Father, into your hands I commit my spirit (Luke 23b)

Luke 23:26-56

Key Verse 46

Today’s passage is about Jesus’ death on the cross. His death completed his journey as the Messiah.  He ended his journey in this way; “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”

Among the synoptic Gospels, in Luke, journey motive is most prominent.  Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem was understood as a journey for a man born of a king to become enthroned as the king of Israel kingdom. His disciples were to be his subjects as Jesus becomes enthroned as the king of His people. So they were to follow Jesus. In order to be the king, he must win the war against the enemy. So this journey was pictured as the prince’s war against the enemy that occupied the throne in treason. That war was declared and begun immediately after Peter’s confession that Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah.  He laid out the principle of his journey/war in this way: “he(the Son of Man) must suffer and die and then resurrect in three days and then to the glory of God.” (9:22)  To his followers/the disciples, Jesus laid out the principle of how they could follow Jesus and fight the battle to the Kingdom of God (9:23 "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. ) Soon after this, Jesus resolutely set out a battle journey to Jerusalem (9:51). Also his journey/war was not for the wimps but for those who were had an unrivaled commitment to Jesus, the prince to be the king. (9:57-62)  So today, I like to see Jesus’ death on the cross as the end/finale of His war and marked as the winning moment that God prescribed and that he completed, and that he asked his disciples to follow.

A long journey of the battle will be futile and fruitless unless one finishes it well with victory, conquering the enemy.  Jesus fought the fight well and he did it extremely well that God was so happy to enthrone him to the king above all, in heaven and on the earth (Phil 2:9-11). How could he succeed his journey/war so well? The secrete or the power of his success became evident in what he did on the cross, the last moment of his life where his body was nailed to the cross and when he was extreme pain and suffering. So as we look into the last moment of this battle, the crucifixion, I pray that God may empower us to fight our battle with our Lord Jesus.

A.   Jesus were to carry the cross to Golgotha:

So far, Jesus was gone through two judicial proceedings and got the final verdict, death by crucifixion.  Soon after the verdict, all the prisoners, including Jesus, were taken over by the soldiers and driven to the place, Golgotha.

Now the soldiers, most likely Roman soldiers, took in charge of Jesus’ execution. So Jesus was to carry a cross, weighing about 300 lb., from Antonia Fortress (the place of Pilate’s court) to the place of Golgotha about 2000 feet. (660 yard).  All three Gospels describe two episodes of mockery and beating; one soon after sentencing by the Sanhedrin, at the house of the high Priest and the second one was during or soon after Pilate’s delivery of death sentence. So by the time, he was beaten so much that he might have shed substantial amount of blood and weakened. In such situation, carrying a cross weighing 300 lb. was beyond the ability of his body could handle. This amount or extent of all corporal punishment correlates to the verdicts that they received. There were two criminals who were worthy of death by ‘crucifixion’ because of their cruelty and rebellion. Jesus was numbered as one of them, meaning that Jesus’ sin or verdicts measured up to these criminals and that all the treatment he got, including all corporal punishment were measured up to the verdict, death by crucifixion based on blasphemy, and rebellion. So the crucifixion stands for the wholesome aspect of the wrongs or evils that these criminals committed. The burden was so unbearable and no human body could be sustained under such harsh treatment. Whatever the burden laid upon him was measuring up to the weight of judgment that sinful minds wanted to unload, then it was all too much to bear for Jesus alone.

Why did these peoples lay upon Jesus such burden? Or why did they think that Jesus was worthy of death by crucifixion? The war was started when Jesus taught the truth of God. These religious leader were unwilling to accept the truth that Jesus taught but also challenged the validity of his identity as the Lord, the Son of God. At the early stage of his march toward Jerusalem, Jesus delivered six woes against these people.

Six woes Luke 11: ³⁹ Then the Lord said to him, "Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.

 ⁴² "Woe to you Pharisees, but you neglect justice and the love of God.

⁴³ "Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces.

⁴⁴ "Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, "

⁴⁶ Jesus replied, "And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.

⁴⁷ "Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your ancestors who killed them. ⁵¹ from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all.

⁵² "Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering."

These were Jesus’ charges against their sins and if they were to be charged as Jesus said, then they should die on the cross.  The worst charge against them was given at the final stage of his war in the temple; "'My house will be a house of prayer'; but you have made it 'a den of robbers.' " (Luk 19:46 NIV). Jesus spoke the truth and God’s truth unveils the sin, even deeply seated in the depth of one’s heart.  No men could get by with these charges without responding because these charges undermine the foundation of their belief, comfort and their right or righteousness.  Only two responses be possible. One, repent himself or herself thoroughly to God and ask for God’s grace and mercy. Or deny completely all these charges made by Jesus and punish Jesus for such unwarranted charges. If anyone is found guilty as charged, which will surely end in eternal condemnation and death, it will be a crisis for life for no one can overcome the guilty verdict, death, eternal judgment of God.

In these periscope, we can understand why they turned against Jesus and brought the charges against him. In other word, as much Jesus charged them for so many wickedness and sins, so much these people wanted to condemn Jesus. Because of this, though there were many other choices to punish or to put to death. Yet, the whole gang of the leaders of Israel along with the majority of the people shouted ‘crucify him, crucify him’.  It was their choice to vent the verdict that they received from Jesus words. Crucifixion is a symbol of total submission and total subjugation as much as it is a great public display of the wrongs that the person was committed against the people. In their mind, all, the nation as a whole, must know that what Jesus said against them were totally wrong, the charge against them were totally unfounded. Instead Jesus must be wrong and must bear the consequence of such false claims including ‘calling himself, the Messiah’ the Son of God.”

Jesus as the Son of God spoke the truth against all untruth and ungodliness. Jesus did not bent on God’s truth. When he stood firm in his ground at the trials, he not only affirmed who he was but also upheld the truthfulness of his teachings including his rebukes for the leaders of the nation. At the same time Jesus offered God’s grace and love. People without repentance, returned all the charges back to Jesus. Like this, the judgment of God that Jesus delivered to them came right back to him. So the burden that Jesus had to bear was the burden in the hearts of these people for they all vented it out on Jesus. So the burden was real and great that though Jesus was willing to take the burden, his body was weak. By this time,  two episodes of intense beating and mockery were carried out. Now, Jesus had to carry very heavy cross, weighing more than 200 lbs.

Luke 23:26 As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.

 Here comes an inevitable necessity of someone to carry the cross as Jesus walked to the cross, the final payment for sins of men. All three Gospels notes that Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, from Cyrene was forced to carry the cross to the place of crucifixion, Golgotha. Though the Bible does not say explicitly what this meant, this story makes cross bearing not an ideological sharing of his spirit but an actual bearing of pains in real life along with Christ. This is the substance of actual war against sins.    

Sin that sits in the depth of men’s heart could not be done away until it sees its full cost, death. But the weight of sin began to sink in at the hearts of people. As Jesus walked along in so weak and frail body, people began to sense the toll of the verdict that they had imposed upon him, realistic picture of the treacherous death by crucifixion.

27 A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him.

Many women mourned and wailed for Jesus.  It was their sympathy for Jesus for they knew that the pain and torture Jesus was going under was totally unwarranted. Simply he was being punished for the sins that he did not commit; But to them Jesus said this:

28 Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the time will come when you will say, 'Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!' 30 Then "'they will say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!"' 31 For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?"

They showed their sympathy for Jesus. But Jesus did not need their sympathy. For he suffers not because he was helpless against evil but because he chose to bear the burdens of sins of men.  Rather it was they and their children that they should weep for since God’s judgment was coming soon and it would be so horrendous. When the judgment of God comes upon them, the women and children would be the most vulnerable for suffering and pain. Soon after his delivery of six woes, Jesus said this to the Pharisee and teachers of the law; 

Luke 11:50 Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all. (Luk 11:50 NIV)

How one view or understand Jesus’ suffering, including carrying of the cross and being crucified both hands and feet is important. Rejection of Jesus was not a minor thing. All the judgment that God withheld since the beginning of sinful humanity will be imposed upon those who reject him. So no one should dare to make the same mistake that the leaders of Israel made and no one should take Jesus’ suffering lightly as if it was just wrongs or flaws of the leaders of Jews. How one sees and understands Jesus’ suffering will make or break one’s life. If one sees that Jesus bore sins of ‘his or her sins’, he or she has hope.  If not, one must know that God’s judgment is coming, coming great with certainty. In this teaching, Jesus not only opened eyes of these women to see the truth but also showed his mercy and grace so that God’s mercy might be upon them and their children.

B.   Crucifixion

32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals-- one on his right, the other on his left.

On arrival to the place, they nailed down Jesus’ hands and feet on the crosses and put the cross up high in the air so that all may be able to see them.  Jesus was in between the two criminals. On the top of Jesus’ cross was a written notice; this is the king of the Jews. It looked obvious that all of them were criminals and Jesus was the worst one for he was the king of the Jews, the worst rebellion or enemy of the nation.  But in truth, Jesus was really the king of the Jews who cared for the nation and loved Israel. Though out of jealousy and murderous spirit, people assigned him with the transgressors, he chose to accept all the charges and punishments.  In this way, Jesus demonstrated that his kingship is constituted not in power or authority but in bearing sins and weakness of his people upon himself, even to the extent of giving his life.

So in this scene, the truth of God is concealed. The truth is considered truth because it always correspond to the facts of life, or the history. The scene of these crucifixions speaks the truth of God, who Jesus truly is. Reading of this truth of God depends on two things; first, how one accepts Jesus, second, how one view about sin, particularly in regard to his or her own sin.

While he was under an intense suffering from fresh nailing, he said this;

34 "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."

Jesus prayed for those who were crucifying him. What Jesus taught them was true and they were wrong and sinful. In this saying Jesus stood firm in his teachings as the truth of God, and showed his will to give his life as payment for their sins. Whatever God required of them for their sins, he was willing to pay for them all even by his life. He was doing this because of his love for them even though they rejected him. This is life-giving love that pays off the sins of men. In this way Jesus was offering his life as ransom for many sinner like these soldier who were casting a lot for Jesus clothes.  He started out this journey/war with the spirit of life-giving love and ran his whole journey with such love and at the last minutes of his life, he, with all of his strength, was asking His Father to forgive these people. Like this this word captures the spirit that ran throughout this journey/war against sinfulness of humanity.

While Jesus was making a plea on behalf of them, people expressed their ignorance:   

35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is God's Messiah, the Chosen One."

36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself."

The people and rulers acknowledged that Jesus saved others. Now, being impaled to the cross, they thought that it was impossible for Jesus to save himself. So they made a mockery of what Jesus was; the Savior, the Son of God. To them Jesus couldn’t be the Savior and couldn’t be the Son of God. But behind this is their unmanaged rebellion lingering against Jesus’ judgement on them.  Their sins could not be fully done away with or nullified until they see the death of Jesus. Sin demands death. Jesus was willing to give his life as the payment of that sin, sitting in the depth of their hearts.

The soldiers shared the same thought with these people. If he were the king of the Jews, then he should save himself, either by shoring up large number of soldiers or dispatching a secrete rescuers on behalf of him. So, they made a mockery on Jesus’ kingship.  For these mercenaries, the king of peace was too alien idea. Truly they did not know God and did not know what they were doing. 

What went wrong with these people is shown fully in the exchange between the two criminals and Jesus.

39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!"

This criminal joined with the group who ridiculed Jesus. The primary concern of this man was ‘us’. He had no concern about God’s judgment; no fear or no respect for God’s holiness at all. Simply he failed to honor and respect God’s authority and His holiness. So this man shared the same understanding with the people, rulers and soldiers in regard to their understanding of what Jesus was suffering. He served as the example of how they all failed to know God’s grace in Christ. The people and rulers were the same predicament as this criminal for they would not accept their sins that were worthy of God’s judgment.

40 But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." 42 Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. "

This man had fear of God. So the first word from his mouth was ‘Don’t you fear God’. Out of this fear came to him the true reality of his life, a judgment of God. So he asked Jesus for his mercy.  What does this tell us? God’s charge against all sins speaks most powerfully by the cross on which he was hung, either by his rebuke or by his offer of his life as redeeming sacrifice for sins of men. To this man, Jesus gave him word of salvation;

43 Jesus answered him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise."

Just minutes before this, Jesus asked his father to forgive those who were crucifying him. Here his actual life-giving love is expressed. Life-giving love secures eternal life for those who believes.

While all these were going on, as his death drew near; concerning on Jesus’ crucifixion, God made his statement in this way;

44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.

As the time the full toll of men’s sin fall on Jesus, two things happened;

First, darkness came over for the sun stopped shining.  These things could not happen by anything other than by God’s power. Such thing happened before. Three day darkness came upon Egypt as the 9^th plague. The ninth plague darkness continued to the night of the tenth plague, i.e. the death of all the firstborns. In other word, three day darkness seamlessly continued to the tenth plague, the death of the firstborns, i.e God’ ultimate judgment for Egypt. It came over the entire land of Egypt and only Israel, by sacrificing a lamb, could escape that judgment. The exactly similar manner, God overshadowed the land giving a clear indication that His judgment was laid upon the land and Jesus took that judgment as the sacrificial lamb. God’s judgment fell in full force and Jesus breathed his last. Israel were under the same predicament as Egyptians but he could escape this death because they sacrificed a lamb for their sins. In this same sequence of events, darkness was followed by the death of Jesus. This signifies the salvation of the chosen.

Second, God further attested this by causing the curtain of the temple was torn in two. The most holy place was accessible only with a blood of a lamb. Without the blood of the lamb, the place of God, the Most Holy place was not accessible even by the high priest. By tearing apart the curtain, God may have spoken in two ways regarding the temple. God took Jesus’ life as the lasting sacrifice and there would be no more need of sacrifice, particularly sacrifices of lambs as Israel did. It also further indicates that the temple set up was no more necessary and made it obsolete for Jesus offered his blood outside the temple directly to the heavenly temple with his own blood.

Third, God’s judgment was completed: the covenant promises for judgment and blessing was completed. At the beginning of the fall of man, God made it clear that sin brings death. When he established his kingdom, Israel, God made a covenant with them that it order for Him to be with them, their sins must be atoned for by the blood of the lamb and that must be presented to the Most Holy place in the temple. As the darkness of three days continued to the redemption of the firstborns of Israel, and then to the exodus from slavery under Egypt, the sacrifice of Jesus marked the fulfillment of the covenant blessing. In this way, the war that began with Peter’s confession ended with great victory over the power of sin.

As noted above, the darkness of God’s judgment continued and ended in Jesus’ final moment:

46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.

As the life sapped away, Jesus committed his life on to God’s hand. From the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, he relied on God the Father on everything. At Gethsemane, Jesus sought the will of the Father and resolved to accept and honor the will of God, giving his life as ransom for many. Throughout the time of crucifixion, even in the midst of excruciating or horrifying pain, he trusted His father and entrusted his life on Father’s hand. Even when God let his judgment fell on him, he entrusted his life in God’s hand. Truly he lived in and by faith in his father God Almighty. He trusted Father’s love, and respected and honored his justice. So he honored the father by entrusting all of his being in Father’s hand; truly he was the Son of God who honored the father even to the point of death. This final word captures the spirit that ran his life from the beginning of this journey until this time.

The Cross, the power of God;

47 The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, "Surely this was a righteous man."

48 When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away.

49 But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

50 Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, …was waiting for the kingdom of God. 52 Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body. 53 Then he took it down, …it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid.

As the full effects of the death sentence were becoming a reality, people came to see the ‘real effect of sin’ on Jesus’ life, the sins that they committed against Jesus. He was so much beaten that his body was covered with stripes and blood stains and bear wounds, they saw a life being cut off, an innocent and godly life. The ugliness, vile and savage, the real aspect of sin were vivid in Jesus’ wounds.

The centurion saw the righteousness in Jesus. Jesus stood firm in his claim, his charge against all the ungodly including the religious leaders and those who sided with them. He did not rescind or bent on his truth. He defended this truth by his life. That is that the truth of God was more important than his life and he fully upheld God’s judgment on them by his death. 

All the people who had witnessed this sight beat their breasts. Jesus’ death spoke powerfully about their sin in its full blown power. His death exposed their sin to a broad day light; they for the first time became keenly aware of this and came to the sense of repentance. Jesus’ death spoke to their hearts more powerfully than any other of his teachings. What is the power about? 

Joseph of Arimathea was a silent partner with Jesus. Now seeing his death, he became emboldened. He came forward and went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body and buried him in his tomb. Jesus’ death gave him the power to overcome the power of sin and power of death!

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

What do these tell us? Jesus suffering and death had power to move people’s heart. It opened their heart to sins of themselves and of others, and empowered them to overcome the power of death, embolden them to stand the truth of God. The most important thing is that by the cross, Jesus revealed what it means to be ‘godliness’. The power of God that moves the hearts of many are not something of one’ human ability to do various things but of life-giving love and submission to God’s righteous judgment.

C.   What does it mean to us?  

Jesus began his journey to the cross. It was a journey as well as a war against sins of men. At the same time, this journey/war represented the entirety of his life. He finished his life in victory by offering his life as life-giving sacrifice for the sins of men. Since Jesus made unambiguously clear the rule to follow him to the kingdom of God, the periscope of our live must be along with these ways and principles that led Jesus to the victory.

The two main theme of his life were spoken on the cross. One was for the people and the other was to His father God.

34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."

46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."

The crucifixion itself represent amply for these two spirits that ran Jesus’ life. Life-giving love and sacrifice, and commitment and submission of one’s life to the Father. This spirit was fully revealed to his disciples at the outset of this journey;

“he(the Son of Man) must suffer and die and then resurrect in three days and then to the glory of God.” (9:22)

9:23 "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.(9:23)

How can we run our journey? As we notes in these two verses, there are two ‘musts’. Jesus took this ‘must’ with full willingness. It is better for us as well to take this ’must’ with fully willing heart; willing to give, willing to suffer and willing to take all the pains of the cross. Then we will surely be assured of our victory. The cross is the victory over the power of sin, no matter what forms, how strong they come to us. In this, we must cherish the cross Jesus bore; to take hold of the power that can and will subdue all the forces of evil and power of sins of this world. 

Let’s join and partake in the work of Jesus cross! Let’s run the race that Jesus marked out for us!