Part 5 Series

The Fifth Words

Sermon Series: The Last Words Spoken From the Cross

Part 5

Date: April 6, 2003 PM Service

Place: Allendale Baptist

Text: John 19:28

Introduction

C.H Spurgeon said; “it was most fitting that every word of our Lord upon the cross should be gathered up and preserved. As not a bone of him shall be broken, so not a word shall be lost. The Holy Spirit took special care that each of the sacred utterances should be fittingly recorded.”

Some would say this is the least of the spoken words of Jesus from His cross and the least in meaning. I would tend to disagree with them.

Some would probably disagree with me when I say that this is a prayer. The first three words spoken were prayers to God for those around Him reaching to the future to us today.

This I believe to be a prayer to those men around Him.

Look with me at…

I. This Beautiful Prayer

A. It is beautiful in that it breaths a spirit of forgiveness.

1. Many of us do not like to ask anything especially favors from anyone.

2. But if we do ask, we ask of those who are our friends.

3. We certainly do not ask of those who have wronged us or who are hostile toward us.

4. A father said to his son, who had become very much offended; “If you ever need my help, I will be glad to give it to you.” The son answered bitterly; “I would rather die of starvation than ask help from you.”

5. Jesus was not like that. He was forgiving that He was willing to ask a favor from even an enemy.

This prayer is…

B. Beautiful In Its Humility.

1. For hours He had taunted by those saying “If you are the Christ save yourself.”

2. If Jesus would have been proud as He was courageous, He would have died rather than confess that His enemies were right in affirming His human frailties.

3. But He was not proud in that sense. He confessed His need by throwing Himself upon their generosity.

4. This was not the 1st time Jesus had asked for a drink. In John chapter 4 we are told of the story the Samaritan Woman at the well.

a. He asked an outcast woman, living a life of adultery for a drink, then shared with her the “Living or Everlasting Water” that was offered to her by Him.

5. Jesus who offered the to this woman and all who receive an unfailing spring was not too proud to ask for water from the soiled stained hands of an outcast woman or the bloody hands of His murderers.

This prayer is …

C. Beautiful in its faith in man even at his worst.

1. Jesus did not make His appeal to some single friendly face that He saw in the crowd.

2. He did not point to the sponge, the reed, and the wine and tell someone what to do.

3. He simply stated His need and left it there.

4. C.G Chappell says, “Without this amazing faith Jesus could never have become the world’s Redeemer. The author of the letter to the Hebrews tells us that Christ ‘for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross.’ He rejoiced in that grim instrument to torture because he was sure that His suffering would not be in vain. Knowing the human heart as He knew it, He never doubted that, lifted up from the earth, He would draw all men to Himself.”

Next let’s see…

II. When Jesus asked this prayer.

A. Verse 28 says; “After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said ‘I thirst.”

B. Jesus offered this prayer when the worst of His suffering was behind Him.

1. When He came close to the end of His crucifixion, when He had about accomplished the atonement for the sins of the entire world, He became mindful of His own needs.

C. Many of us have heard a story of a father injured in an automobile accident does not think of himself until his family is safe. Or a soldier wounded on the battle field, which does not stop for one moment until the other soldiers are out of harms way.

D. Even so Jesus became so absorbed in the matters of others He did not think of Himself first.

E. Many of us who are suffering would forget about our own agony if we were to become deeply interested in the needs of others.

1. Someone has said “It is wonderful how an effort to dry the tears of a neighbor will cleanse our own cheeks of their painful rain.”

F. Even in our Lord’s great anguish it was not till he had realized that all things were now accomplished that He prayed for water.