Let It Go ... "Into Your hand I commit My spirit"
Luke 23:46

Intro: The last words of the condemned have always captured the attention of the media.  Demonstrating this fascination with the last words of the condemned national news broadcasters regularly camp outside Death Row in Huntsville TX in order to report their last words. Will he confess? Will he show remorse? Will he proclaim his innocence?

In the last few weeks we have taken the time to look at Jesus last words.

From this most unusual “pulpit” Jesus speaks His last words.  “And His last words are impressive.” 

Seven times Jesus spoke words from the cross that have impressed each generation of believers since that day on Calvary.   Therefore these words of our Savior are better viewed as “lasting” rather than His last.

From these seven words come lessons that teach us how to live like our Savior.  Such as …

• Forgive Others -  “Father forgive them …”  Luke 23:34
• Help Others  - “Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise. [1]” Luke 23:43
• Care for Others - “Woman, behold your son! “Behold your mother.”  John 19:26-27
• Ask God - “My God why have You forsaken Me?”  Mark 15:34
• Admit Your Need -  “I thirst.”  John 19:28
• Be Assured - “It is finished!”  John 19:30
• Let It Go - “Father into thy hands I commend my spirit.”  Luke 23:46

These seven words are not  “idealistic” notions but practical and worth applying to the very present situations we find ourselves in.

Lesson

Luke 23:46  And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

·         Jesus began with a request to the Father. 

·         Jesus finished with a request to the Father

·         Jesus from beginning to end trusted the Father.

·         Jesus’ words here are resignation, but relinquishment.

·         Jesus’ words  speak of a decisive action. 

1.         Whose Hands Was He In?

 A.        Christ Prophecy

·         Prior to the cross Jesus spoke of being betrayed and delivered into the hands of sinful men.

·         Matthew 17:22-23  And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: ²³And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again.[2]

·         Luke 24:6-8  " He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, ⁷Saying,  The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. ⁸And they remembered his words,[3]'"

B.        Fulfilled Prophecy

1.    Though both came to pass … Jesus refused to allow either to deter Him from seeking the Father’s will.

2.    From the hands of men Jesus was now placing (committing) His spirit into the hands of the Father.

3.    Each of the words of Christ spoken from the Cross teaches us lessons for living life.  These last words are no less teaching us … commit it and let it go.  

4.    Let the injustices, hurts, pains, deliberate attacks against us … go for now and forever.  How?  By placing them in the Fathers hands. By committing all of life to the Father.

2. Let It Go … For Now

            A. Yielding

1.    The Cross, from almost everyones perspective looks like an act of “injustice” and “unfairness.”  

2.    Though the Cross of Christ may look unfair … for Jesus, being on the Cross was planned with a note of  purposeful “yielding.”

·         John 10:17-18  " Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. ¹⁸No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. [4]."

3.    Jesus confidently trusted the Father and was therefore surrendering control of His life into the Father’s hands.

4.    “I am ready to release My hold on life, and I’m unafraid to do so because I am placing everything about Myself into Your hands.”   - Jack Hayford, “How to Live Through a Bad Day”

B. Would You Have Yielded

1.    Had it been you and I on the Cross, and it should have been, would we have been so easy to commit the “what was happening now” into God’s hands?  How about the “what is happening now?”

2.    To what is happening to us today … unfair injustices and injuries … can we commit our feelings, emotions, actions and words into the Father’s hands?

3.    If we cannot commit the now to God the Father how can we ever commit the “forever” into His hands.  

2. Let It Go … Forever

A.        Jesus committing His spirit was taking on eternity for us.  His committal of trust was for now and forever.

B.        The Cross calls to us to place our relationships and pursuits in the pattern of Jesus … now and forever.  

C.        The Cross is never a means of convenience but conformity.

Philippians 3:8-11  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, ⁹And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: ¹⁰That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; ¹¹If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. [5].

     D. Letting it go forever begins with “into Your hands I commit …”

The planned course of action has always been and will forever be … the way of the Cross.

Conclusion:  After living a life dedicated solely to the Father, our Lord Jesus was wrongly condemned by wicked men. His response

"Father, 'into Your hands I commit My spirit.”

Peter describes Christ response this way.

1 Peter 2:17-23 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.  ¹⁸Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. ¹⁹For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.  ²⁰For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.  ²¹For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:  ²²Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: ²³Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: [6]

What would this purposeful commitment look like in your life? Like this…..

• When hurt … forgive others.
• Let go of selfishness … help others.
• Let go of self…. care for others.
• Let go of confusion … ask God.
• Let go of pride … admit your need.
• Let go of doubt … be assured.

Let it go … all of the  of our life and commit it into the hands of the Father.

Let It Go ... "Into Your hand I commit My spirit"
Luke 23:46

Intro: The last words of the condemned have always captured the attention of the media.  Demonstrating this fascination with the last words of the condemned national news broadcasters regularly camp outside Death Row in Huntsville TX in order to report their last words. Will he confess? Will he show remorse? Will he proclaim his innocence?

In the last few weeks we have taken the time to look at Jesus last words.

From this most unusual “pulpit” Jesus speaks His last words.  “And His last words are impressive.” 

Seven times Jesus spoke words from the cross that have impressed each generation of believers since that day on Calvary.   Therefore these words of our Savior are better viewed as “lasting” rather than His last.

From these seven words come lessons that teach us how to live like our Savior.  Such as …

• Forgive Others -  “Father forgive them …”  Luke 23:34
• Help Others  - “Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise. [1]” Luke 23:43
• Care for Others - “Woman, behold your son! “Behold your mother.”  John 19:26-27
• Ask God - “My God why have You forsaken Me?”  Mark 15:34
• Admit Your Need -  “I thirst.”  John 19:28
• Be Assured - “It is finished!”  John 19:30
• Let It Go - “Father into thy hands I commend my spirit.”  Luke 23:46

These seven words are not  “idealistic” notions but practical and worth applying to the very present situations we find ourselves in.

Lesson

Luke 23:46  And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

·         Jesus began with a request to the Father. 

·         Jesus finished with a request to the Father

·         Jesus from beginning to end trusted the Father.

·         Jesus’ words here are resignation, but relinquishment.

·         Jesus’ words  speak of a decisive action. 

1.         Whose Hands Was He In?

 A.        Christ Prophecy

·         Prior to the cross Jesus spoke of being betrayed and delivered into the hands of sinful men.

·         Matthew 17:22-23  And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: ²³And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again.[2]

·         Luke 24:6-8  " He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, ⁷Saying,  The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. ⁸And they remembered his words,[3]'"

B.        Fulfilled Prophecy

1.    Though both came to pass … Jesus refused to allow either to deter Him from seeking the Father’s will.

2.    From the hands of men Jesus was now placing (committing) His spirit into the hands of the Father.

3.    Each of the words of Christ spoken from the Cross teaches us lessons for living life.  These last words are no less teaching us … commit it and let it go.  

4.    Let the injustices, hurts, pains, deliberate attacks against us … go for now and forever.  How?  By placing them in the Fathers hands. By committing all of life to the Father.

2. Let It Go … For Now

            A. Yielding

1.    The Cross, from almost everyones perspective looks like an act of “injustice” and “unfairness.”  

2.    Though the Cross of Christ may look unfair … for Jesus, being on the Cross was planned with a note of  purposeful “yielding.”

·         John 10:17-18  " Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. ¹⁸No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. [4]."

3.    Jesus confidently trusted the Father and was therefore surrendering control of His life into the Father’s hands.

4.    “I am ready to release My hold on life, and I’m unafraid to do so because I am placing everything about Myself into Your hands.”   - Jack Hayford, “How to Live Through a Bad Day”

B. Would You Have Yielded

1.    Had it been you and I on the Cross, and it should have been, would we have been so easy to commit the “what was happening now” into God’s hands?  How about the “what is happening now?”

2.    To what is happening to us today … unfair injustices and injuries … can we commit our feelings, emotions, actions and words into the Father’s hands?

3.    If we cannot commit the now to God the Father how can we ever commit the “forever” into His hands.  

2. Let It Go … Forever

A.        Jesus committing His spirit was taking on eternity for us.  His committal of trust was for now and forever.

B.        The Cross calls to us to place our relationships and pursuits in the pattern of Jesus … now and forever.  

C.        The Cross is never a means of convenience but conformity.

Philippians 3:8-11  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, ⁹And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: ¹⁰That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; ¹¹If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. [5].

     D. Letting it go forever begins with “into Your hands I commit …”

The planned course of action has always been and will forever be … the way of the Cross.

Conclusion:  After living a life dedicated solely to the Father, our Lord Jesus was wrongly condemned by wicked men. His response

"Father, 'into Your hands I commit My spirit.”

Peter describes Christ response this way.

1 Peter 2:17-23 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.  ¹⁸Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. ¹⁹For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.  ²⁰For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.  ²¹For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:  ²²Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: ²³Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: [6]

What would this purposeful commitment look like in your life? Like this…..

• When hurt … forgive others.
• Let go of selfishness … help others.
• Let go of self…. care for others.
• Let go of confusion … ask God.
• Let go of pride … admit your need.
• Let go of doubt … be assured.

Let it go … all of the  of our life and commit it into the hands of the Father.