7. “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!

” (Luke 23:46) Jesus

willingly gave his life.

As I was contemplating on this 7th statement or the 7th of the seven

last words of Jesus, I was able to recall my high school days when
our journalism adviser taught us how to write essays and editorials.
That apart from an attractive headline or title and a catchy
introduction is a perfect concluding statement at the last paragraph
of your essay for this is a part where your reader decides whether
he is convinced or touched with your essay.

The 7th last words of Jesus, which says, “Father, into your hands I
commit my spirit!”, I think is the perfect concluding statement,
which I believe have always been a part of a Christian’s life, and is
common to everyone in contextual way, especially, when we are in a
sudden danger (give example) or when a person is nearing at the
entrance of death. (give example)
I have witnessed few people who are in their “last minutes” in
life and they used to utter this last statement of Jesus in their
contextual way, “Ginoo dawata ako,”, “Ginoo pasayloa ako”. I even
could not forget how my grandfather, the father of my mother, had
these words expressed. Since he could no longer utter a word, he
just raised his two hands while his eyes barely open were looking
above (seemed like talking to God and entrusting his life), in which
after that he had his last breath, concluding all his sufferings.
We might say, I expression ra mana kay mao man gyud na
basta mamatay na, maoy naandan. But remember, even before
Jesus, this statement had been attributed to David in the Old
Testament. And we could not say that Jesus uttered it kay maoy
naandan. There is more on this statement that as Christians today
should look into.
So looking back at the statement “Father, into your hands, I
commit my spirit!” is more than a concluding statement. For me,
Jesus wanted the people to know that very moment that there is the
Father, the creator of life and that he acknowledged the source of
life. That by saying “into your hands, I commit my spirit” is an
acknowledgement of His Creator. Jesus could have let himself out of
that situation kay gamhanan man sya. But He opted to give up His
life to fulfill the prophecy that a son would be given for the
salvation of men.
Secondly, even in his last breath, the comfort He found on the
cross is the same comfort he leaves with His people. His was giving
assurance to everyone that at the end of it we can find peace into
the Father. Ug naay question, unsay comfort, nga nagbitay-bitay na
gani sa krus, asa lugar ang comfort daana.
Kung naka experience mo making-storya sa himalatyon na,
diha makita nato nga they are trying to comfort those they will be
leaving soon. Bisan sakit, moingon sila, ayaw paghilak, okey ra ko,
paghigugmaay kamo, in short mga pamilinbilin. Makadumdum
kung Pastor Yen, nga sa pakasulti pa sya, “Atimana ninyo ako anak,
okey na ko.”
Siguro people usually come to this point where even in the
darkest and saddest moment in life, there is always a place where
we can place all our troubles and sorrows and replace them with
peace and hope. Probably because we know that there is this Great
Being, our Creator, who we know that in times of suffering, will carry
us; that we can entrust our life to him.
 Let me ask, when do we commit ourselves, our spirit to Him, to
our Creator? Do we need to be on that cross, or to suffer a serious
ailment to say father, into your hands, I commit my spirit?
I think in this present time, this statement should not only be
treated as a concluding statement, where we remember it at our
darkest hours or at our most challenging times. I think we can
manifest it any time. Jesus might have it the last word or statement
to utter before his last breath, but it didn’t mean we’ll have it that way.
Let us not wait for the last minute to come for sometimes that last
minutes happen beyond our imagination. Sure kaha ta nga maka-
istorya pa ka kung kalit lang nadat-ugan imong ulo sa dakong bato?
What I would like to say is that, entrusting our life, our spirit to God
could happen any time, could happen as early as now, when we are
still able, healthy, breathing life. That by entrusting our life to Him is
likewise building a covenant with Him. Mao bitaw moingon ta nga
Your will be done. By saying Your Will be done, it means we have
already entrusted ourselves, our life our everything to God.
As we remember Jesus’ suffering, we may also be enlightened
with His words, that there’s the Father who provides comfort in times
of distress and sorrows. All we must do is to acknowledge Him as the
source of everything, the source of our life. And as we commemorate
his words on the cross, let us ask ourselves, have I fully entrusted my
life, my everything to Him?
Amen.