“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.
Today, we will conclude our series on the sayings of the Saviour on the cross.
I wish to make two points in conclusion.
1. NOTE WITH ME THE UNIQUENESS OF CHRIST
The Saviour died as no other ever died or ever will. “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father,” John 10:17-18. He did not have to die. Matt 26:47-54. He could easily have avoided dying!
All other religious ‘SAVIOURS’ are dead! We have no cause for being ashamed of the Saviour. Let the Muslim be ashamed, the Hindu, the Sikh, the Buddhist and every other follower of a false religion BUT not the CHRISTIAN!
The Saviour ‘GAVE UP (YIELDED UP) THE GHOST’. He was in control at all times. He, by an act of His own will, ‘dismissed’ His spirit, as the expression is understood to mean. It was not taken from him, he laid down his life of Himself, as the Lord of it, and gave Himself freely to be an offering and sacrifice in the room of His people; which is a proof of His great love, and amazing grace unto them.
2. PLEASE NOTE THE ULTIMATE PLACE OF SAFETY
“Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.”
Girls and boys there is no safer place than this. As did the Lord Jesus so ought we!
His hands created all things. Ps 102:25; Isaiah 48:13; Jer 32:17; Hebs 1:10.
We have been created by his hands. Isa 64:8.
The saved sinner is already held safely in His hands. Hosea 11:3-4; Mark 9:36-37, 10:14-16; John 10:29, 17:11.
Throughout our pilgrimage we are held and kept by God’s power. 1 Peter 1:5.
To the end of eternity we will rest in God’s hands. Of course there is not an end to eternity! We have everlasting rest and peace and safety before us.