So he bore the whole weight of the forces of evil with his own unaided strength, and throughout the struggle he remained at one with God; and when he died he died with his love and trust in his Father robust and unimpaired and serene.

So his last words were, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit…” (King James Bible, 23:46) – the same prayer with which Jesus, like every Jew, had ended each day as he settled down to sleep. “Father”, it was still “Father”. He never committed the spiritual treason of doubting his Father’s goodness and love, but in his own twofold love for his Father and for us, he accepted the Crucifixion as being the cost he had to pay in order to accomplish the overthrow of evil.