“And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.” (Matthew 27:50 (ESV)
“And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last.” (Mark 15:37 (ESV)
“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.” (Luke 23:46 (ESV)
In our study of the Gospel of Matthew’s record of the Passion Week of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is necessary, and insightful, to examine all four Gospel accounts. This discipline provides us understanding of all the events and encounters which took place during those hours.
The following excerpt is by the 16th century Protestant reformer, theologian and pastor, John Calvin. It is taken from his commentary from the Gospels.
“He (Jesus) declared that, though He was fiercely attacked by violent temptations, still His faith was unshaken and always kept its ground unvanquished. For there could not have been a more splendid triumph than when Christ boldly expresses His assurance that God is the faithful guardian of His soul, which all imagined to be lost.”
“But instead of speaking to the deaf, He betook Himself directly to God and committed to His bosom the assurance of His confidence. He wished, indeed, that men should hear what He said; but though it might be of no avail to men, He was satisfied with having God alone as His witness.”
“There is not a stronger or more decided testimony of faith than when a pious man – perceiving Himself attacked on every hand, so that he finds no consolation on the part of men, despises the madness of the whole world, discharges His sorrows and cares into the bosom of God and rests in the hope of His promises.”
“Let us now remember that it was not in reference to Himself alone that Christ committed His soul to the Father, but that He included, as it were, in one bundle all the souls of those who believe in Him, that they may be preserved along with His own. By this prayer He obtained authority to save all souls, so that not only does the heavenly Father, for His sake, deign to take them into His custody, but giving up the authority into His hands, commits them to Him to be protected. Everyone, when he comes to die, following this example, shall believe in Christ, will not breathe his soul at random into the air, but will resort to a faithful guardian who keeps in safety whatever has been delivered to Him by the Father.”
“The cry shows also the intensity of the feeling; for there can be no doubt that Christ, out of the sharpness of the temptations by which He was beset, not without painful and strenuous effort, broke into this cry. And yet He likewise intended, by His loud and piercing exclamation, to assure us that His soul would be safe and uninjured by death in order that we, supported by the same confidence, may cheerfully depart from the frail hovel of our flesh.”
Soli deo Gloria!
His Word Today 