In past months we have heard the cry of forgiveness, the cry of salvation, the cry of affection, the cry of anguish, the cry of suffering, the cry of victory and the final cry is the cry of contentment.
In this world we live in we search for contentment. Few people find it, but many, many people do not find it. I believe the true root of contentment lies in having a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. In this relationship the question of death is settled, there is a life after death it is an eternity with the Lord in
heaven.contentment. Christ’s cry of contentment was uttered because He was about to settle the death question for all who would trust Him. If death came calling for us could we say as Jesus said, ‘Father into thy hands I commend my spirit’. (Luke 23:46). Jesus’s cry here tells us about His death and how He died.
I. First of all He died actually.
His death was not an illusion, He actually died. The Lord Jesus Christ had a real human body and He experienced all the sinless infirmities of human nature. He knew what it was to be born and to grow up. He knew what it was to eat and drink. He knew what it was to be hungry and thirsty. He knew sleep and finally He knew what it was to die when He gave up the Ghost. John’s gospel chapter 19 records that Roman officials believed He died. In verse 34 we see a Roman soldier piercing His side and out rushed blood and water. This is a medical condition called extra vacation which takes place when the heart bursts. Friend if your heart bursts you die. Jesus actually died. He did not swoon on the cross then revive in the tomb, He actually died. He tasted death for Every man. And because He conquered death we do not have to fear death.
II. Secondly He died confidently.
The reason He died confidently was because He had the Father’s presence, the Father’s promise and the Father’s protection.
The FATHER’S PRESENCE
He died confidently because He had the Father’s presence again. For a while their communion had been broken but that darkness had passed and was ended for evermore. The cup of God’s wrath had been drunk. From a young lad He had always been used to His Father’s presence. Check the scripture. The sermon on the mount He speaks of His Father 17 times. In His Pascal discourse in John 14 to 16 no less than 45 times. In John 17 in His high priestly prayer 6 times and on the cross 3 times. If we know the Lord we can cry confidently Abba Father and know His presence.
THE FATHER’S PROMISE.
He died confidently because His resurrection was fore ordained,see Acts 2:23,24.see Acts 3:14,15, see Acts 10:39-41. It was all planned. God the Father had promised Him to raise Him. In fact the Holy Spirit was involved to see 1Peter 3:18. Indeed Christ Himself see John 2:19. Jesus lived by God’s word and died by God’s word and so could confidently say “Father into thy hands I commend my spirit”.
THE FATHER’S PROTECTION
Christ knew what was to come , He had been in the hands of men, he forewarned His disciples of His coming death and just as He delivered Himself into the hands of men He delivered Himself into the hands of the Father. He died confidently because of His Father’s protection. If you are saved today you have the Lord’s protection and underneath are the everlasting arms.
III.Thirdly He died Willingly.
He died actually, He died confidently and He died Willingly. We can see from the scriptures Jesus was killed at the hands of man, see Acts 2:23. Paradoxically we can see it was in God’s sovereign plan that Jesus should lay down His life for us, see John 10:17,18. In the garden of Gethsemane we see in John 18 that he went to the cross Willingly and willfully.He could not walk away. At the cross He said ‘Father into thy hands I commend my spirit’. Willingly and willfully.
The truth of this willingness can be seen in the 4 gospels. Matthews gospel it says He yielded up the Ghost. The word yielded carries in it’s meaning dismissal. In Marks gospel it says He gave up the Ghost or literally He breathed out His spirit (His life). Submissively. In Luke’s gospel it says ‘into thy hands I commend my spirit’ or I entrust my spirit. In John’s gospel it says He gave up the Ghost here it has the sense of delivering up. Jesus delivers up His spirit as the one who has full power over it. Jesus died Willingly and willfully by His own volition. Crying out with a voice of unexhausted strength, he was the master of Himself. Unconquered by death. Praise His name.
iv He died Victoriously
He died actually, He died confidently, He died willingly and He died victoriously. If we contemplate then in Luke’s gospel (ch 23: 44-46) we can see that the veil of the temple was rent in two before He cried ‘it is finished’ and then ‘Fathers into thy hands I commend my spirit’ why was this? Why before and not after. I believe that upon the cross Christ heard the Father rending the veil asunder and when He heard that He shouted ‘Finished’. Jesus knew by His Father’s action that the price he had paid on Calvary was enough therefore knowing the work was done and accepted by the Father he dismissed His spirit. The way into the holiest of holies for the sinner had been made through Christ. He had died victoriously. A thought to dwell on is as Christ presented His spirit into the hands of the Father He was also presenting our spirit to be accepted by the Father. Galatians ch2:20 says “I am crucified with Christ”. Us With Christ in the hands of the Father, we are in the place of eternal security.
Hallelujah praise Father ,Son and Holy Ghost.
May we if the Lord tarries die confidently, willingly and victoriously.
God’s blessing be upon you
Michael Whitehouse