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Dear Father Angelo,
I wish to express my doubt regarding the interpretation that is supposed to be given to the expression in Matthew 27, 50 «yielded up his spirit».
Many theologians interpret it as a first effusion of the Holy Spirit from Christ to humanity.
But, if it has to be read in close relationship to Luke 23, 46 «Father, into your hands I commend my spirit», in this case it cannot be about the Holy Spirit but of Jesus’ human soul, whom he commends in His Father’s hands.
In fact, how could Christ commend the Holy Spirit to the Father? The Holy Spirit already from eternity proceeds from the Father ( and therefore also from the son). It is Jesus as a man who offers himself to the Father, through the power of the Holy Spirit for the remission of sin, which is the work of the Son and the Holy Spirit thanks to the Divine Mercy of the Father. Unless we want to look at the two evangelical passages as two connected aspects, but different, of the same mystery, therefore Matthew announces the first Pentecost, while Luke reports Jesus’ invocation during which He commends His human soul to the Father.
I thank you so much for your attention,
A warm greeting,
Bruno
The priest’s answer
Dear Bruno,
- The translation of the Italian episcopal conference of Matthew 27,50 says: “But Jesus cried out again in a loud voice, and gave up his spirit”.
Saint Thomas states that: “Everyone dies of necessity; Chist, instead, by His own will. Therefore, he did not say He died, but gave up, because voluntarily; and this point out to the power of which he was talking about in John 10, 18: “No man taketh away My soul from Me: but I lay it down Myself, and I have the power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again.” And He wanted to die crying out in a loud voice to show that He was dying because He had the power to, and not because of necessity: from here then, He laid His soul when He wanted, and took it back when He wanted. Therefore, it was much easier for Christ to lay down the soul and take it back, than one of us going to sleep and wake up”.
Consequently here, there are no references to the Pentecost and to the effusion of the Holy Spirit.
- What Saint Luke says: “Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” equally, it is not in reference to the Holy Spirit, but to His own life.
Saint Ambrose says: “It is like saying: He gave up the spirit because He did not lose it involuntarily; in fact, what you give up is voluntary, while what one loses is necessary”.
- Rather, it is in Saint John’s narrative that we can find an allusion to the Holy Spirit. In Fact, we can read in it : “But Jesus cried out again in a loud voice, and gave up his spirit” (Mt 19, 30)
The Jerusalem Bible states: “Jesus’ last breath is prelude to the effusion of the Spirit”, to that Spirit who will communicate to the Apostles, already on the day of His resurrection, when He said: “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you”. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, «Receive the Holy Spirit»” (John 20, 21-22).
- Even here the first meaning of that expression is that Christ died, not because His life was taken away, but because He donated it.
Saint Thomas remarks: “Here is shown the power of the dying Jesus: since He gave up the spirit, that is He gave it up by His own virtue according to the statements that He Himself made: “Because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again” (John 10, 18-19).
Indeed, as Saint Augustine points out, nobody has within himself the power to sleep whenever he wants, as Christ, instead, had the power to die when He wanted”.
- Still, the two words used by Saint Matthew and Saint John suggest that in that moment Our Lord donated Himself and, by donating Himself, He donated His life, His feelings, His merits, His spirit.
Wanting to make one understand that that moment was the moment of the greatest gift, of the maximum donation.
I wish you a serene and Holy Easter, I bless you and remember you in my prayer.
Father Angelo
