THE CLIMB TO CALVARY
Meditations on The Seven Last Words of Christ
The Seventh Words
“And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, ‘Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit’” (Luke 23:46).
At the time of the crucifixion, it was typical for Jewish parents to teach and recite with their child a single prayer (Psalm 31:5) at bedtime. (This is much like many parents do with their children today, as in “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray my soul to keep…”) This final statement on the cross from Jesus was that very same Psalm and prayer parents were saying with their children – with only the word “Father” added to it.