As a child, my mother would often sing to me before bed; sometimes silly songs, sometimes songs from her generation, sometimes songs from camp: Songs like, Down in the Meadow, in an itty bitty Pool, and KKKKatie. When all the singing was through we would read a story and then say our prayers together; prayers for the family, the gift of the day, our family pets. Many people in my generation and yours have learned the bedtime prayer,
“Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep…
Even though I did not finish the prayer I am sure many of you automatically did so. It is so familiar that it continues in our heads even when the words are not spoken. Even though I do not remember reciting that as a child, I treasure the idea of having a daily prayer that returned our thoughts to God, instilled a sense that God cared and listened, and taught the power of prayer.
The words Jesus proclaims – “into your hands I commend my spirit,” were a familiar prayer in Jesus’ time. They come from Psalm 31, and the verse continues with, “you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God. This was more than just a psalm. William Barclay asserts many Jewish mothers would teach this prayer to their children, much like we recite prayers at bedtime. “Into your hands I commend my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.” Our Lord might have learned these moving words from his mother, maybe even at bedtime. “Into your hands I commend my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.” These are words that would bring comfort; these familiar words reunite Jesus with God.
These words are not said in the comfort of a bedtime snuggle, but rather as the Son of God is being crucified. Hanging from the cross between two criminals, Jesus says his final eight words. Darkness has shadowed the earth for three hours on the day Jesus was crucified. The temple veil that separates the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple is torn. These eight words are said in a loud voice, something that seems out of place to me. Then I realized Jesus was saying them, as he so often did, for our edification not for his. Jesus said these words so that we would know that even in his death Jesus is willingly giving up, offering up to God, the essence of his being. Nothing is being taken from Jesus. Nothing could be taken. Yes he died on the cross at the hands of Rome, but Christ did that willingly, so that we might live in the eternal promise of his love, grace and forgiveness.
First and foremost, Jesus commends his spirit to God. The word “commend” means to “to entrust for care.” In earth’s darkest hour, Jesus gives his essence unto God’s care. As a mother I have been entrusted with the care of very special things belonging to my boys. As a child, my older son would give me his precious blankey when we traveled so that it would not get lost. Or so often mom’s purse became the safe haven for the newest game or toy, so that as life called the boys away, they knew their treasure would be safe in my care. Of course Jesus is not giving his blankey, but rather his life, his spirit to God.
The word Spirit in the New Testament has basically two meanings- the distinctive qualities of human life and the dynamic creative activity of God. Of course Jesus embodies them both. Being fully human and fully divine Jesus offers both aspects to God. Jesus is giving to God all the qualities that make him human, all the aspects of his character that help us to bond with him, his human sensitivities, his moments of doubts, his suffering and pain. For Jesus knows every circumstance in human life. Jesus is also giving his divine essence back to God. For Jesus could have saved himself from this horrible pain and death. Being divine, Jesus could have answered all the jeers of the on-lookers by calling forth angels to rescue him. That was not the will of the Father; that was not Christ’s purpose in coming.
From the beginning, we came into being when God breathed life into the new creation. From the start, God gave the breath of life and we live and have our being because of the gracious nature of our God. Jesus was with God from the beginning, only to empty himself and take on human form so that we might know God through Christ; the same Christ who knows us fully, who knows our pains, our joys, our heartache, our delight. Through Jesus Christ, the Holiness of God became tangible and real, living and breathing; subject to all the trials and tribulations the world has to offer. So, just as Jesus is giving his spirit to God, he breathes his last breath.
We do not have to wait for our last breath to give our spirit, our essence to God. God wants us to make that choice each and every day- to commend our lives to God- to seek out God’s will. Especially in our darkest hours, we are to turn towards God, offer up the best and the worst of our humanness, knowing that God will graciously receive us.
Yet as Jesus gave up his Spirit and breathed his last, we see the culmination of the Alpha and the Omega. For Spirit and breath come from the same Greek word, so as Jesus commends his Spirit to God, his life on earth is complete, and he breathes his last. Spirit and breath – same word.
Recently I have received several emails with inspirational pictures- I am sure in anticipation of Holy week. Yet the one that stopped me cold was one that you might have also seen. It was of an image of a strong masculine hand gently cradling a newborn’s delicate hand, with only the tiny fingers peaking out. Together they were wrapped, nestled, and held in comforting strength, peaceful calm and a reassuring connection. The simplicity was profound of the black and white picture and the dichotomy of strength and innocence, fullness and newness.
When I first looked at these last eight words, ‘commend” and “spirit” were the words that drew my focus. As the week went on, and as we journeyed closer to the cross, God’s loving, powerful, comforting hand, and the intimacy of their relationship, offered hope. In his darkest hour, when he gave the ultimate sacrifice of his life for our sins, Jesus took his Father’s hand. Once again Jesus takes the common and elevates it to the sacred. For in holding hands there is strength, power and comfort.
We join hands in prayer and in protest,
We join hands in greeting and departing,
We join hands in love and in compassion. Of course this is no ordinary hand, this is God’s hand, the almighty hand of God, the hand that saves, that redeems. As Jesus commends his spirit into the hand of God, he is fulfilling God’s purpose, and dying for our sins.
Into your hand- we turn our lives over to God’s care.
Into your hand-we find comfort, strength, love and grace.
Into your hand- we honor the Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.
Remember how I told you about these words being a Jewish prayer, well Jesus did make one small change, one small addition- he personalized the prayer. Jesus added the word Father, one powerfully simple word, draws Christ intimately closer to God. He is invoking the bond of their relationship, drawing near to the source of his strength, knowing that he will soon return to his Father, return to our heavenly Father.
I can only wonder if when Jesus breathed his last, if those who heard his final words, in shock and disbelief at the death of their Lord, found comfort in continuing the Psalm in their minds, “You have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.” Amen.
