July 21 2025

Monday July 21

“Father, Into Your Hands…”

Luke 23:44-46

44 Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45 Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. 46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, 'into Your hands I commit My spirit.' " Having said this, He breathed His last.

Welcome to Pastor's Chat. Today we're continuing in Luke 23 and I want to look at verses 44-46 one more time. These verses cover the last three hours that Jesus hung on the cross at Calvary. During the first three hours during the morning from nine to twelve, Jesus made three statements: "Father, forgive them. They know not what they do." (Luke 23:34). To the thief, He said, "Today you will be with Me in paradise." (Luke 23:43). And in John 19:25-27, He turned to John the disciple and Mary His mother, who were close by, and said, "Woman, behold your son," and to John, "Behold your mother." He ensured His mother, whose husband Joseph had passed away, was taken care of as He was dying on the cross.

The Bible tells us in Mark chapter 15 that at the sixth hour, darkness covered the whole land until the ninth hour. For those last three hours, from noon to three, what took place was between God and His Son. Remember Jesus had always called God His Father previously in all the Gospel accounts of His ministry. The last four statements of Christ on the cross, we believe, took place at the end of those three hours according to the Gospel of Mark 15:33-41. “When the sixth hour came, darkness covered the whole land until the ninth hour. At the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani," which is translated, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" 

We believe this was the fourth statement Jesus made to His Father but notice He addressed Him as “God”. Then He said, "I thirst," in John 19:28, and in John 19:30, just before He gave up His spirit, He said, "It is finished." I believe the work of salvation was complete on the cross of Calvary. Jesus finished the work that God had sent Him to do, paying the full penalty for our sins. He said, "It is finished," meaning; “it is done, it is complete, the work is I was sent to do has been accomplished”.

The last statement Jesus said was, "Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit." In His final statements, Jesus first said, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" Did you notice that in His first statement and His last saying on the cross He addressed God as His Father. Now, why did He call Him “My God” instead of “My Father”? Because during those three hours of darkness God had turned His back on His Son and did not recognize Him as His Son any longer as He paid the full punishment for our sins. Jesus was estranged and separated from God. That's what real death is. It means separation from God!

Somehow Jesus became separated from God in their Father-Son relationship. How Jesus did that while being God is a mystery. You might have noticed in the Gospels that Jesus' favorite phrase for God was "My Father." In the Gospels, He refers to God as "My Father" some 61 times, and 34 times in the Gospel of John alone. But now on the cross, He says, "My God, My God," the only time He does so. In the Old Testament, no one had a relationship with God as Father. No Old Testament saints addressed God as “My Father”. The only times your find the title “Father” capitalized in the Old Testament is in these verses, 1 Chronicles 28:6; 29:10; Psalms 89:26; Isaiah 9:6; Jeremiah 3:19; and Malachi 1:6; 2:10.

When Jesus taught His disciples to pray in Luke 11:1-4, He said, "Pray like this, Our Father which art in heaven." Interestingly, the term "Our Father" is only mentioned twice in the Gospels, here in Luke and in Matthew:6:9-15, where Jesus taught us what is called the Lord's Prayer.

My friend, this is so important. Something the Old Testament saints could not experience or enjoy Jesus came to show us how we can now have a personal, intimate relationship with God because of His payment for our sins on the cross and His sending of the Holy Spirit to abide in us. In Romans 8:14-16, we learn that God is our “Abba Father”, a special Father, a Daddy Father, that we can boldly come to because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, being separated from God.

I love how the Word of God makes so much sense when we understand that Jesus introduces us to God, not as a God of wrath, but as a God who loves us as a Father loves, cares for, and protects His children. This ought to speak to our hearts today.

Take time to speak to your Heavenly Father today.

God bless!