FATHER, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT

“Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.”- Luke 23:46 (ESV).

Jesus didn’t come to restore social justice or world peace. He didn’t come merely to heal the sick or to give us a good example for how to live moral lives. He came for a different purpose. He came to give His life as a ransom for many. It wasn’t easy. He faced a state of loneliness, agony, disappointment, denial, and desertion. And then there is the fact that He knew.

Jesus knew what lay ahead of Him as He prayed in Gethsemane but still struggled with it (Luke 22:39-44). The night before His arrest, Jesus pleads to be released from His burden if it’s God’s will. In Luke 22:42, Jesus prays, “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” He knew it was God’s will but didn’t want it to be. He knew it was right, but He didn’t want it to happen, but He was committed to His Father’s will.

Jesus could have saved himself and come down from the cross. He had the power to do so. Hecklers even encouraged Him to use His heavenly influence to free Himself. In Luke 23:37 the soldiers say, “…If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” Jesus chose not to save Himself but to free us instead. Jesus came to earth because of the unfathomable love of God for His creation

Jesus chose His last words carefully when He said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” Jesus is declaring His allegiance to God and His plan. As Christ-followers, we can follow His lead.

Commitment is a choice. It means making up your mind. Commitment means driving a stake in the ground and laying claim to one life, one focused goal: following Jesus Christ. So, we need to continually ask ourselves self-probing questions to see if our commitment is what it should be. Does your life show commitment to Christ?

Sometimes, we must get back to the basics and consider our commitment to Christ. Jesus is looking for disciples who will follow Him and make Him the most important part of their lives so that He controls every part. He is looking for commitment.

When your heart is sold out (committed) to Him, and you fully trust that God will guide you in the best way possible, you will begin to shine. You have to be willing to do what God wants and want what He wants in your life. As you do that while trusting Him, God can do great things in and through you.

Jesus committed His spirit to God and so should we. Jesus’s pain and sacrifice were for a better purpose, to bring others closer to the Father. We can also commit our trials and circumstances, knowing God can use them for greater purposes and bring us closer to God.

Discussion Questions:

What are you sacrificing? For what do we strive? What happens to our talents and dreams as soon as we are committed to God’s will?
What can we do this week to strengthen our commitment to God?