CROSS-WORD # 7
FATHER, INTO THY HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT
Luke 23: 44-47
44 It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 because the sun was obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two. 46 And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT." Having said this, He breathed His last. 47 Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, "Certainly this man was innocent."
I SOURCE - Psalm 31: 5
Childhood evening prayer taught by Jewish parents to their children
II SUMMONS to Death
Death must be given PERMISSION by Jesus
“ I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative.” – John 10:18
It is the LORD of Life who gives up His life
He commends Himself to the Father: Calmly, Quietly, Confidently
III STARTLING addition to Psalm 31: 5
- At the beginning, Jesus added “Father”
- Old Testament – hadn’t begun to address God as “Father”
- New relationship was introduced by Christ
- Previous word: My God, My God
- Now, the Holy God’s abandonment is over forever!!
- He has turned BACK toward his dear Son
- Sin no longer blocks the path to intimacy.
IV SOVEREIGN hands
- For 33 years Jesus’ earthly life had been in the hands of others
- Now, at long last, He is back in the Father’s hands
- Commit / Commend – make a deposit
- secure sense of TRUST
V SECRETS of dying and living
Our Lord has modeled the right way to live and die
- RETRIBUTION - NONE
- REFUSED to retaliate
- REHEARSED God’s Word
- RELEASED His Spirit
VI SEEDS in our life that must die – John 12: 24
I Corinthians 2: 1-5
1 And when I came to you,
brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming
to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined
to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. 3 I was with you
in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, 4 and my message and my
preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the
Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men,
but on the power of God.
Vs. 2 – Seed of AMBITION
Vs.
3 – Seed of REPUTATION
Vs. 4 – Seed of EGO, ARROGANCE
Vs. 5 – Seed of SELFISHNESS
Having entrusted your spirit to Christ at the time of your
conversion, have you come to terms with your past, all the unfair treatment and
unkind words? Whatever it takes, go
there. Don’t stop short of fully
forgiving those who don’t deserve it, just as Christ did. And, stay with it until you calmly accept
where you are today, all the pain notwithstanding, as Christ did.
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