{"id":5019,"date":"2013-03-30T01:46:52","date_gmt":"2013-03-30T06:46:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/markdroberts\/?p=5019"},"modified":"2015-03-13T15:31:02","modified_gmt":"2015-03-13T20:31:02","slug":"the-seven-last-words-of-christ-the-seventh-word","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/markdroberts\/2013\/03\/30\/the-seven-last-words-of-christ-the-seventh-word\/","title":{"rendered":"The Seven Last Words of Christ – The Seventh Word"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

The Seventh Word:
\n\u201cFather, I entrust my spirit into your hands!\u201d
\n(Luke 23:46)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Copyright \u00a9 2007, Linda E. S. Roberts. For permission to use this picture, please contact Mark.<\/p>\n

Reflection<\/strong><\/p>\n

Two of the last seven \u201cwords\u201d of Jesus were quotations from the Psalms. Earlier, Jesus had quoted Psalm 22, \u201cMy God, my God, why have you abandoned me?\u201d to express his anguish. Later, he borrowed from Psalm 31, which comes to us from Luke as, \u201cFather, I entrust my spirit into your hands.\u201d<\/p>\n

On an obvious level, Jesus was putting his post mortem future in the hands of his Heavenly Father. It was as if he was saying, \u201cWhatever happens to me after I die is your responsibility, Father.\u201d<\/p>\n

But when we look carefully at the Psalm Jesus quoted, we see more than what at first meets our eyes. Psalm 31 begins with a cry for divine help:<\/p>\n

O LORD, I have come to you for protection;
\ndon\u2019t let me be disgraced.
\nSave me, for you do what is right. (v. 1)<\/p>\n

But then it mixes asking for God\u2019s deliverance with a confession of God\u2019s strength and faithfulness:<\/p>\n

I entrust my spirit into your hand.
\nRescue me, LORD, for you are a faithful God. (v. 5)<\/p>\n

By the end, Psalm 31 offers praise of God\u2019s salvation:<\/p>\n

Praise the LORD,
\nfor he has shown me the wonders of his unfailing love.
\nHe kept me safe when my city was under attack. (v. 21)<\/p>\n

By quoting a portion of Psalm 31, therefore, Jesus not only entrusted his future to his Father, but also implied that he would be delivered and exonerated. No, God would not deliver him from death by crucifixion. But beyond this horrific death lay something marvelous. \u201cI entrust my spirit into your hands\u201d points back to the familiar suffering of David in Psalm 31 and forward to the resurrection of Jesus.<\/p>\n

Questions for Reflection <\/strong><\/p>\n

Have you put your life and, indeed, your life beyond this life, in God\u2019s hands? How do you experience God\u2019s salvation through Christ in your life today?<\/p>\n

Prayer<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gracious Lord, even as you once entrusted your spirit into the hands of the Father, so I give my life to you. I trust you, and you alone, to be my Savior. I submit to your sovereignty over my life and seek to live for your glory alone. Here I am, Lord, available to you, both now and in the future.<\/p>\n

How good it is to know, dear Lord, that the cross was not the end for you. As you entrusted your spirit into the Father\u2019s hands, you did so in anticipation of what was to come. So we reflect upon your death, not in despair, but in hope. With Good Friday behind us, Easter Sunday is on the horizon. Amen.<\/p>\n

Resources for Lent, Holy Week, and Easter<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Seven Last Words of Christ: Reflections for Holy Week<\/a>
\n(the seven-part series, of which today\u2019s post is part 7)<\/p>\n

The Stations of the Cross: A Devotional Guide for Lent and Holy Week<\/a><\/p>\n

Why Did Jesus Have to Die? Roman, Jewish, and Christian Perspectives<\/a><\/p>\n

Introduction to Eastertide: The Season of Easter<\/a><\/p>\n

Handel\u2019s Messiah<\/em>: An Unexpected Easter<\/em> Masterpiece<\/a><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Seventh Word: \u201cFather, I entrust my spirit into your hands!\u201d (Luke 23:46) Copyright \u00a9 2007, Linda E. S. Roberts. For permission to use this picture, please contact Mark. Reflection Two of the last seven \u201cwords\u201d of Jesus were quotations from the Psalms. Earlier, Jesus had quoted Psalm 22, \u201cMy God, my God, why have […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":109,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5572,16882],"tags":[21638,21666,17168],"class_list":["post-5019","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-holy-week","category-seven-last-words","tag-holy-week","tag-seven-last-words","tag-seventh-word"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Seven Last Words of Christ - The Seventh Word<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Seventh Word: \u201cFather, I entrust my spirit into your hands!\u201d (Luke 23:46) Copyright \u00a9 2007, Linda E. S. Roberts. 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