(Luke 23:46 KJV) 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.
This morning we continue our “Passion Week” mini-series. Today is the day many call “Good Friday”. It is the day we set apart to remember Jesus’ death on the cross. Sunday we will remember His resurrection. But there can’t be a resurrection without a death. So death is what we will deal with today.
Jesus said seven statements from the cross. Today we will focus in on the last. Several the the statements fulfilled prophecy. This is yet another reminder that Jesus’ death was pre-planned, intentional and completely purposeful. This drives home the Sovereignty of God.
Jesus endured the mock trials, pained through 39 lashes with a cat-o-nine-tails, and He did not fight back when they put a hood over His head and slapped Him repeatedly, telling Him to divinely say who has hitting Him. Jesus did not say a Word as they made a mockery of His deity by putting a crown of thorns on His head. Jesus remained silent until it was time for Him to speak. When He spoke, He spoke on purpose.
Before we get to what Jesus said, let’s take one last painful look at the process. After Jesus’ body was beaten, battered and severely bruised, it was nailed to a cross. The hole for the cross was already prepared. But Jesus was laying down on the cross as they nailed Him to it. Jesus was going to have to deal with the pain associated with lifting that cross and then dropping it into the hole.
Put yourself at the foot of the cross for a moment. Imagine you are there watching this happen. As they lift the cross (with Jesus on it), His weight is painfully shifting between His upper and lower body. Jesus has to somewhat balance Himself as they find the hole. The men carrying the cross then release it, dropping it into the hole, rattling Jesus’ bones and shooting sharp pain through His entire body in the process. Now that the cross is in the hole, Jesus attempts to support the weight of His body with His legs, but the position of His nailed feet makes it almost impossible. He tries to pull Himself up with His arms, but His nailed hands make this excruciatingly painful. To add insult to injury, Jesus is hanging there between two thieves. The only innocent man to ever live was treating like the scum of the earth.
While this is going on the devil and his hellish imps are rejoicing. They are having a party in hell thinking that they are about to win their ultimate victory. Jesus had already spoken six statements from the cross; the sixth being “It is finished.” God is so much a God of order that there was even order in Jesus’ death. God created the earth and He “finished” His work of creation with man on the sixth day. On the seventh day God rested. Jesus’ sixth cry was, “It is finished.” With the seventh Jesus would be translated from the cross into God’s rest. With that Jesus said, “Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit,” and just like that, Jesus gave up the ghost.
So what does this mean to you today? I could go on for days, but I will restrain myself to just two points.
1. No one took Jesus’ life.
a. No one took Jesus’ life, because no one had the power to do so. He willingly gave up His life for you.
b. Until the very end, ’till the final cry, Jesus still had the power to destroy all those who were attempting to destroy Him, but He restrained Himself and endured this horrible death because of our sin.
c. Jesus faced death on the cross and through the entire process, God was still God, He was still on the throne, and He still had ALL POWER. Remember that the next time you are facing a challenge.
d. In this world you will have tribulation, but that does not negate the power of God, it actually gives you an opportunity to tap into it. God’s grace is available to you and if you use your faith to access His grace, you will be empowered to overcome everything you face on the road to your purpose.
e. Like Jesus, God has equipped, enabled, and empowered you to live a victorious life in the earth. So no matter what you face, never give up, cave in, or quit!
2. The devil lost the day Jesus gave up the ghost.
a. The foolish devil thought he was destroying Jesus, but he actually helped give Jesus the ultimate victory. When the first drop of Jesus’ blood hit the ground it sealed satan’s fate forever.
b. The Bible explains that if the princes of this world would have known what they were doing, they would have NEVER crucified the Lord Jesus (1 Cor 2:8). When they thought they were winning, they were actually losing. And that dirty devil makes the same mistake in your life all the time. The more he attacks you, the stronger you get!
c. Jesus went down into hell during those three nights and three days and He took the keys to hell and the grave with Him as He ascended for the Resurrection. Jesus, like Joseph, could say that the devil meant it for evil, but the Father turned it around for good. Guess what? You can say the same. If satan were smarter he would leave you alone. So no matter what you are facing this morning, you can take it, God trusts you with it, and you will come through it!
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for Jesus this morning and every morning! I will never cease to give You the praise for what Jesus did for me. He willingly endured the pain the cross. While pain was shooting through His body, Jesus was able to endure it, because He was looking forward 2,000 years and He could see my face. Jesus died in my place and I will never forget it. Jesus took my place on the cross, so now I take His place in the earth. He substituted His life for me, so now I substitute my life for His. I become the Jesus that people need to see, hear, and come in contact with in the earth. I pray for the sick, I encourage the discouraged, I uplift the downtrodden, and I come up against the powers of darkness. I will honor Jesus’ sacrifice today and every day, by becoming a conduit of His light and His love in the earth. As Jesus is, so am I, in this world! And I will never allow a challenge, obstacle, or roadblock to cause me to quit! If Jesus did not quit, then neither will I! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
