Oasis Light    |    綠洲亮光

Yesterday was Good Friday; today is Holy Saturday. Yesterday, we meditated on Jesus’ first cry from the cross: "Father, forgive them"—an intercession of profound mercy. Today, we come to His final words: "Father! Into Your hands I commit My spirit." This was not a beginning, but a surrender that could only be uttered at the very end.

The journey of the cross began with the intimate prayer of "Father." Yet, in between, there was the darkness of separation from the Father as He bore our sins. He even cried out in agony: "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" We may never fully grasp the depth of that suffering, but we are no strangers to that cry.

Then, He did not remain in the valley of abandonment; instead, He returned once more to the intimate trust of "Father." This final cry was not a wail of despair, but a victorious surrender. Once the soul is anchored, external turmoil and pain can no longer strip away internal peace. Resurrection is in God. Jesus actively returned His soul to the Father, and in that complete entrustment, He entered the rest that follows the end of warfare.

Amidst the extreme agony of the cross, seven short sentences completed an unprecedented spiritual battle. The cross was clearly not an ending where evil spiraled out of control; it was the supreme wisdom accomplished in the Father’s hands. Jesus was not forced into death; He gave His life up willingly.

"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." (John 10:18)

Jesus’ death did not happen because the Romans or the Jewish leaders had the power to seize Him; it happened because He voluntarily submitted to the Father, actively offering His life for sinners. The power and authority of resurrection were in His hands.

Thus, when Jesus said, "Father! Into Your hands I commit My spirit," He knew deeply that His life would be held securely by God. So, after "It is finished," Jesus rested from His earthly work. He committed His soul to the Father and found rest. This kind of trust and surrender is true rest.

Many times, we face the darkness of society, the unpredictability of life, the complexity of human nature, and the fragility of relationships—yet we often feel powerless. In the simplicity of daily life, we carry anxiety about the future, worries about survival, the entanglement of comparison, and the panic of losing control. We desperately long for rest, yet we often don't know how to enter it.

Hebrews 4:11 says, "Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest." For those of us accustomed to relying on our own efforts, letting go of the self-struggle goes against our very nature. Inside us, we always want to grab onto something to feel safe. The scripture says we must "make every effort"—and it is truly not easy.

"Letting go" is itself a spiritual battle.

When the storms come and we see our little boat about to capsize, fixing our eyes on Jesus and believing in His authority and love becomes a struggle fought with every ounce of our strength.

Specifically, when we are misunderstood or condemned, we must resist the urge to explain or argue. Giving up the scorching impulse to "prove oneself" is a form of strenuous "resting from work." Sometimes, we even need to experience the helplessness and vulnerability of "My God, why have You forsaken Me?" before we slowly learn, amidst the struggle, how to enter this rest found through faith.

Hebrews 4:10 says: "For anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works." This is not "lying flat" or being a slacker; it is letting go of the reliance and obsession with what I can do. It is ceasing the human effort of self-salvation. To enter rest is to trust completely in God’s sovereignty, believing that every detail of our lives is in His hands.

Furthermore, the thoughts He has toward us are thoughts of peace and not of disaster, to give us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). Our true rest lies in stopping our attempts at self-rescue—and for us, this is not easy.

Matthew 11:28-30 says, "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

The work of redemption is finished; the chasm between God and man has been bridged. Perhaps, as we learn Jesus’ way bit by bit, slowly learning to surrender and let the Father take reign, we too can find a dwelling place for our souls in Christ and gradually enjoy rest.

Holy Saturday is not just an end; it is the prelude to the Resurrection. We all await the life of rising together with the Lord!