The words “Into your hands I commit my spirit” were some of Jesus’ last words as he hung on the cross, moments before he died. They are recorded in Luke 23:46 which says, “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.” This simple but profound statement provides deep insight into Jesus’ heart and mindset as he willingly gave up his life on the cross.
First, by crying out to God as his “Father”, Jesus was expressing trust in God’s love and care. Despite enduring incredible suffering, Jesus knew he could entrust himself completely to God, his heavenly Father. He was confident that God would receive his spirit after death.
Secondly, the statement reveals Jesus’ submission to the will of the Father. Jesus previously prayed in Luke 22:42, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” As Jesus committed his spirit to the Father, he demonstrated his unwavering commitment to follow God’s plan. He submitted even to death on a cross in obedience to the Father’s will.
Thirdly, Jesus’ words convey complete surrender to God. To “commit” means to entrust or deliver over. As he prepared to die, Jesus surrendered his life and spirit entirely into the Father’s hands, entrusting himself into God’s care and control. He let go of his physical life, and trusted the Father to receive his spirit.
Finally, Jesus’ statement expresses faith that God would vindicate him. Despite the appearance of defeat at the crucifixion, Jesus had faith that the Father would ultimately vindicate him and prove he was the Son of God. By commending his spirit to God, Jesus entrusted himself to the Father’s purposes and timing.
In summary, Jesus’ words “Into your hands I commit my spirit” provide deep insight into his trust in God, his submission to the Father, his surrender to God’s will, and his faith that the Father would vindicate him. As the sinless Son of God, he willingly gave his life to fulfill God’s plan of salvation. Right up to his final breath, Jesus entrusted Himself completely to the Father’s will and hands.
Jesus’ statement also has profound implications for all believers. We can follow Jesus’ example and entrust ourselves to God, submitting to His will and surrendering our lives to Him. Especially in times of trial and approaching death, we can commit ourselves to the Father’s hands, trusting He will receive our spirits and keep us secure in His love and care.
Just as Jesus trusted the Father, we can have the same confidence that God will care for us in life and death. By committing ourselves to Him, we can find security, rest, and hope even as we surrender our lives fully to His sovereign hands.
To summarize the key points:
- Jesus’ words expressed trust in God’s love and care, that God would receive his spirit.
- They revealed his submission to the Father’s will, obedient even to death.
- They conveyed complete surrender of his life into God’s hands.
- They showed his faith that God would ultimately vindicate him.
- His statement sets an example for us to also entrust ourselves to God.
1. Jesus expressed complete trust in God, His Heavenly Father
By crying out “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit”, Jesus expressed complete trust and confidence in God. He believed God would care for and receive his spirit after death. Despite the intense suffering of crucifixion, Jesus did not despair. Instead He clung tightly to his relationship with God as his loving heavenly Father. Jesus trusted the Father would continue to care for him, even as he surrendered his physical life on the cross.
This profound trust was the foundation of Jesus’ life and ministry. He repeatedly emphasized his dependence on the Father and reliance on God alone (John 5:19, 30). As he faced death, Jesus firmly anchored his spirit in the Father’s hands. He was fully convinced that entrusting Himself to God was the safest place to be, both in life and death.
Jesus’ words remind us that God cares for us as a loving Father. We can repose the same childlike trust in Him that Jesus exemplified. When we commit ourselves and our lives fully into God’s hands, we entrust ourselves to the One who is absolutely trustworthy and able to keep us secure.
2. Jesus demonstrated submission to the Father’s will
As Jesus committed His Spirit to the Father, He demonstrated complete submission to God’s will. Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus focused on accomplishing the Father’s will rather than His own. He affirmed this priority repeatedly, saying His food was to do God’s will (John 4:34). In Gethsemane, He surrendered His own human wishes in order to submit to the Father (Luke 22:42). This posture of submission was evident even as Jesus died on the cross.
By committing His Spirit into God’s hands, Jesus showed His unwavering commitment to follow the Father’s plan. He submitted even to the agonizing road of crucifixion in order to fulfill God’s redemptive purposes. Jesus’ submission reached its climax at the cross as He fully yielded up His life in line with what the Father willed.
As followers of Christ, we are called to walk in the same attitude of submission. Our lives are no longer our own but belong fully to God. We are to set aside our own agendas in order to pursue and submit to the Father’s desires. When facing difficulty, we can follow the example of Jesus and trust God’s plans, relying on His grace to submit even when His will is hard.
3. Jesus’ words conveyed complete surrender of His life to God
The wording “Into your hands I commit my spirit” conveys Jesus’ complete surrender to God. To “commit” means to entrust or deliver over to another. It involves relinquishing control and fully handing something over to another’s care. At the cross, Jesus held nothing back in His commitment to the Father. He surrendered His physical life and spirit fully into God’s hands.
Jesus’ full surrender communicated several key truths. First, it revealed His humility and servant heart, giving everything to God. It also expressed trust that God could be entrusted with His life. Additionally, it showed Jesus’ desire to honor God as supreme over His life. Finally, it embodied submission to the Father’s will and acceptance of the road set before Him.
As Jesus surrendered Himself fully into the Father’s hands, He demonstrated that true Christian living requires our whole lives to be submitted to God. We are to hold nothing back from God’s control but fully entrust ourselves to Him. This kind of full surrender brings incredible freedom, rest, and security as we trust ourselves wholly to our faithful God.
4. Jesus entrusted Himself to the Father’s vindication
Jesus’ words on the cross also reveal His faith that God would ultimately vindicate Him. To human eyes, the cross looked like defeat. Jesus appeared to be just another failed messianic pretender put to death by Rome. But Jesus looked beyond the physical realm into spiritual realities. He trusted God to vindicate Him and demonstrate He was the Son of God, despite dying like a criminal.
By committing His spirit to the Father, Jesus expressed faith in God’s power and purposes. He entrusted Himself fully to the Father’s hands, believing God would raise Him from the dead and thereby prove His identity as the Son of God. His trust in the Father’s vindication enabled Jesus to endure the cross, believing God would demonstrate His innocence and victory (Heb 12:2).
As followers of Christ, we too can have full confidence in God’s ability and intent to vindicate us. When our character or convictions are challenged, we can entrust our lives fully to God. Like Jesus, we believe He will make right all wrongs against us in His perfect timing.
5. Jesus set an example for us to follow
Beyond revealing Jesus’ own heart, His commitment of His spirit to the Father also sets a pattern for all believers to follow. As Christians, we are called to conform ourselves to the image of Christ, our Lord and Savior (Rom 8:29). Jesus’ utter trust in God, submission to the Father’s will, surrender of His life, and faith in God’s vindication provide an example for us.
When we face difficulties, we can entrust ourselves fully to God as Jesus did. We can commit all our anxieties and fears into the Father’s hands, trusting Him to sustain us. When confronted with the Father’s will, we can choose Christlike submission, believing God’s plans are good. We can surrender our whole lives – dreams, possessions, relationships, everything – into God’s care, releasing our grip. And we can trust God to vindicate us, believing He will make right all unjust treatment in His time.
By following Jesus’ example, we find rest, hope, and security in God’s hands even amid turmoil. Entrusting ourselves fully to the Father frees us from the need to control. Like Jesus, we must position ourselves under God’s lordship and confidently commit ourselves to Him.
6. We can fully trust God’s care over our lives
Jesus’ words remind us we can fully trust God’s care and sovereignty over our lives. As Jesus committed His spirit to the Father’s hands, He expressed complete confidence that God would guard His life unto eternity. No matter what happened on earth, Jesus trusted the Father to safely shepherd His spirit into glory.
This unwavering faith provides assurance that we too can fully entrust ourselves to the Father’s hands. God cares for us deeply as His beloved children and will watch over every detail of our lives. When we surrender our anxieties, pains, and problems into God’s hands, we can be confident He hears, understands, and will sustain us by His mighty power.
Entrusting ourselves to God releases us from crippling fear and worry. We can relax, knowing our lives are securely held by the Father’s strong and loving hands. Even when facing death, we can confidently commit our spirit into the Father’s care, trusting He will guard us forever. Our security is assured by trusting in Him.
7. Surrender brings freedom and rest
Jesus’ full surrender of His life to the Father models the incredible freedom and rest that comes from total commitment to God. As Jesus gave up His life to the Father, He gained victory over the burden of control and the fear of death. Though crucified, He rested in peace because His spirit was safe in the Father’s hands.
When we fully commit every area of our lives to God, holding nothing back, we experience the same freedom Jesus did. Trying to control our lives is exhausting. Surrender liberates us from this burden and allows us to rest in God’s good plans. Surrender also frees us from fear as we trust in God’s complete power and sovereignty over our lives.
Entrusting ourselves wholly to God brings confidence, hope, and security amid the uncertainties of life. We release control, lay down anxieties, and find rest in His hands. Fixing our eyes on Jesus provides the courage to trust God with full and final surrender.
8. We must place our lives fully under God’s authority
The example of Jesus shows that following God requires fully submitting our lives under His lordship. There can be no holding back. When Jesus committed His spirit to the Father, He was placing His life completely under God’s authority. His surrender was whole and absolute.
As Christians, God calls us to this same total submission. We no longer belong to ourselves but to God alone. True saving faith requires yieldedness to His rightful rule over every area of our lives. Faith is not just mental assent but wholehearted trust that surrenders body, mind, and spirit to God’s control.
Entrusting ourselves to the Father includes willingness to obey His Word, follow His ways, and serve in His kingdom purposes. We cannot cling to self-rule or domineering control over our lives. Like Jesus, we must fully submit ourselves under God’s supreme authority with attentive hearts ready to listen and respond to His leading.
9. We can trust God to resurrect and vindicate us
On the cross, Jesus expressed faith that the Father would vindicate Him by raising Him from the dead. His trust provides hope that God will also resurrect and vindicate us as believers. When we commit ourselves fully to God, entrusting our lives and even our deaths into His hands, we can have confident assurance He will raise us to eternal life.
The death and resurrection of Jesus are proof that God ultimately vindicates His people. Even when our devotion to Him results in suffering, injustice, or death, we can trust God to redeem all wrongs against us. His purposes cannot be thwarted. As we fix our eyes on eternity, we can have unshakable faith that God will make all things right in the end.
This hope gives us courage and strength to persevere through present troubles and even stare down death itself. Full surrender to God includes trust that He will give vindication, resurrection, and eternal victory to those who faithfully love and serve Him.
