This devotion looks at the last words Jesus spoke while on the cross. They show how He fully submitted to God’s plan for His life. That plan leads to life, not death.
Nuggets
- Jesus sacrificed Himself.
- Jesus still has a job for now and all of eternity.
- Whatever He did or did not know about the resurrection scheduled to happen, Jesus was still being obedient to the Father.
Devotions in the Sayings from the Cross series
If you have been following along on this series — and have paid attention to the devotions in the series — you saw that I originally entitled this one Death from the Cross. (By the time you go back to look, I should have changed them to the correct button.)
To me, that was logical. I mean, Jesus died.
But I started processing this while writing Completion from the Cross. That turned things on its ear.
It didn’t help that I had originally planned on having this one come out on Saturday but got messed up when I had to divide a devotion into two.
That made death come out on Easter Sunday. That is normally when we think about life.
So, let’s muddle around and see what we are supposed to learn here.
Let's Put It into Context
“When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (Jn. 18: 30 NLT)
Probably what got the gears spinning the most from the last devotion was the realization that the plan of salvation was completed on the cross, not at the resurrection.
Atonement is all about the blood. It isn’t about the waking up from the death sleep.
How does everything fit together?
I Submit
“And Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit.’ Saying this, he breathed his last” (Lk. 23: 46 CSB)
Most of the times, when I have heard sermons on this verse, the focus was on the fact that Jesus wasn’t going to die until He said it was time. “No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded” (Jn. 10: 18 NLT).
They didn’t kill Him. He sacrificed Himself.
And I get that.
Remember, Jesus was Creator, also. “God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him” (Jn. 1: 3 NLT). Creation could not kill the Creator without the Creator allowing it.
This was a real death, not some smoke-and-mirrors trick. It wasn’t a hold-His-breath type of coma.
Jesus died. “… For this is what my Father has commanded” (Jn. 10: 18 NLT).
But I see much more in that here’s-my-spirit saying.
It was Jesus saying, “This plan has been completed. I am now ready to start the next plan.”
The cross wasn’t about death. It was about new life.
God still had plans for Jesus. Even if there hadn’t have been an earthly resurrection, the soul doesn’t die at death.
Jesus still has a job for now and all of eternity. Remember Mediator, Advocate, Intercessor?
Okay, Jesus was probably doing some of that while He was here on earth. But the job was really going to kick in now that He was going back to His Father.
Did Jesus know God was going to raise Him from the dead? Maybe. Maybe not.
We know that Jesus gave up some of His divinity when He took on human form. “Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” (Phil. 2: 7-8 NLT).
At that point, Jesus may not have known what would happen tomorrow because He had put down His all-knowing nature. He may have thought He was going straight up to His Father’s throne.
But it didn’t matter. He said, “… Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit …” (Lk. 23: 46 CSB).
Whatever He did or did not know about the resurrection scheduled to happen, Jesus was still being obedient to the Father. He was still operating under the principle that Father knows best. He was sure that God has the power, wisdom, and love (Bridge) to work “… in all things … for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8: 28 NIV).
If God would have left Jesus in the tomb — and resurrection wasn’t needed for atonement — Jesus was good with that. His mission was to pay the price for our sins. He was ready to do that no matter what it took.
Making the Connections
Oh, did this just slam you like it slammed me? In this pandemic, we don’t know what tomorrow is going to bring. It may bring life. It may bring death.
Shouldn’t we be saying, “I put everything in Your hands, Lord”? Our focus should be on God, not on this world. “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?” (Mk. 8; 36 NLT).
Yes, we still need to social distance. We just have to keep things into perspective.
Things may not stay rainbows and unicorns for us. We know we grow the most during the struggles. So, bad things do happen.
We can do all of the social distancing we want. We can take all of the precautions. God alone knows what our plans are going to contain. He has final say, not us.
We know society has been trying its best to cut God out. Is what we are to learn that this is punishment for that?
Is what we are to learn that, when God prophesies the end of times, He will bring them about?
How Do We Apply This?
Submitting our lives to God bring us more peaceful, joyful lives. Jesus showed us that. We’ve recently talked about peace being an attitude.
Luke 23: 46 reinforces the fact that the soul does not end at death. Our souls will live on through eternity.
That means we have to be ready at death whenever and however it comes. We prepare for death and eternity by ABCDing.
The ABCDs of Salvation
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to
live the way in which God has called us
The Disciple’s Job Description
Herbert wrote, “Our dying does not decide our future fate: it is our living which does that; the course we have taken, the choices we have made when opportunities were in our hands, and we used them, or threw them away!”
Jesus died so we might live. Accepting Him as our Savior and Redeemer gives us spiritual life. Eternal, spiritual life.
The resurrection was visual proof that the blood did its work. Jesus’ blood broke the hold sin has on us.
Since we know Jesus conquered death, we know it allowed us to restore our relationship with God. We can now approach God for life.
Father God. Christ is risen! He has given us life. We admit we are nothing without You. We submit our lives to You. Help us to keep our focus on You. Into Your hands we submit all. Help us to grow in grace and knowledge so that we are prepared for Jesus’ return.
Crowned or Crucified
Vocalist: Elaine Guthals
Keyboard: Chris Vieth
What do you think?
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