Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last. Luke 23:46
As presented on *The Lutheran Hour® by Dr. Oswald Hoffmann, April 15, 1973.
Men usually die as they live. If their life was an open book, that’s the way they die. If they were secretive, suspicious, envious, and nasty when they lived, that’s the way they die. If they were afraid of death when they were alive, you can imagine how they are when they die.
This man died as He lived, not afraid to commit everything to His Father because He trusted in Him: “Father! It’s all Yours now. Into Your hands I commit My life, My breath, My everything.”
This is the Son of God sent by His Father to be the Savior of the world. I take great comfort in His thoroughgoing humanity. He bore in His own body our sins upon His cross. This is the way to die: “Father! I leave it all to You. Into Your hands I place myself.”
I see myself in that dying man. He is like me, and He died for me. That is not just a figure of speech! He is a real man who really died for me. As He died, all die, and I am one of them. I am glad to be in His company.
With faith in Jesus Christ, I say (and you can join me in saying it): In all that I am and all that I do, in my living and in my dying, Father, into Your hands I place my spirit.
Lord Jesus, with faith in You we place ourselves into the hands of God, our Father. In life and in death, we follow You to the victory you have to give by Your own death and resurrection. Amen.
Taken from A Message of Hope: Proclaiming the Cross (selections from messages broadcast on *The Lutheran Hour, celebrating 75 years of proclaiming the promise).
Copyright © 2006 by Lutheran Hour Ministries
*The Lutheran Hour is the longest-running Christian radio broadcast in the world. It is a production of Lutheran Hour Ministries. For more information, visit www.lutheranhour.org.
Today's Bible Readings: Joshua 7-9 Luke 9:37-62
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