Lessons From Jesus on the Cross #8 - Into Your Hands

Today, we have the final lesson in our Study:  Lessons from Jesus on the Cross.  This lesson is called I Commit my Spirit. 

(Luke 23:44-46)

Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, 'INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.' " Having said this, He breathed His last.

Once again, Jesus is quoting a Psalm by David.  This quotation comes from Psalm 31:5

(Psalm 31:5)

Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.

David and Jesus Trusted God While Under Attack

David is acknowledging his total trust that God will deliver him from his suffering.  Ths psalm isn’t a prophecy of the crucifixion; it’s a statement about God’s faithfulness.  Look at the context in the psalm:

(Psalm 31:1-5)

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. In You, O LORD, I put my trust; Let me never be ashamed; Deliver me in Your righteousness. Bow down Your ear to me, Deliver me speedily; Be my rock of refuge, A fortress of defense to save me. For You are my rock and my fortress; Therefore, for Your name's sake, Lead me and guide me. Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, For You are my strength. Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.

So, we see that David was being under attack by enemies.  Look at the things he said here:

1)      Deliver me

2)      Be a fortress for me

3)      Pull me from the net (snare/trap) they secretly laid for me

4)      Into your hands I commit my spirit

He’s saying I’m in trouble, people are trying to destroy me, deliver me I’m trusting in you.  There is a parallel to Jesus here.  The religious leaders of Jesus’ time plotted in secret to destroy Jesus. During His ministry they questioned Him, slandered Him, attacked Him and tried to kill Him twice.  One by Pushing him off a cliff. 

(Luke 4:28-30)

So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.

They also tried to stone Him:

(John 8:58-59)

Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM." Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

Both trusted God in life, for deliverance.  In Jesus’ case He is trusting God in death, as well. This is an example for us that we can trust in God., for His guidance and direction in Life and His promises in death. Once again there are lessons for us in all of this.  Let’s look at those lessons:

God’s Promises in Life

We put our trust in a lot of things.  We trust in our education, “If I get a good education, I will get a good job!”.  We trust in our job, “This company will always do well and support me and my family!”. We trust in money, “If I make a lot of money things will be good, money will always have value!” (Ask Iranians if that’s true.) 

In Psalm 31 David makes an interesting statement:

(Psalm 31:6)

I have hated those who regard useless idols; But I trust in the LORD.

What he’s saying is that he considers those who regard idols to be an abomination.  In simpler terms, he’s disgusted by them. Idols are made by men’s hands; how can they have any power look at what Isaiah said about them:

(Isaiah 44:14-17)

He cuts down cedars for himself, And takes the cypress and the oak; He secures it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a pine, and the rain nourishes it. Then it shall be for a man to burn, For he will take some of it and warm himself; Yes, he kindles it and bakes bread; Indeed he makes a god and worships it; He makes it a carved image, and falls down to it. He burns half of it in the fire; With this half he eats meat; He roasts a roast, and is satisfied. He even warms himself and says, "Ah! I am warm, I have seen the fire." And the rest of it he makes into a god, His carved image. He falls down before it and worships it, Prays to it and says, "Deliver me, for you are my god!"

These people put their trust in natural things.  They use wood to make a fire, and to cook food and then takes the rest of the log and makes it a god.  Whatever you put before God becomes an idol. If you trust in your education, your job, or your money more than you trust God then you are an idolator.  I’m not saying, “Don’t get an education, don’t avoid working, be poor!”  I’m not saying that, I’m just saying that our trust needs to be in God’s promises and not worldly things.  Let’s look at some of the promises God makes about our lives:

(Psalm 46:1-3)

God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah

God is a very present help in time of need. 

(Isaiah 41:10)

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'

Fear Not, I will help you!

(Proverbs 16:9)

A man's heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.

We make plans, but sometimes we make plans according to our own ideas.  If we ask God for guidance, He will guide us and direct us.

(Psalm 9:9-10)

The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.

He will be a refuge.  A refuge is a safe place.  He won’t forsake those who seek Him.

(Philippians 4:19)

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

God will supply our needs. 

(Matthew 6:31-34)

"Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

These are the kinds of things that David trusted God for in his lifetime.  God met those needs.  God lived up to those promises in his life.  He will also live up to those promises in our lives.  There are a lot of life promises.  That would be a good personal study to undertake.

Promises After Death

God also makes promises for what happens after our lives.  I have a friend who is a believer in reincarnation.  The thought is that you can only make it to heaven if you do everything correctly here on earth.  If not, you’re doomed to repeat your life over and over until you get it right.  The problem with that is that no one ever gets it right.  So, they endlessly repeat life. The law that was given to Moses was the same thing.  You had to do everything right to make it to heaven.  But we couldn’t, so God sent his Son to die for us in order that we can make it to Heaven.  Look at the promises of Heaven and the afterlife.

(John 3:16-17)

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

(John 5:24-25)

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.

Whoever believes in Jesus will have everlasting life.

(John 11:24-26)

Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"

Jesus is talking to Martha after the death of Lazarus. He then proves it by calling Lazarus out of the grave.  But what is it like after we’ve died?  Let’s look:

(Revelation 22:1-5)

 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

Finally, there is this:

(Revelation 21:4-5)

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."

These are the promises of God

Some commentators say there are approximately 3000 promises of God.  These are direct promises where God says “I WILL!” do this or that.  There are others though.  Everett Storms a Bible scholar identified about 7,487 promises in the Bible and Christian literature. 

Rev 21:5 makes the statement “Write for these words are faithful and true.  As an exercise when you read the Bible and come across a direct promise mark it and count it.  My father-in-law keeps a book and he marks down scripture references in it when something speaks to him.  Write down scripture references of promises when you come across them.  It will help strengthen your faith. 

Trust in God. Into His hands commit YOUR spirit!