When Jesus was twelve years old, he questioned, “Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49) and on his crucifixion, he spoke seven sayings that are often expanded upon on Good Friday services, all over the world. This series, ‘Let’s talk business’ is a look at the seven sayings of Jesus Christ from the Cross, from a business perspective. Today we shall look at the seventh saying from the Cross, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit” as recorded in  Luke 23:46.

According to BusinessDictionary.com, the term “closure” is used to describe the termination of an project or activity. This happens after handover and closeout. The Association for Project Management defines handover as the final phase in which the deliverables are handed over to the sponsor and closeout as the process of finalizing all project matters.

When Jesus said “Father, into thy hands, I commend my spirit” before giving up his ghost, he was essentially handing over his spirit to God the Father, finalizing his act of being The Savior of the world and putting to closure the need for any more sacrifice for the remission of sins. God’s project of making a means to reconcile mankind to himself (2 Corinthians 5:19), was now put to an end, because Jesus’ willing and unblemished sacrifice was accepted by God (Hebrews 10:10). Jesus came to save sinners and give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45) and now he had finished the work that God had given him to do (John 17:4). With this last saying, he was declaring to the world and to God the Father, that his work of redeeming mankind was now complete. He was ready to be restored to the former glory that he had with God the Father, even before the world existed (John 17:5), putting a closure to his earthly mission.

Points to ponder:
Jesus handed over his spirit to God the Father and put a closure to his mission, while on earth. Can you/I emulate this model of Jesus Christ and hand overselves over, in totality (our body as a living sacrifice, our mind reflecting the humility as that of Christ, and our spirit), to God, and put a closure to the worldly things of this world, while on earth?

Luke 23:46 (KJV)
46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.