(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.
Today we continue down The Road to the Resurrection. A couple of Friday’s from now will be the day many call “Good Friday”. It is the day set apart to remember Jesus’ death on the cross. The following Sunday we remember His resurrection. But there would not have been a resurrection without the crucifixion. So death is what we will deal with today.
Jesus made seven statements from the cross. We we will look at several of them next week. Several of the the statements fulfilled prophecy. When you consider this, it serves as just another reminder that Jesus’ death was pre-planned, intentional and completely purposeful. Our God is Sovereign. He knows all things and He calls the end from the beginning. Jesus went to the cross on purpose. Even while Jesus was dying, our God was still reigning!
By the time we get to our text for this morning Jesus had already spoken six statements from the cross. The sixth was, “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? Two things.
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 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) The fact that you will face tribulation in this world does not lessen the power of God in any way. It should actually motivate you to tap into it with your faith. 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 destiny.
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 have to remember that God is still God. He is still on the throne. He still has all power. He still loves you unconditionally. Knowing this you know that you will overcome, because Jesus already overcame for you!
Declaration of Faith:
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 for me. Jesus took my place on Calvary. I now I take His place in the earth. Jesus never stopped and I never will either. No matter what I face, I know that You are still God and I still have a purpose. So I become the Jesus people can see, hear, and touch in the earth. I pray for the sick, I encourage the discouraged, I uplift the downtrodden, and I bind the powers of darkness. I 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! Nothing can stop me, because nothing can stop YOU! I will never allow a challenge, obstacle, or roadblock to cause me to quit! Jesus kept going until the very end. He only died when He was DONE! I live my life the same way! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
