The gospels tell us that Jesus died saying the following words: "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." (Lk 23:46). Jesus had intimate fellowship with God the Father when he died. He committed himself into the hands of the Father. We too call God our Father, once we are not anymore removed from him.
"Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." This last word from the cross expresses Christ's perfect commitment to the Father when he breathed the last.
Jesus always demonstrated a perfect and godly commitment to the Father. He also showed his complete obedience though out his life and ministry. Even when he was a boy, visiting Jerusalem with Joseph and Mary he already said: "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" (Lk 2:49). And when the Evil One tempted Jesus during his 40 days of prayer and fasting in the desert before his baptism, Jesus remained obedient to God and every time defeated the devil with the Word of God. "My food," Jesus then said, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work" (Jn 4:34). Jesus always perfectly did everything for the honour and glory of God.
As Jesus lived, so he also died. In his hour of death, he surrendered into the Father’s hands. His death was completely in line with his whole life and ministry. At the hour of his death, he remained trusting in the Father and he maintained his lifelong unwavering confidence in his Father. The intimacy that characterised the life of Jesus was also displayed in his death.
Learn of Jesus Christ to die! We also will die in the same way that we lived. Either in an intimate relationship with God if this is how we lived, or, God forbid, removed from God and as a stranger to him - as we lived. Our Lord could commit his spirit into the hands of his Father in death, because he had been in the Father's hands all through his life! If Jesus is more than Saviour to us – if he indeed is the Lord of my life, I too will commit my Spirit with confidence and completely comforted into the gracious Father’s hands in everything I do and wherever I may go.
Yes, you can at the hour of death commit your spirit into the hands of God, if you have already committed your spirit to God during your life. If you have committed your life to him!
Have you done this? Is your life in the hands of the Father?
Do not wait – even today say to God - "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."
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