands of Jesus were stretched out for you. These hands of Jesus opened wide to receive you. These hands of Jesus were nailed - so you can be forgiven.

So when true mayhem strikes, when life feels out of control. When then things you rely on are completely shaken - you already know whose hands your in.

Not hands that are too busy and leave you on hold.

Not hands that fail to remember your name or circumstances.

Not hands that come with hidden costs.

But you are in the Hands of God. It’s the through the nail pierced hands of Jesus that we know that that Hands of God receive you. Jesus has set you free. Jesus has completed paid the price of your sin. You are His.

You are in the Good Hands of God. You are in the hands of Your Savior Today! No matter what we expereince, no matter how much mayhem we expereience. We have a comfort.

That the hands of God have received us because of the nail pierced hands of Jesus.

You are in the Good hands of God. These Hands will never let you go.

Now may the peace of God which surpasses all understanding may it guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.