Fr Arockia Dhas Rayappan –
Jesus loudly prays before he dies: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23.46). The evening prayer, which traces its origin to the Psalm prayer of David (Psalm 31.5), is devoutly prayed by the Jews.
“Jesus died with a bedtime prayer upon His lips that every Jewish mother taught her children. He had learned it in the arms of Mary. Only one word is added to this verse, “Father.” It tells us how our Lord died: confidently, willingly (John 10:17–18), and victoriously (John 19:30).”[1]
Prayer of Total Surrender
“When all shall fail us, then God will take care of us,” says Saint Francis de Sales. Jesus’ is a prayer of surrender. It is the personal spirit of Jesus that he surrenders. Yes, he surrenders his very self (Hebrews 4.12; 1 Thessalonians 5.23). This surrender is done with the knowledge that there is life with the Father beyond death. As devout Jew he prayed these words as part of an evening prayer all his life. Now at the point his death, he prays them one last time and he offers his human life to embrace the life that the Father was to offer in his own presence.[2]
Through this loud prayer from the Cross, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit,” Jesus reveals his full faith and confidence in the Father. From his prayer, we receive the spiritual insight for our life as followers of Christ:
“He (Christ) gave us an example, that shows us how to pray. When we have done everything, we can in a situation and there is nothing more to do, and the way ahead seems uncertain then we should do what Jesus did. Knowing that God loves us and that He will see us through the time ahead we can pray: Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”[3]
Imitating him, we too “entrust ourselves-our life, future, and destiny into God’s hands.”[4] There will be victory after an apparent defeat. As Jesus believed, the Father sees him through the darkness and brings him to the light.
“Jesus shows how we should face death. For a believer it should be a confident expectation of entering God’s presence and finding oneself in the safety of the Father’s hands, entering into rest from the storms of life. Into thy hands – signifies looking forward to closer fellowship with the Father.”[5]
This prayer assures us of an eternal security and intimate union and fellowship with the Father. The death of Jesus explains the understanding of salvation by Saint Luke.
“Even on a cross, Jesus died like a child falling asleep in his father’s arms.”[6]
Prayer of God-confidence
At the final moment of his life on earth, Jesus acknowledges the presence of the Father who has been with him all through. His loud prayer proves that Jesus shared an intimate communion with the Father. Now he presents him into the Father who is present with him. Death to humanity is “the greatest unknown and the hardest challenge of all.”[7] But for Christ, the awaited death is no more outright enemy. It is through the eventual death; he commends his life of offering to the Father as a sign of fulfillment and accomplishment of the mission. At the instant, all seem bleak because of the awaiting death; but Jesus has the Father with him. He is not alone so he has hope and confidence in the Father. When all else fails before the sight of the world, Jesus is infused with God-confidence because of his intimate and very personal experience of the Father.
“The power of God is capable of finding hope where hope no longer exists, and a way where the way is impossible.” – Saint Gregory of Nyssa
Jesus entrusts himself – his own very life to the Father. He does so because of his pure and confident faith because the future is safe in the hands of the Father. In a way, Jesus offers his eternal destiny and of the whole cosmos to the Father. Jesus offers himself totally to be received totally by the Father. His generous and willing act is enunciated well by a succinct quote of Saint Francis of Assisi:
“Hold back nothing of yourselves for yourselves so that he who gives himself totally to you may receive you totally.”
Prayer of Fulfillment
This prayer reveals that his entire life was spent in the shadow of the Cross – to be embraced. It proves that he had been moving forward towards the ultimate and final victory over death. The final demonstration of his life is now on a display on the Cross. He has won it over for us. Through the Cross, Jesus fulfills the divine plan and mission.
Conclusion
Through Jesus’ surrender by dying on the Cross, we are redeemed. Yes, our redemption is realized by the willful offering and the precious blood of the unblemished and spotless lamb – the blood of Christ (1 Peter 1.18, 19). Indeed, the precious blood of Jesus is the power of God. His sacred blood has cleansed us from all sin. It is true that it was the Blood of Jesus that was offered on the altar for redemption. Now it is being relived daily in the Holy Eucharist. By way imitation, let us surrender ourselves at the Eucharistic Table with God-confidence that traces its origin to Jesus’ Confidence in the Father before his death as it was throughout Jesus’ life.
Competing interest: “The author declares that he has no financial or personal relationship(s) which may have inappropriately influenced him in writing this article.”
Arockia Dhas Rayappan <[email protected]> is a priest of the Archdiocese of Delhi, India. He is a Ph.D. student at Concordia University, Canada. He is dedicated to social change and creating positive impacts that are deeply rooted in the Gospel values expounded by Jesus Christ. He is committed to social justice, non-violent conflict resolution and community building based on Jesus’ vision of life that is resplendent in Gospels and the documents of the Second Vatican Council. His doctoral research explores practical, resourceful, and sustainable ways to foster community harmony by nurturing and sustaining the Basic Ecclesial Communities in the contemporary Indian multi-cultural, pluri-religious, social, economic, and political milieu. His contributions have been published in Jnana Deepa Times, Golden Key – online, The Examiner, The Indian Currents, The New Leader, The Tablet – online, The Vidyajyoti Journal of Theological Reflection, and The Voice of Delhi.
[1] “Luke 23:46 “Father into Thy Hands,” Abide in Christ, accessed on March 10, 2024, http://www.abideinchrist.com/messages/lk23v46.html.
[2] R.F. Wilson, “Seven Last Words of Christ from the Cross,” Jesus Walk Bible Study Series, accessed on March 10, 2043, https://www.jesuswalk.com/7-last-words/7_commit.htm.
[3] “Luke 23:46 The Seventh Saying from the Cross,” Oxford Bible Church, accessed on March 10, 2024, https://www.oxfordbiblechurch.co.uk/index.php/bible-commentary/new-testament/luke/2491-luke-23-46-the-seventh-saying-from-the-cross.
[4] “Luke 23:46 The Seventh Saying from the Cross,” https://www.oxfordbiblechurch.co.uk/index.php/bible-commentary/new-testament/luke/2491-luke-23-46-the-seventh-saying-from-the-cross.
[5] “Luke 23:46 The Seventh Saying from the Cross,” https://www.oxfordbiblechurch.co.uk/index.php/bible-commentary/new-testament/luke/2491-luke-23-46-the-seventh-saying-from-the-cross.
[6] “Luke 23:46 “Father into Thy Hands,” http://www.abideinchrist.com/messages/lk23v46.html.
[7] “Luke 23:46 The Seventh Saying from the Cross,” https://www.oxfordbiblechurch.co.uk/index.php/bible-commentary/new-testament/luke/2491-luke-23-46-the-seventh-saying-from-the-cross.