March 16, 2021
Seven Last Words Series #7
Death Conquered
Episode 47

Luke 23:44-47 (NIV)
 44  It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, 
 45  for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 

At this point, according to the gospel of John which we looked at last Sunday, Jesus said “it is finished.”  And then in the next breath, vs. 46 …

46  Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last. 
 47  The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, "Surely this was a righteous man." 

Three things that we can draw from Jesus' words, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." 

1. The relationship with the Father has been restored.  "Reunion"
2. The contrast of the hands, being in the "hands of men" for 12 hours and then putting himself into the hands of the father. 
3. Jesus did not have his life taken away from him. He willingly gave it up. He gave himself into his father's hands. 

Jesus was not conquered by death on the cross.  On the cross Jesus conquered death.  

In 1815 Napoleon was on the move.  As the emperor of France he had conquered much of Europe and now he had his eyes on England.  To try to stop him the British and Prussian armies under the command of the Duke of Wellington met the French army in Belgium.  

Everyone in England waited for news of the outcome of the battle.  This was before instant news on TV or radio, before cellphones or even before the telegram.  

Eventually a British ship came into the harbor and began to send a signal to the watchman in the cathedral tower. 

The 1st word was Wellington. 

The next word was defeated. 

And then a fog began to fill the harbor so that the ship could no longer be seen.  

The signal man in the cathedral tower was devastated.  Wellington had been defeated.  All hope for England was gone.  The bad news spread fast from village to village and city to city.  The nation was in shock.  They would now have to live under the rule of Napoleon.  

But soon the fog began to fade away and the ship began to send the signal again.

Wellington defeated 

the enemy!

All of England rejoiced!

On Good Friday it appeared that Jesus had been defeated at the hands of men, but in reality he was in the hands of God. Jesus was not conquered by death on the cross.  On the cross Jesus conquered death.