Easter 2010 Meditations

The Seventh Word

⁴⁴ It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, ⁴⁵ while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶ Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. ⁴⁷ Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” ⁴⁸ And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. ⁴⁹ And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.  (Luke 23:44-49)

Meditation on the Seventh Word

Death, the final enemy, no longer has the power to terrorize or torment us.  The only power death has over us is the power we give it.  Those who have placed their trust in Christ can follow His lead into the presence of God.  These are words of comfort; words of peace; words of instruction.  The journey that Jesus has traveled has been long and, at times, difficult.  But we see here in the final moments that the reward is worth the cost.  “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!”  Jesus is dead.  The hope of Glory seems to have been lost.  We are left now with the heavy charge to contemplate these things.