THE SEVENTH AND LAST WORD FROM THE CROSS.
"Father, into Thy hands I commend My Spirit."
- Luke 23:46
This last Word of Jesus on the Cross was to the Father, like the first
Word… and also a prayer!… the Father is the first and the last in the
thought of Jesus.
Raising his head, cried out in a loud voice, ‘Father, into thy hands I
commend my spirit.’ These words, which he uttered in a clear and
thrilling tone, resounded through heaven and earth; and a moment after,
he bowed down his head and gave up the ghost, or His Spirit. He
breathed His last. He bowed His head which means that His head fell
forward in death. In that moment His spirit rose to heaven, into His
Father's hands. When our Lord pronounced his last words, before
expiring, in a loud tone, the earth trembled, and the rock of Calvary
burst asunder, forming a deep chasm between the Cross of our Lord. The
voice of God - that solemn and terrible voice - — had re-echoed through . . .
THE SEVENTH AND LAST WORD FROM THE CROSS.
"Father, into Thy hands I commend My Spirit."
- Luke 23:46
This last Word of Jesus on the Cross was to the Father, like the first Word… and also a prayer!… the Father is the first and the last in the thought of Jesus.
Raising his head, cried out in a loud voice, ‘Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.’ These words, which he uttered in a clear and thrilling tone, resounded through heaven and earth; and a moment after, he bowed down his head and gave up the ghost, or His Spirit. He breathed His last. He bowed His head which means that His head fell forward in death. In that moment His spirit rose to heaven, into His Father's hands. When our Lord pronounced his last words, before expiring, in a loud tone, the earth trembled, and the rock of Calvary burst asunder, forming a deep chasm between the Cross of our Lord. The voice of God - that solemn and terrible voice - — had re-echoed through the whole universe; it had broken the solemn silence which then pervaded all nature. All was accomplished. The soul of our Lord had left his body: his last cry had filled every breast with terror. The convulsed earth had paid homage to its Creator: the sword of grief had pierced the hearts of those who loved him.
Jesus died from the effects of all His sufferings in the Jewish and Roman courts and those of the crucifixion itself. Jesus predicted that He would die exactly on the first days of the Passover Festival. That prophecy was fulfilled. This tells us only that all the events of the Passion were under the control of the Father and of the Son. It does not say anything about what caused Jesus ' death on the day set by Jesus and the Father.
Jesus was true man and died a truly human death. But His was a death so peaceful and serene that no human death can compare with it. He was certain that the fiery judgment of God burned no more, the judgment let loose upon Him by holy God outraged by the world's sin. He knew that all was now completed. John 19:28. Jesus also died a joyous death. "For the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame Heb. 12:2. The joyous prospect of redeeming sinners had now been realized; the goal set by the eternal, gracious plan of God had been reached. Jesus died in the great incomparable joy over redemption accomplished for you and for me.
See, from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down;
Did ever such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown.
PRAY - Our dear LORD and Savior, give us a soft pillow of faith and trust upon which we can breathe our last breath. Enable us in faith to commend our souls to our heavenly Father, to whom we have been reconciled by Thy death. Amen.