I'm gonna be in Luke chapter
23 if you want to follow along I want to begin reading in verse
46 of Luke chapter 23 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. Now, when the centurion
saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, certainly this was
a righteous man. And all the people that came
together to that site, beholding the things which were done, smote
their breasts and returned. and all his acquaintance and
the women that followed him from Galilee stood afar off beholding
these things. I'm gonna stop right there. My title today is The Seventh
Saying. The Seventh Saying. Let me be
very clear here. Our Lord Jesus Christ was not
on this cross because of an accident. This was not part of the plan
that went wrong. This was no mistake. He was delivered
by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. And he
was crucified, taken by wicked hands, and crucified and slain. Those are both true. They are
both true. This is a fact. And here's another
fact, Jesus Christ spoke while he was on the cross. Now there
are seven sayings of our Lord Jesus Christ from the cross which
he spoke. I'm going to deal with the seventh. I'll mention the other ones in
passing. But I'm not going to be using
big theological words. Mainly because I don't know a
lot of them. And some of them, still, I have to look up to see
exactly what it means, but it's all right. I'm gonna try and
be plain with speech, but these are incredibly important words. Our Lord Jesus Christ, these
are the last words of our Lord Jesus Christ in public, in public. Yes, he did resurrect, we'll
probably get to a little bit of that, but he did resurrect,
he came back from the dead. And he did speak afterward, but
these are the last words of his public ministry, hanging on the
cross. This is his last public statement,
the last thing he said to the world, to everyone around. And this is what he said. And
when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into
thy hands I commend my spirit. Jesus cried with a loud voice. And he started with one word
in particular. What'd he say? Father. Father, into thy hands I commend
my spirit. Like I said, this is the seventh
and final saying from the cross of the Lord of glory, who also
is the Son of Man. The Son of Man. Now, according to A.W. Pink, this
is the word of contentment from our Lord Jesus Christ. And I
can understand that. Oh yeah, the other six sayings.
This is the way Pink has them listed, and I liked it. First
is the word of forgiveness, where Christ said, Father, forgive
them, for they know not what they do. Second is the word of
salvation, when he told that thief, verily I say unto you,
today, today, this very day, you shall be with me in paradise.
I'm gonna tell you something, that is the word of salvation.
because if Christ says it, it's true. And if Christ doesn't say
it, it's not going to happen. That's the word of salvation.
Third, the word of affection. I would say the word of love, but
that's okay. When he told his mother, woman,
behold thy son, talking about the apostle John, and he told
John, behold thy mother, even on the cross, the Lord Jesus
Christ was taking care of his family. Especially on the cross,
he was taking care of his family. Then we have the word of anguish, which is probably the hardest
phrase in the Bible. My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me? And Martin Luther himself said,
God forsaking God. How can any man understand that?
Well, we can't. But, and, we better believe it. We better believe it. Oh, then
the word of suffering, where he said, I thirst. I thirst. Understand, Jesus Christ is fully
God. He was fully God hanging on that
cross. But he also is fully man. He is the Adam Kedmon, as Earl
used to say, the God-man. And he said, I thirst, I thirst. And the sixth one, of course,
is the word of victory. It is finished, it is finished. Oh, but now this seventh saying,
Pink calls this the word of contentment, and I do agree, but I like another
word better. where he says, Father, into thy
hands I commend my spirit. I like to think of this as the
word of, why don't I write it down? The word of completion. The word of completion. I know some people might like
to think it is finished is the word of completion. No, this
is what he says after. The word it is finished is a
word of victory. This is the word, that's the
word of victory. That's the word of jubilation. It's finished. It's finished. Then he says,
Father. Oh, why am I saying this is the
word of completion? Oh. Notice that word. Father. He'd been on that cross. You understand, here's the point. Jesus is forsaken no more. It is finished. And he says,
now he says, Father, Father. Oh, I like that. Jesus is no
more alone. Forsaken. Jesus is no more suffering. I thirst. You understand the
book of Luke, which is where this account is and where this
statement is. is the book of the son of man.
That's what it is. But this God man, Jesus of Nazareth,
these are his last public words and he starts them off with this
word, father, father. What did he also say about his
father? He said this, I and my father are one, are one. Oh, I like that. and into thy
hands I commend my spirit. Whose hands? The Father's hands. The Father's hands. And I'm gonna
tell you this, you can believe me or you don't. There's no better
place to be than in the Father's hands. These are the words of
the well-beloved, only begotten Son of God. This man, the son of man, cries
out to the father, and he calls him father, and he tells us to
call him father. Oh, I like that. Oh, he is the
son of man, Christ Jesus. Sent here for this express purpose. But he says this. I commend my
spirit. This is an action of the Son
of God. He did this, he did this. Now, the direct translation of
this word commend means to literally place alongside. I like that, I like that. Is
there a better place to be than alongside the Father? No way,
no way. Oh, that's good stuff. And here's
the thing. Also, by interpretation, it means
present. To present to the Father. I commend
my spirit. I present my spirit into thy
hands. Into thy hands. You understand,
here's the thing. Jesus Christ had to die. He had to die. He was going to
die. He was getting ready to die right
here, right now. What does that mean? I'm gonna
tell you what that means. The body of Jesus Christ was
left on that cross. His spirit, he placed in the
hands of the Father. I commend my spirit into thy
hands. I wish I could lay hold of that. I wish I could. I wish I could,
because you understand, he'd already been forsaken. You understand? He'd already bore our sins in
his body, on that tree, and said, my God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me? But now, after he said it is
finished, after he said it's finished, he says, Father, Father,
I commend into thy hands, I commend my spirit. Oh, I like that. He'd already came and was giving
himself a ransom for many. On purpose. the purpose, the
determinant counsel, and foreknowledge of God. This man was the lamb
slain from before the foundation of the world, and he was just
about ready to die. Oh, I like that. I need that. I need that. Why did he come? To give his life a ransom for
many, for many. Christ came to give his life
for the sheep. That's what he told us. That's what he told
us himself in John 10. Therefore doth my father love
me because, why? I lay down my life. Well, that's
not all. That I might take it again, again. No man taketh it from me. I don't care what Pilate thought,
I don't care what the Jewish high priest thought at that day,
no man takes it from him. But I lay it down of myself.
I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received
of my father, of my father. Make no mistake about it folks,
Jesus Christ did die that day. You understand? I know there
was some, you know, he was in a deep coma. Now listen, these folks had crucified enough
people, they knew what dead people look like. You understand? They pierced his side with a
spear and out forth came blood and water. He shed his blood
for his people and he actually, literally died as a man. What? As our substitute. As our sacrifice to God. Father, into thy hands commend
I my spirit. Oh, I like this. I commend my
spirit. His blood was our redemption
price. His life was freely given. for
us, for us, for his people. And his spirit was separated
from his body. And they buried that body in
a tomb. And it laid there three days. And his spirit was in the hands
of his father. You know why I know that? Jesus
Christ said so. Jesus Christ said so. Jesus Christ
was ready to die. He said it is finished, and then
he says, Father, into thy hands. But also, do pay attention here. Listen to when he said this.
This makes a little more sense. Read verse 45. Well, let's see,
44. and it was about the sixth hour,
and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth
hour, and the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was
rent in the midst. Another place it says it was
rent in twain, rent in two. The big veil between the holiest
place and the holy of holies is gone, torn in half. Then he says, Father. Oh. Then he says, Father, into
thy hands I commend my spirit. Oh, I like that. You understand,
the true anti-type of that ark and that mercy seat was hanging
on the cross. The true anti-type. You understand,
that ark and that mercy seat and the blood that was sprinkled
on it and the high priest who sprinkled it was all a picture
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, day of pictures is over. The day of types is over. Now,
I still get a good blessing reading of them and learning of them,
but you understand, that veil's gone. It's rent and twang. Now,
understand, we had the true sacrifice right there. Father, into thy
hands I commend my spirit. Oh, I like that. And after that
veil is rent in twain is when he says father. He called to
the father after the veil was rent, now I'm ready, I'm ready. And having said thus, he gave
up the ghost. Jesus died on that cross. His
spirit was presented, commended to the Father. He laid down his
life according to the scriptures. He is the Son of Man, the Messiah,
the Holy One of Israel. He is our kinsman redeemer. A man had to die. You understand,
the wages of sin is death. and we all owed that price. But
he paid it himself, our substitute, our redeemer. The father forsook
him and after it is finished, and after it is finished, the
father accepted his spirit. We esteemed him stricken, smitten
of God and afflicted. We turned our face from him.
We turned our face from him. but he was wounded for our transgressions,
bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was
laid upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. Oh, I like that. The one who knew no sin became
sin for us. The one who knew no sin was made
to be sin. for us, made to be sin. He died the death we couldn't
die and survive. We can die, but it wouldn't atone
for anything. But he died and atoned for every
one of his people. He bore our iniquities. He justified
many. He gave his life for his sheep,
his chosen people. He willingly, obediently, lovingly,
oh, I like that, presented his spirit to the Father. Jesus Christ is the Son of Man
and the Christ of God. And in him, what? The Father
is well pleased, well pleased. Oh, I like that. Because here's
the thing. Jesus Christ finished the work
the Father gave him to do. Oh. And he gave up the ghost. No man took his life from him.
I lay it down. That's what he said. I lay it
down, I'll pick it up. I lay it down, I'll pick up.
I have the power. What did he say in John 17? Father's
given me power over all flesh. That includes his own. That includes
his own. I have the power to lay it down,
I've got the power to take it back up again. No man took his
life. I always like what Earl said.
Jesus Christ's blood was not spilt, it was shed. It was shed
willingly. Oh, I like that. And without
shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins. But this is
also true with his shedding of his blood, there is remission
of sins. Oh. Now there's an effect. Verse 47, now when the centurion
saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, certainly this was
a righteous man. And all the people that came
together to that site, beholding the things which were done, smoked
their breasts and returned. Now, I don't know whether any
of these people, centurion included, were saved. But I do know this,
that centurion spoke the truth that day. Certainly, this was
a righteous man. Now I will change what he said
because I want to put it this way. Certainly this is a righteous
man because he didn't stay dead. On the third day he rose from
the dead and he visited his brothers and sisters. He's not ashamed
to call them brethren and he came and saw them after the resurrection. But I can tell you this, these
people were affected by the words of Christ, by the crucifixion
of Christ that day. If they repented and believed,
I don't know. I really don't know. Jesus Christ
did not stay dead, though, I know that. Yes, he died, and yes, he arose
from the dead. The victory obtained. Oh, I like
that, I do, I do. He hath obtained eternal redemption
for us by the offering of himself once, once. There's not gonna
be any more crucifixion of Christ. There's not gonna be another
drop of his blood shed, Father. into thy hands I commend
my spirit. Oh, I like that. Oh. What did he say, though? He arose
from the dead, the victory obtained, and all those that the Father
gave to him shall come to him, and him that cometh to me I will
in no wise cast out. No drop of blood of Jesus Christ
was shed in vain. Ever, ever. Oh, I like that. The question is, what about you? What about you? Do you believe
this Christ? The perfect sacrifice and substitution
for sin. The perfect son of God and son
of man. Oh, right now. What did he say? Come unto me, all ye that labor
and are heavy laden. And I'll give you rest. I'll
give you rest. He's got the rest. Oh, I like
that. He literally died for his people. He literally died for sinners,
for sinners. And what does it say? In Romans,
Paul wrote it. Call upon the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shalt be saved. So that's the question. What
about you? What about you? Our Heavenly
Father, We're thankful again for this day and this time where we try to preach your truth,
try to hear your gospel. Lord, help us. We can't preach without you. We can't hear without you. We can't see without you. We need your life and your love
in order to believe your son, our Lord Jesus Christ. We can
only believe through the workings of his mighty power. Thank you,
Lord, for all that you've given to us. Keep us by your faith,
believing in your son, continuing to be his disciples, continuing
in his word. In Christ's name we pray, amen.