“Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit”, Luke 23:46

Jesus, as a faithful servant had finished the work given Him by the Father. Finished were the tears, the toils, the temptations, and the teachings. Now He is on His cruel death bed, and departing out of this world, leaves us an example of how to die.

First He says, “Father”. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31), but not when that God is your own loving Father. Believer, you can die easy knowing God is your Father.

Second He says, “into Thy hands”. If you are a true Christian, you are used to the hand of God. The Father’s hand is a “good hand” (Ezra 8:18), it is a kind hand (Psalm 16:11), it is a skillful hand (Acts 7:50), and it is a strong hand (Psalm 118:15). To the hand of God we owe our salvation (Acts 11:21), our success (1 Peter 5:6), our security (John 10:29), our sanctification (Ruth 1:13), and our guidance, (Psalm 139:10). It is the determining factor of our whole life (Psalm 31:15, Daniel 5:23). Believer, you can die easy for you have been used to God handling you.

Third, He says, “I commit”. If you are a Christian, you began this course with commitment–handing your life, your plans, your ambitions, your wishes, your future, your all to God. Believer, you can launch out into the hereafter with confidence; you can die easy for you are used to commitment to the Lord. After all, in the kingdom of God the surest way to lose something is to try to keep it.

Last our Lord says, “My spirit”. Service to God does not consist of external rituals or righteousness. The Christian serves God by his spirit, his heart (Romans 1:9). And the great event for the Christian is when the spirit flies out of the body to the very presence of God. And if all is well with the soul, then all shall be well with the body which indeed shall be raised on the last day and joined to the spirit. Believer, you can die easy for you have always “watched over your heart with all diligence” (Proverbs 4:23) that you might be ready to stand before the Lord of glory.

Woe to the rebellious, the strangers to God. At death they shall be like an animal turned out of his house to the slaughter. While friends and loved ones observe your cold body in a fancy coffin, your spirit shall be tormented by God in hell’s fiery furnace. Blessed are the godly who have nothing to do at death but die. Their death is precious in the Father’s sight (Psalm 116:15). The Father says, “well done, come on home”. Are you ready for the great unknown? Are you ready to say goodbye? Are you ready to launch out into eternity? You’d better get hooked up to Christ whose blood and righteousness is your only hope of acceptance by the holy Father. Those who live right, die well.

Published May 8, 1991 in Sedalia, Missouri Newspaper.