"Father into Thy hands I commend My Spirit" or "Giving up the Ghost" Luke 23, John 19, Matthew 27, Article 19
We deal with the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Jews that wanted Him as their king were now crucifying Him and the terror and indignation of our God was being poured out on our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ commends His PHYSICAL death into the hands of the Lord. Many do NOT want to talk about death. We can confront death however ("to dies is gain; today you will be with me in paradise.") We too are more than conquerors through death.
No one escapes death. It IS a universal truth. The soul that sins MUST die! This is in God's sovereign decree that man may fall upon Christ! Death passed upon ALL men. Our death and Christ's are identical in a certain sense. Corruption is universal and it propels us to the grave being the result of sin. Christ had to go through death like we do....but ALSO very different. Sin spiritually separates us from God (by nature) but the spiritual death of Christ had already taken place in the 4th crossword when He descended into hell. He is separated from God after He suffers under Pontius Pilate. That still left Him in the body of this flesh that had to be put into the grave.
The body into the grave still had to be dealt with and He had to undergo the TOTALITY of SIN (spiritually and physically.) He did what we cannot do.....He GAVE His life! We cannot give our body to death....death is GIVEN to us....BUT Christ OFFERED Himself to death. "Father into Thy hands I commend my Spirit." He lays down His life. After the sting of death was fully satisfied He was able to give up the Ghost and rendered His Spirit to God because He satisfied the law and consequences FULLY and death and the grave had NOTHING to say to Him!
Death and the grave now have nothing to say to us either as we are adopted to His sonship! We too must die.....BUT the grave and death are now the service to the child of God. They SERVE US! A gift to us having already been reconciled to God! We WILL open our eyes in glory! The grave ONLY holds the body so that it may blossom forth!
Do NOT fear it like the world beloved. He made the PERFECT sacrifice for us. Himself....that we may enter Glory!