Father, Into Your Hands I Commit My Spirit
Father, Into Your Hands I Commit My Spirit
Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Passion Week—the final stretch of our Lenten journey. The cross looms before us, a solemn shadow over these coming days, and we are invited to slow down and reflect on Jesus’ final moments.
On the cross, with His last breath, Jesus cried out: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46). These words are not just His farewell; they are an ultimate declaration of trust and surrender.
A Life of Surrender
From the beginning of His ministry, Jesus demonstrated complete obedience to the Father. Even as a boy, He told His worried parents, “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49). Throughout His teaching, healing, and even in His suffering, Jesus remained focused on doing the Father’s will. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). And on the cross, His final words showed His unwavering trust: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”
This is what surrender looks like. Not just in our final moments, but in the daily choice to trust God’s will over our own.
What Do You Hear in the Word “Father”?
For Jesus, calling God “Father” reflected deep intimacy. But for some of us, that word may bring up pain, distance, or even absence. Maybe your earthly father was absent, unkind, or someone you struggled to trust. It can be hard to reconcile that experience with the loving Father Jesus speaks of.
Yet, God invites us to rediscover what a true Father looks like. He is not distant or cold; He is present, loving, and faithful. Even if our earthly fathers fell short, our Heavenly Father never fails. His love endures forever (Psalm 136).
My father was sort of strict, not always expressive in love and at times sort of distant. But there is one moment from my childhood that I will never forget. One day, while out for a ride with my dad, he stopped on the side of the road and asked if I wanted to drive his beloved motorcycle. It was a massive bike, intimidating and powerful. I hesitated, nervous. But my dad simply said, “I won’t let you drop it.” And in that moment, I knew—my father trusted me.
That’s the kind of Father God is. The One who says, “I won’t let you fall. I am here.”
Learning to Trust Like Jesus
Trusting God doesn’t come naturally to most of us. We like to be in control. We hold onto our plans, our fears, our anxieties. But Jesus shows us another way—the way of surrender. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).
When Jesus surrendered to the Father’s will, He wasn’t giving up—He was stepping into victory. His final words weren’t words of defeat, but of trust. “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” It was a fulfillment of Psalm 31:5: “Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.”
What would it look like for us to live with that kind of surrender? To wake up each morning and say, “Father, into your hands I commit this day”? To release our worries and plans into His care? To trust that even in suffering, God is still working for good?
A Call to Surrender
Jesus’ last words are an invitation. An invitation to release control, to trust the Father, to commit our lives—our very souls—into His hands. It’s not just a one-time decision; it’s a daily choice. A choice to surrender our fears, our ambitions, our burdens, and to trust that He is faithful.
This week, as we journey toward the cross, let’s reflect on Jesus’ surrender and what it means for us. Where is God asking you to trust Him more? Where are you holding on too tightly?
Let’s pray the words of Jesus today: Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. And may that be the cry of our hearts—not just in death, but in life.