“And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost,” Luke 23:46.

We have come to the final cry of the Saviour before He died. The first cry was addressed to His Father (verse 34) and so too is this final cry. Remember that on the 6th day creation was finished and then came the day of rest. So here, the 6th cry declared the work of redemption to be finished and the 7th cry is of the Saviour entering into rest. There is no more restful place to be than in the ‘hands’ of our heavenly Father. John 10:27-29.

There are important truths on the surface of this text which we look at first.

1. Note the eternal nature of the soul.

Death does not end our existence! The Lord Jesus did not believe that it did!

It is the devil’s lie, believed by many today but death is not the end!

2. Note that the soul has a separate existence

to that of the body.

There is a time when the body and the soul will be reunited. For the believer it will take place at the return of the Lord Jesus. 1 Thess 4:14, 16. The human being differs from the animal. We have not evolved but came forth from the hand of God and were made in His likeness. We have also a spiritual being.

3. We should leave this world as did the Lord Jesus, speaking to our Heavenly Father

Every Christian has called God ‘Father’ throughout their Christian life, Gal 4:6. Now you cannot begin to so speak with the Lord just as death approaches.

Foolish men think that they can ignore God, refuse to listen to Him all their days and then turn to Him at death — NO!

Heed these words: Proverbs 1:24-31.