Preached at Markham Baptist Church, March 29, 2002

"As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus. A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. But Jesus turned to them and said, 'Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For the days are surely coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.' Then they will begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us'; and to the hills, 'Cover us.' For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?' Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.' And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, 'He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!' The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, 'If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!' There was also an inscription over him, 'This is the King of the Jews.' One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, 'Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!' But the other rebuked him, saying, 'Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.' Then he said, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' He replied, 'Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.' It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun's light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, 'Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.' Having said this, he breathed his last." (Luke 23:26-46) (NRSV)

They are words that indicate divine Sonship. They are words that indicate total surrender, they are words that hold deep significance for you and me.

They are words that indicate divine Sonship. Jesus is quoting Psalm 31 verse 5 here - a Psalm written by David after Saul's death, but before David is made king. The full quote reads: "Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O Lord, the God of truth." Jesus makes the words his own and adds the important word, "Father." It is an important word, for it indicates Jesus is the divine Son of God.

Consider two things under this title. Consider first how His divine Sonship is important in the revelation of God's love. If he is not the Son of God, as some suggest, then there is no revelation of God's love. If he was not the divine Son of God, then He would have to change John 3:16 to read, "For God so loved the world that He gave His archangel." And what appeal would there be in that? What power would there be in that? Giving us an archangel would cost God nothing, but giving his Son cost Him everything. Giving us an archangel would be like a millionaire tossing a coin to a beggar in the street - it cost nothing. But when we read that God so loved that world that He gave His one and only Son, we are melted and we are moved.

Not only this - consider how the doctrine of divine Sonship is important in the redemption of God's loved, you and me. If Jesus Christ is not the Son of God then we are still lost in our sin - no atonement has been made. For only one who is infinite can pay the ransom price for the human race. We are all created beings, all tainted with the same sin, all stained with the same unrighteousness, no created being can atone for us. It must be one who is co-equal, co-eternal with the Father. If we do not believe in the divine Sonship then we know nothing of the message of divine Saviourhood.

Here is the truth that John testifies to in his first letter,

"And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his son to be the Saviour of the world." (I John 4:14) (NIV)

Divine Sonship leads to divine Saviourhood - the revelation of God's love, the redemption of God's loved.

"Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit." Words that indicate divine Sonship, but they are also words that indicate total surrender.

"Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." That word "commit" means two things – similar, but different at the same time. First, it means "to put in charge". This was Christ's way throughout His life, saying, "I have come down from heaven not to do My will but to do the will of Him who sent Me." He surrendered His whole life to the will of God, and now in His last breath He surrenders His whole spirit, the only thing He has left to Him who can be trusted, and who is able.

Second, this word "commit" means "to deposit". "Father, into your hands I deposit my spirit." In Matthew's gospel Jesus says, "The son of man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:28) (NIV)

Now by these words Jesus offers up the sacrifice. He surrenders Himself, the Lamb who is without spot or blemish, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. It's as if He is saying, "Father I deposit my life to you, I pay it down into your hands. Father accept my life, and my soul instead of the lives and souls of the sinners I die for."

"Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit." Words that indicate divine Sonship, words that indicate total surrender, and thirdly, words that indicate great significance for you and me.

You and I are, through faith in Chris,t called sons of the living God. The significance of these words is that we now can say them, and should say them, to our loving heavenly Father. "Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit."

We should say them at the time of conversion. This is the first time a sinner commits his spirit into the hand of God. This is perhaps what Paul meant when he wrote to Timothy, " I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day." (1 Timothy 1:12) (NIV)

My friends, it is your privilege and duty to commit your soul into the hand of God at conversion. This morning you need to ask yourself, "Into whose hands have I committed my spirit?"

Have you put it into the hand of the world? You will find the world to be all glitter but no gold.

Have you put it into the hand of Satan? But what can he do for it? Can he give you peace, can he give you joy? Can he fit your spirit for heaven? No, of course not. He is the father of lies, the deceiver, and whatever he promises you is false and wicked.

I would encourage you this morning to commit your spirit to God, and you will be saved. Know that He never turned a spirit away saying that it was too sinful for Him, to tarnished by the world. Scripture says, (here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance): "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst." (I Timothy 1:15). Sinners, friends - we all need to commit our spirit to Him at the time of conversion.

But what about in the midst of temptation? Isn't that a good time to say this prayer? Yes! When facing that weakness of yours, when you are faced with that old awful habit which you thought was long since dead, but it rears its ugly head again quite unexpectedly and you look for a door of escape, like young Joseph trapped in Potiphar's house with Potiphar's wife, she with all her alluring beauty. You look for escape, what is the best way to escape? What is the way out? It is to commit your body, soul, and mind to the pure, holy, living, loving God.

A lot of people only quote the last part of that verse , "Resist the devil and he will flee from you." He won't flee from you, if you forget to do the first part. You need the whole of it First, submit yourself to God - then resist the devil and he will flee from you.

And when we pray this prayer, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit," we are submitting ourselves to God, enabling us to resist temptation.

These words are significant at conversion, in temptation and also during affliction.

When days of disease and darkness come, what are we as Christians to do? Are we to blame God for the hardness of it, for the unfairness of it? No, that is not the way out of darkness. The way out of darkness is to trust Him who is Light. "Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit."

Conversion, temptation, affliction, but do not forget mission. My friends, when we become Christians we are ushered into the gate of life - but there is a long path beyond the gate and that path is the path of obedient mission. We must now walk along that path, we must move beyond the gate of conversion. Some people are still standing by the gate of conversion, but you have to move, you have to pick up the cross and follow Christ in the path of obedient mission.

And as we walk that path, we need to commit our spirit to Him who knows the way. He is the one who sets the path before us; He calls to walk the path and He guides us along the path.

Finally this - this is a word to be uttered in our final hours. My friends, death is life's final journey, none of us have traveled that road, none of us have died before and it's not something that can be done twice. You only die once, you cannot come back and do it again. Listen carefully - if this is the case, wouldn't it be wise then if in our dying we committed our spirit to the one who knows the way to the throne of grace?

I have to ask you plainly, are you preparing for death? It will come to us all. One ancient commentator, said, "We Christians die well." Will it be so with you?

I have to ask, those of you are giving your heart soul and energy to the god of this world, you who are giving your attentions and ambitions to the treasure of this world - what will you do when you meet God face to face after service to the god of this world for so long? What will you do when God says to you, as He said to the ancient Israelites who had given their worship to idols:

"Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?" If you have not seen in your heart the crucified son of God dying there for your sins, do so now, for today is the day of your salvation. Pray that prayer, "Father, in your hands I commit my Spirit."

"Were you there when they crucified my Lord?" If you have visited Calvary and there bowed your head in repentance and acceptance of Him, if you have been there with your mind's eye, go there again, and pray that prayer, commit yourself fully to Him. Commit all your temptations, all your afflictions, all the mission that you seek to do in His name.

Commit them all, and then in your dying days, commit yourself again to the one who died but who rose again so that He can take you by the hand and lead you to the throne of grace.

"Were you there when they crucified my Lord?" Yes I was, so I will pray, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."