“It is finished!” –John 19:30 (NIV)
“Into Your hands I commit My spirit.” — Luke 23:46 (NIV)
Today is Good Friday, the day Christians commemorate the death of Jesus upon a Roman Cross in an excruciating, humiliating, public execution. With ebbing strength, Jesus cried out, “It is finished!” That was not the despairing utterance of a defeated man, but rather a victory cry, an affirmation of “mission accomplished.” According to the Bible, Jesus came to earth to die, to pay the penalty for our sin that we could never pay. So in that sense, not only was His agony on the Cross about over, but His 33-year sojourn among humans on earth was over, complete.
Luke, a medical doctor and believer of Jesus, added this detail in his account of that dark day. “Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ When he had said this, he breathed his last.”
Jesus here was not only quoting an Old Testament scripture but also fulfilling a prophecy. Psalm 31:3-5, which was written centuries before Jesus walked the earth, reads: “Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.”
Jesus knew that God the Father is trustworthy and He committed Himself into Father God’s hands.
Have you come to that point where you have committed your life and spirit into God’s hands? Life is unpredictable and we only get one day at a time. The goal here is not to be morbid, but to be realistic. Some folks lie down to take a nap and never wake up. A heart attack or stroke can take us from this world to the next. You may be a great driver, but if the person coming at you is drunk or high or texting, he or she can come across the double yellow line in the blink of an eye.
I hope you’re here next week to read another devotional, and I’m here to write another one. However, that’s not guaranteed for either of us.
You can make peace with God through Jesus Christ today. That is the message of the Cross and Good Friday. Commit your life and spirit to God today.
S.D.G./S.G.D.