FATHER, INTO THY HANDS I COMMEND MY SPIRIT

Luke 23:46 NRSV

Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Having said this, he breathed his last.

Luke 23:46

Why would he choose to speak so close to the end? Why would he muster the last energy he had to cry out with a loud voice? Couldn't God have heard his thoughts?Unless God wasn't the only one intended to hear. Unless his voice was pitched loud so that we too might hear this final dedication of his soul.A dedication made despite the pain, despite the mocking, despite the agony, despite the sense of horrible aloneness he felt. A dedication made to God before the resurrection, before the victory of the kingdom, before any assurance other than that which faith could bring. Jesus entrusts his spirit -- his life -- and all that has given it meaning -- to God in faith,even at the point of his own abandonment when the good seems so very far away he proclaims his faith in God,the darkness cannot overcome it. "Father, into your hands, I commit my spirit"

Jesus uses these final words from the Cross, borrowed from David's words in the 5th verse of , to show that it was the Spirit of Christ that testified in the Old Testament prophets and that he came to fulfill the scripture. Christ died with scripture in his mouth. The scripture assists him as he makes this dedication of his own spirit to the Father. The scripture assists him in relinquishing control to the Father. Since we are allowed to overhear his words from the cross, He sets up an example for us to make use of the scripture in our addresses to God. When we pray, we ought to include the Word in our prayers. We give our prayers power when we use the scripture to agree with the covenant promises of the Lord for our lives. We know we are standing on good theological ground when the Word infuses our prayers. These final words from the Cross signal the completion of a successful mission. Few persons die with any conscious feeling of completion. Especially not those who are cut off at the very threshold of Life as Jesus was. Many folk live long lives but at their conclusion, cannot honestly feel any sense of accomplishment or completion. But Jesus here reinforces the fact that not only was it "finished", but that he had been a willing participant. He conclusively declares that no man had taken his life, but that he had laid it down, to redeem. He cries with a loud voice, "Father..." Earlier he had cried, "My God, My God" but now that the agony of his soul was over, he now calls God Father. While Jesus was dying for your sins and mine, he called God Father, that we through him might know the comfort and the closeness of receiving the adoption of sons and daughters. "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit."

The Greek word, from which this word “commend” is interpreted, means to place with someone, to entrust, to commit. Jesus was not helplessly watching his life slip away but he consciously placed it in the care of; entrusted it to; committed it to the tender caring hands of his Father. Matthew Henry says our souls were forfeited, and his must go to redeem the forfeiture. The price must be paid into the hands of God, the party offended by sin; to him he had undertaken to make full satisfaction. It’s just as if you owed someone a debt. When you went to satisfy that debt, it would only be proper and fitting to place the money into the hands of the one to whom it is owed. So Jesus, while paying the price for our redemption, placed the purchase price, his life, into the hands of his father.

Not only was he depositing his life into his Father's hands but he was dedicating and entrusting it into his Father's meticulous, assiduous, tender loving care. In other words, he knew that God’s got this!. He dedicated his spirit, his life to God prior to the victory of the Resurrection. Most of us don’t have a problem dedicating ourselves to God while enjoying victory. But can we be dedicated in the face of WHAT LOOKS LIKE defeat? Can we be dedicated while we’re still being attacked? Can we be dedicated when folks are talking about us; LAUGHING AT US? Can we be dedicated before God delivers on God’s promises? In the midst of the pain and agony, Jesus dedicated himself into the hands of God.

Not only was he depositing his life into his Father's hands but he was dedicating and entrusting it into his Father's meticulous, assiduous, tender loving care. In other words, he knew that God’s got this!. He dedicated his spirit, his life to God prior to the victory of the Resurrection. Most of us don’t have a problem dedicating ourselves to God while enjoying victory. But can we be dedicated in the face of WHAT LOOKS LIKE defeat? Can we be dedicated while we’re still being attacked? Can we be dedicated when folks are talking about us; LAUGHING AT US? Can we be dedicated before God delivers on God’s promises? In the midst of the pain and agony, Jesus dedicated himself into the hands of God.

Jesus is also letting go, allowing God to take care of the outcome. Maybe there’s someone here who understands the despair that comes from trying to manipulate and control everything and everyone around us. We’ve seen how jumbled stuff gets and how totally wrecked we are when we can’t even control our own outcomes. Jesus is teaching us who struggle with trying to control everything how to let go. This text is tailored to teach some control freaks how to avoid ultimate frustration by learning how to let go and let God! When the situation isn’t working out the way you want—Let go! When you’ve done your best and your best is misunderstood—Let go! When people seem intent on bringing you down—let go!

For some time now, He had been in the hands of men and look at the results. Even the hands of his friend Judas betrayed Him. And the hands of Peter emphatically denied him.

It was men's hands that arrested Jesus and dragged him before Caiaphas the high priest.

It was the hands of the false witnesses that were raised to swear to tell the truth, whole truth, and nothing but the truth. It was these same hands that pointed Jesus out in court and falsely accused him.

It was the council's hands that voted guilty verdict for Jesus.

The Soldier's hands beat Jesus and held the whips that scourged him. Their hands placed the crown of thorns upon his head and pressed it into his flesh.

Matthew says, "they smote him with the palms of their hands." Then they mocked Jesus, for he was blindfolded, saying "Prophesy Jesus, tell us who was it that hit you?"

Their hands led him before Pilate. Pilate tried to wash the blood stain from his hands but he didn't know that Christ's blood would leave an indelible mark not only on his hands, but the entire world.

The mob used their hands to plead the release of Barabbas. They clenched their hands into fists, demanding that Jesus be crucified.

Their hands had dragged him to Golgotha and nailed him to this cross. Their hands had lifted his cross into the air. Their hands threw the dice to see who would get his cloak.

Their hands had dragged him to Golgotha and nailed him to this cross. Their hands had lifted his cross into the air. Their hands threw the dice to see who would get his cloak.

Jesus had been at the mercy of hands that had no mercy. For as he had told them, it was “their” hour. He then prayed this final prayer, "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit." THINGS CHANGE WHEN YOU PUT THEM IN GOD’S HANDS…

What Satan thought would be my defeat, in God's hands is my victory.

What Satan thought would be my shame, in God's hand is my success.

What Satan thought would be my way down, in God's hands is my way up.

What Satan thought would be my midnight, in God's hands is my morning.

What Satan thought would have me limping, in God's hands I'm leaping.

What Satan thought would be my stumbling block, In God's hands is my steppingstone.

He placed himself in God’s hands through prayer. Jesus knew that things could never get too rough to talk to His Father in heaven. So he prayed LIKE:

ABRAHAM PRAYED FOR A SON

CORNELIUS PRAYED FOR ENLIGHTENMENT

DANIEL PRAYED FOR THE JEWS

DAVID PRAYED FOR FAVOR

ELIJAH PRAYED FOR RAIN

HABAKUK PRAYED FOR REVIVAL

HEZEKIAH PRAYED FOR HEALTH

ISAAC PRAYED FOR CHILDREN

ISRAEL PRAYED FOR DELIVERANCE

JABEZ PRAYED FOR PROSPERITY

JACOB PRAYED ALL NIGHT LONG

JEHOSAPHAT PRAYED FOR PROTECTION

JEREMIAH PRAYED FOR MERCY

JONAH PRAYED FOR DELIVERANCE FROM THE FISH

JOSHUA PRAYED FOR HELP

MOSES PRAYED THAT HE MIGHT SEE THE PROMISED LAND

PAUL PRAYED THAT ISRAEL MIGHT BE SAVED!

JESUS "FATHER, INTO THY HANDS I COMMEND MY SPIRIT"

WHEN I'M IN TROUBLE, I DON'T WANT TO BE IN NOBODY'S HANDS BUT THE LORD'S. MAN'S HANDS MAY HURT ME. MAN'S HANDS MAY TURN THUMBS DOWN ON ME. MAN'S HANDS MAY WAVE ME ASIDE. MAN'S HANDS MAY SET A CRUEL TRAP FOR ME. BUT GOD’S HAND’S WILL PICK ME UP. GOD’S HANDS WILL HOLD ME. GOD’S HANDS WILL HOLD ME. AREN’T YOU GLAD TO KNOW GOD’S GOT THE WHOLE WORLD IN GOD’S HANDS? HE’S GOT YOU AND ME BROTHER IN HIS HANDS!