So, this week concludes the journey through Arthur W. Pink’s The Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the Cross. I’ll put up a short review tomorrow when I have more time. But to follow suit, today I’d like to quickly point out some of the thoughts Pink laid out this week that really struck me.
First, this week focused on Jesus’ “Word of Contentment”. Namely, Luke 23:46:
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.
One of the most striking things that I noticed this week was an uncanny correlation. While Jesus’ was on the cross, there are seven things recorded of him. Seven is a holy number. It was the day when God rested after having finished creating; he labored for six days, then on the seventh rested. Likewise, Jesus throughout six utterances labored and toiled in pain, and on the seventh rested with his Father.
Pink says it much better than I:
“ ‘Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.’ This was the last utterance of the Saviour ere he expired. While he hung upon the cross, seven times his lips moved in speech. Seven is the number of completeness or perfection. At Calvary then, as everywhere, the perfections of the Blessed One were displayed. Seven is also the number of rest in a finished work: in six days God made heaven and earth and in the seventh he rested, contemplating with satisfaction that which he had pronounced “very good”. So here with Christ: a work had been given him to do, and that work was now done. Just as the sixth day brought the work of creation and reconstruction to a completion, so the sixth utterance of the Saviour was “It is finished.” And just as the seventh day was the day of rest and satisfaction, so the seventh utterance of the Saviour brings him to the place of rest - the Father’s hands.”
Pink also pointed out how this underscores what Jesus had said earlier, “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” (John 10:18). Not only was Jesus setting an example of Love and proving that it was His choice, but also dying a totally unique death. No one could rob Jesus of life, but he freely gave it up. After everything was finished and completed, Jesus ‘yielded’ up his spirit.
Well worth the meditation.
