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Answer
At the very end of Jesus’ life, as He was hanging on the cross, the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn down the middle. Then “Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ When he had said this, he breathed his last” «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. », (Luke 23:46).
Of note is the fact that when Jesus said, “Into your hands I commit my spirit,” He was quoting Scripture, Psalm 31:5, to be exact. Earlier, Jesus had also quoted from Psalm 22:1 from the cross «And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? », (Matthew 27:46). In everything Jesus did and said, He fulfilled the will of God and the word of God. Even in the throes of death, our Lord was sensible of His mission and pointed those around Him to the fulfillment of prophecy. Psalm 31 is a prayer of David in distress, full of trust in God, and in Luke 23, the Son of David echoes the same prayer:
“In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.
Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.
Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge.
Into your hands I commit my spirit;
deliver me, Lord, my faithful God”
(Psalm 31:1-5).
But Jesus’ words from the cross were not purely instructional; they also conveyed the genuine emotions of His heart. Just as David had cried out to God in his time of need centuries before, Jesus too felt a profound and urgent need for assistance, turning to the “faithful God,” the sole true source of help. Amidst all His tribulations, Jesus’ spirit sought solace with unwavering faith in the One who is the ultimate refuge.
Jesus prayed, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit,” recognizing that only in the Father’s hands are our spirits secure. Jesus had previously taught about the security of believers, saying, “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand” «My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. », (John 10:29). We tend to safeguard our most precious earthly possessions in a safe or bank vault, ensuring their protection. Through His crucifixion, Jesus illustrates that our most valuable treasures—our spirits—should be entrusted for safekeeping into the Father’s hands.
Upon our salvation, we entrust our spirits into the Father’s care, relying on Him for our deliverance. Subsequently, life is a continual commitment of our spirits into the Father’s hands on a daily basis. We dedicate our spirits to Him in our service, in our daily choices, and in all our moments of happiness and sorrow. And when our time of passing arrives, we emulate Jesus’ example and affirm once more, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”
As Stephen, the initial Christian martyr, faced death by stoning, he echoed a variation of Jesus’ prayer from the cross «And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. », (Acts 7:59). Over the years, many others have followed in the footsteps of Jesus and Stephen, committing their spirits into the hands of the Father in moments of trial and transition.
Many Christians have found solace in Psalm 31 and when facing death, they echoed the words of Jesus from the cross. Some of those who uttered, “Into your hands I commit my spirit,” before departing this world include Polycarp, Jan Hus, Martin Luther, and Philip Melanchthon.
