September 7 Offering For You

Luke 23:46-47 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. 47 The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.”
 
JESUS’ last words as a man are a prayer from Psalms 31:1-5 “In you, O Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. 2 Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. 3 Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. 4 Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. 5 Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O Lord, the God of truth.”
    I think there’s about an hour’s sermon here. But I’ll attempt, instead, to convey some of God’s gracious truth with a few words.
    One important understanding of Jesus’ prayer is to know this was prayed at the Jews’ evening offering. How good it is to close a day seeking deliverance from sin’s shame. For the Christian, saved in faith, this prayer is our humble confession daily of our need for God. Such confession will steadfastly draw us closer to God. If you have yet to declare faith in Christ, this prayer will serve to open your heart, soul and mind to increasingly understand you need God’s righteousness – his perfection – to be in his eternal sacred refuge.
    Yes, this prayer was a good prayer – a God-centered prayer – for the Jew before Christ. It is good for the Christian now. It can even be soul transforming for the unconfessed sinner. This prayer submits to God’s holiness and eternal protection. But why would the sinless Son of God pray, “Redeem me, O Lord, the God of truth.”  Surely, the Redeemer has no need of redemption!
    Here are two reasons I believe Jesus prayed these words. First, remember he was on the cross for mankind’s sins. 2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Jesus prayed for the Father to remove sin’s condemnation from his human spirit. The physical Lamb of God prayed that the offering of his body and blood would be acceptable to the Father. He could not enter the LORD’s refuge with sin on his spirit. And thus, he will be forgiven of the world’s sins thrust upon him. Do you see how deep, high, wide and long is God’s love? He sent his Son to be sin, so the Son could redeem sin!  
    The second reason Jesus prayed this out loud is for this very moment – right now – when (I pray.) you are learning about it. We have seen that each step of Jesus’ tragic death is a lesson to lead us into deeper discipleship. Here is the last step. His final words even become another way he teaches us to pray. We must learn to pray in all circumstances, especially, “Into your hands I commit my spirit. Deliver me from evil.”
    The centurion said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” He spoke God’s truth. A righteous person knows of sin and humbly seeks God’s redemption even to his last breath.
 
Prayer: Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O Lord, the God of truth. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.