Transcript and outline prepared by AI—please comment if you notice any errors.
Outline and Summary
I. Introduction: When Good Deeds Bring Suffering
Common experience: suffering for doing good ("no good deed goes unpunished").
Key question: How should we respond to undeserved suffering?
1 Peter 4:19 — “Entrust your soul to a faithful Creator while doing good.”
Ultimate example: Jesus on the cross—greatest moment of undeserved suffering.
II. Jesus’ Last Word from the Cross (Luke 23:44–49)
Darkness over the land: a sign of judgment.
Tearing of the temple curtain: signifying direct access to God through Jesus’ finished work.
Jesus’ final cry: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”
A declaration of trust.
Contrast with earlier cry of abandonment (“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” from Psalm 22).
Jesus voluntarily gives up his life (John 10:17–18).
Jesus entrusts himself not to people but to God.
Reference: John 2 — Jesus didn’t entrust himself to men, for he knew what was in them.
III. Jesus’ Death and Burial (Luke 23:50–56)
Joseph of Arimathea: a member of the council who dissented from the decision to crucify Jesus.
Requests Jesus' body, gives him an honorable burial.
Women disciples prepare spices to anoint the body.
Sabbath intervenes—pause in activity and expectation.
IV. The Empty Tomb and Angelic Message (Luke 24:1–12)
Women come to the tomb expecting to anoint a dead body.
The stone is rolled away, the body is gone.
Angelic rebuke: “Why do you seek the living among the dead?”
Reminder: Jesus had foretold his death and resurrection multiple times.
Women believe and report to the apostles.
Apostles are slow to believe—skeptical of the women's report.
Peter goes to investigate, leaves marveling.
V. The Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13–35)
Two disciples walking in sadness and confusion.
Jesus joins them but is unrecognized.
They express disappointment: “We had hoped he would redeem Israel.”
Jesus rebukes them: “O foolish ones, slow of heart to believe…”
He gives them a Bible study:
Shows from Moses and all the prophets that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer before entering glory.
Traces themes: Genesis 3:15, Exodus, David’s path to kingship, Isaiah’s suffering servant.
Pattern: suffering → glory.
At dinner, Jesus breaks bread—their eyes are opened.
Immediate response: return to Jerusalem to tell others.
VI. Resurrection and Exaltation of Jesus
Romans 1:4 — Jesus declared Son of God by his resurrection.
Philippians 2 — exalted and given the name above every name.
Daniel 7 — Son of Man receives dominion and glory from the Ancient of Days.
Hebrews 2 — Jesus fulfills Psalm 8, regaining dominion as the true man.
The second Adam who succeeds where the first failed.
Crowned with glory as both God and man.
VII. Application: Trusting God Through Suffering
Jesus entrusted himself to the Father—and was vindicated.
Pattern for us:
1 Peter 5 — Humble yourself under God’s mighty hand, and in due time, he will exalt you.
Christ’s path is our path: humble suffering, then eternal glory.
Challenge: Do we live like Jesus is still in the tomb (Holy Saturday), or do we live in the power of resurrection Sunday?
VIII. Closing Call and Prayer
Do you know the burning joy of walking with Jesus?
Trust in Christ’s death and resurrection—receive forgiveness and new life.
Live in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5).
Invitation to repent, believe, and follow the risen Christ.
📌 SERMON SUMMARY
This sermon walks through the final word of Jesus from the cross—“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit”—and continues through the burial, resurrection, and post-resurrection appearance on the road to Emmaus (Luke 23–24). It frames Jesus’ death not as a tragedy but as the ultimate act of trusting God amidst suffering.
Jesus models perfect faith: in the face of betrayal, abandonment, and unjust suffering, he entrusts his spirit to the Father. His death is not the end but the turning point, vindicated by his resurrection and exaltation as both Son of God and Son of Man.
Through this lens, the sermon challenges us: Are we slow of heart to believe? Do we respect Jesus but live like he’s still in the tomb? The call is to believe his words, embrace the pattern of suffering before glory, and trust that God will exalt the humble—just as he exalted Jesus.
The message ends with a passionate appeal to respond in faith: trust Christ’s finished work, walk in resurrection life, and know the burning joy of a heart awakened to the living Christ.
Transcript
This morning we're going to be in the Gospel of Luke. The Gospel of Luke will start in chapter 23.
Have you ever done something good and suffered for it? There's an old saying, "no good deed goes unpunished," and I've thought that many times as I've tried to do something good and it blows up in my face. How do you respond? In those times of mistreatment, you've done something kind for someone and they respond angrily in return, or you feel like you're being mistreated. You have undeserved suffering as a result of doing something good.
In the book of 1 Peter 4:19, Peter tells his readers that we ought to entrust our souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. That even in the midst of suffering, even in the midst of trial, our hope, our trust should be in God.
Well, there was no greater moment in the history of the world, no greater moment of undeserved suffering than what our Savior, Jesus Christ, faced on the cross. So as we conclude our series on the seven words—the seven sayings of Jesus from the cross—we come to this last one here. It's found in Luke chapter 23. I'm going to read verses 44 to 49:
It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, when the sun's light faded, and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 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.
Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent.” And all the crowds that had assembled for the spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.
Over the past several weeks, we've discussed the importance of the things that are mentioned there in verses 44 and 45. The three hours of darkness were representative of God's judgment, as the wrath of God the Father was poured out on the Son, who became sin for us. The sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice is symbolized in the tearing of the temple curtain—the curtain that hung between the holy place where the priest would go in and minister, and the Holy of Holies, where only once a year the high priest was allowed to go and offer up blood for his sins and for the unintentional sins of the people. That veil symbolized a separation between God and his people, and it was torn in two at the death of Christ.
At the completion of his work there on the cross, Jesus cried out to the Father. It's interesting here in verse 46, the shift in language. A few weeks ago, we talked about both in Mark 15 and in Matthew 27, we hear Jesus quote Psalm 22, where he says, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?”—“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” He's speaking there as he's finishing his suffering for sin on the cross. He cries out to the Father asking, “Why have you abandoned me? Why are you punishing me?” And we know the reason is because he had taken on our sin. And Jesus himself knew that. In quoting Psalm 22—which begins with that cry of desperation but finishes with a declaration of trust in the Father—he’s pointing to a bigger truth.
Here, a similar thing happens. Jesus' language shifts from referring to God as “God” to now referring to him again as “Father.” He says, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” We see again the control of Jesus, as we've discussed multiple times in recent weeks. In John 10:17–18, Jesus had said, “No one takes my life from me. I lay it down of my own accord.” He laid down his life voluntarily, willingly, happily for the sheep—for his people.
He commits his soul to the Father. It's the language of trust. Jesus, having gone through all the suffering that he went through in bearing our sin and God's wrath against that sin, comes to the end of that time there on the cross and he says, “Father, I am trusting you with the results of this action.” Jesus entrusted himself to God and God alone.
That would seem to be a pretty wise thing to do, considering how unfaithful people are. In John 2, Jesus, after he had cleared the temple initially in his ministry—he had come into the temple and found people selling and buying and said, “You’ve turned this place into a den of robbers.” He fashions a cord of whips and drives them all out. Afterwards, people are amazed and say, “I'm going to follow you.” But it says, Jesus, for his part, did not entrust himself to men, for he knew the hearts of men and needed no one to tell him what was in man.
Jesus did not entrust himself to men. That would have led to a lot of heartache. Judas had betrayed him. Peter, who had sworn his allegiance, had just denied him three times. And all of the disciples who, right along with Peter, had said, “Yes, Lord, we'll never leave you,” fled from him in the garden. All those closest to him either outright betrayed him or abandoned him in his hour of need. He did not entrust himself to men.
Here in the hour of his death, Jesus entrusts himself to the Father. He does this because they had planned this moment before the world began. Ephesians 1 tells us that this was the plan of God since before the foundation of the world.
And yet, nonetheless, for Jesus' followers, this surely looked like the hour of greatest defeat—not like the thing they had planned. We see in the verses that follow that Jesus' followers loved him and they honored him—but that's not really enough.
In verse 50, we read: There was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, who had not consented to their decision and action. He was looking for the kingdom of God. The council—the Sanhedrin—was the group that had initially condemned Jesus and then sent him to Pilate to try to get him killed. Joseph was a member of that council, but he didn’t agree with what had happened.
This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone where no one had ever yet been laid. It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
In verses 47 and following, we see those who were around. The centurion sees what happened to Jesus and proclaims, “Certainly this man was innocent.” The crowd that had gathered for the spectacle went home beating their breasts—they realized something had gone terribly wrong. Joseph asks for the body of Jesus to give him an honorable grave. The women follow him, see where Jesus is laid, and prepare to anoint the body. But with Sabbath coming, they had to wait until Sunday morning.
Chapter 24 continues: On the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. I always find this scene kind of hilarious. It's sad and somber, but it's also humorous—the things we do in grief that we don’t think through. A rich man's tomb would have been cut into a hillside with a large stone set in place. It would have taken multiple strong men to move it. And here come these women with spices, apparently having made no plan for moving that massive stone. But when they arrive, the stone is already rolled away. They don't have to figure it out.
They go in, but the body is gone. While they’re perplexed, two men appear in dazzling apparel. Frightened, they bow their faces, and the men say, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise?” Then they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb, they told all these things to the eleven and the rest. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women who told these things to the apostles.
But their words seemed like nonsense to the apostles, and they did not believe them. Peter rose and ran to the tomb. He stooped in, saw the linen cloths by themselves, and went home marveling at what had happened.
Again, we see this deep love and admiration that Joseph and the women had for Jesus. They cared deeply about him and wanted to honor him in death. But in this whole story, we see a good reason why Jesus didn’t entrust himself to people: they didn’t listen to what he said.
Three times in Luke’s Gospel Jesus told them what was going to happen. In Luke 9:22, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and on the third day be raised.” In verse 44: “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” And in Luke 18:31–33, he says they are going to Jerusalem and everything written about the Son of Man will be accomplished: he will be mocked, shamefully treated, flogged, killed, and on the third day rise. But they understood none of these things. It was hidden from them—they didn’t grasp it.
We should hear the sermon of the angels: “Why are you looking for the living among the dead?” He told you what was going to happen. This is exactly what you should have expected—to show up to an empty tomb.
The first time Jesus tells the disciples this is right after Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ. Jesus asks, “Who do people say that I am?” and then “Who do you say I am?” Peter answers, “You are the Christ.” Jesus affirms him and says this was revealed to him by the Father. Then Jesus begins to tell them what it means: betrayal, suffering, death, and resurrection. But Peter rebukes Jesus. “This will never happen to you.” And Jesus responds, “Get behind me, Satan.” He accuses Peter of thinking from a worldly point of view—not from the mind of God.
God’s plan was counterintuitive. That the Son of God would come, suffer, and die for sin was hard for them to grasp. But it was necessary. The angels say, “Remember what he told you.” The empty tomb proves Jesus was telling the truth.
We should ask ourselves, as we think about these women, Joseph, and the disciples: is attachment to Jesus enough? Is respecting Jesus enough? No. You need to believe the words he said. Feeling a warm affection or admiration toward Jesus is not enough. You must believe his words—especially the most important ones concerning what he came to do: to die in our place and to rise, giving life to those who trust in him.
The women, when they hear the angelic message, do remember and believe. They take that message to the apostles, who are slower to accept it. This is one of the remarkable evidences of authenticity in the gospel accounts. If these were legends written much later, you wouldn't have women as the first eyewitnesses—because in both Jewish and Roman society, their testimony wasn’t legally accepted. Even the disciples didn’t believe them at first. But the Gospel writers faithfully record what actually happened: the women were the first to believe, while the apostles were skeptical.
Two of Jesus’ disciples were then given a personal Bible study from Jesus himself. Beginning in Luke 24:13, we read about two men walking to Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking about all that had happened, and Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, though they didn’t recognize him. He asked them what they were discussing, and they stopped, looking sad. One of them, Cleopas, responded, “Are you the only one who doesn’t know what happened in Jerusalem these last few days?” Jesus plays along: “What things?”
They tell him about Jesus of Nazareth, a prophet mighty in deed and word, delivered up and crucified. “We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel,” they say. They recount how it’s now the third day, and some women amazed them with reports of angels saying he’s alive. But no one had seen him.
Jesus replies, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Then, beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interprets to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
These disciples were devastated. All their hopes had seemed crushed by the cross. Despite the women’s report, they couldn’t grasp the idea of resurrection. They were still living in the mindset of despair, like it was still Holy Saturday. And that’s a challenge to us: do we live like Jesus is still in the tomb? Do we respect him, admire him, but not live as though he is risen, reigning, and walking beside us?
Jesus teaches them that suffering before glory is the pattern of Scripture. From Genesis 3:15, the promise was there: the seed of the woman would crush the serpent’s head—even as the serpent bruised his heel. That bruised heel was the cross. But in so doing, the head of the enemy was crushed.
This pattern is everywhere. Israel passes through the waters of death (the Red Sea) into life. David suffers exile before reigning as king. The servant in Isaiah suffers for the sins of many before being exalted. The whole Old Testament laid out this truth, but people didn’t see it—because no one wants to believe that suffering must come before glory. We want the crown without the cross.
But Jesus says it was necessary. Necessary that the Christ should suffer before entering his glory.
They reach Emmaus. Jesus acts as if he's going farther, but they beg him to stay. At dinner, he breaks the bread—and suddenly, their eyes are opened. They recognize him. And then, just like that, he vanishes.
They say to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” That very hour, they return to Jerusalem and tell the others what happened and how Jesus was revealed in the breaking of the bread.
Jesus, on the cross, entrusted his soul to the Father. And the Father vindicated him. Romans 1:4 says he was declared to be the Son of God in power by the resurrection. But God didn’t stop there. Philippians 2 says he gave Jesus the name that is above every name—so that every knee would bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
This is the trajectory of Christ: suffering committed to the Father, and then vindication, glory, honor. Daniel 7 speaks of one like a Son of Man being presented before the Ancient of Days and receiving authority and dominion over all peoples. That’s Jesus.
He reigns not only as God—but as true man. In 1 Corinthians 15, he is the second Adam. Where the first Adam failed to rule under God’s authority, Jesus succeeded. Psalm 8 asks, “What is man that you are mindful of him?” and declares that man is crowned with glory and given dominion. The author of Hebrews sees in Psalm 8 a deeper meaning: Jesus took on flesh, became lower than the angels for a little while, and is now crowned with glory and honor—ruling at the right hand of God.
Jesus trusted the Father with the results of the cross because he knew greater glory awaited. And now he holds that glory as both God and man.
So how do we respond when we are mistreated? When we suffer unjustly? 1 Peter 5 tells us: humble yourselves under God's mighty hand, and in due time, he will exalt you. How do we know that's true? Because it's the pattern of our Savior.
He humbled himself. God exalted him. And we, following him, embrace whatever the cost—because glory awaits on the other side. Glory of eternal life with him.
The disciples said their hearts burned within them as they walked with Jesus. Do you know that burning joy—the joy of trusting the Risen One, who died and rose for your sins?
He committed his spirit to the Father and was crowned with glory. And you too can walk in that resurrection life—not sinless, but forgiven. Walking with God, keeping in step with the Spirit.
This is something you can know. If you repent of your sins and trust in Christ's death and resurrection in your place—he is risen. He reigns. Trust in him and follow him.
Let’s pray.
Father God, we thank you that you did not spare your own Son but gave him up for us all. How will you not, with him, graciously give us all things?
In Romans 8, Paul lists so many terrifying things—death, powers, evil, famine, sword—and declares that in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Lord Jesus, we thank you that you died for our sins, but more than that, that you were raised. You walked out of the grave victorious—over sin, death, hell, and the wrath of God. You bore the punishment we deserve and offer us your righteousness and your life.
We praise you for it. And we worship you in your precious name.
Amen.
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