We continue looking at the seven final sayings Jesus made on the cross and how they reveal the heart of the Savior.
Importance of context > the story of God’s love for us and our need for Him
So Far >>
“Father, forgive them.” (Luke 23:34)
The Big Idea: Christ gives us the example of forgiveness.
Today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43)
The Big Idea: It’s never too late for God’s mercy and grace.
Woman, behold your son. John, here is your mother. (John 19:26-27)
The Big Idea: Christ demonstrates his compassion in the midst of our pain.
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matt. 27:45-46)
The Big Idea: Christ was abandoned so we might be adopted.
This Week >> “I am thirsty.”
Have you ever been thirsty? I mean really thirsty. I mean so thirsty that your lips are chapped, your tongue feels thick, your throat is so dry that you can’t even make a sound, etc.
Average American drinks:
• 54 gallons of pop per year
• 25 gallons of beer
• 12 gallons of bottled water per year
John 19:28-29 NIV
28 Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips.
* Follows immediately after “Why have you forsaken me?”
* Lines up time-wise with Matt 27:48-49 / Mark 15:36
* Harmonized it would read something like:
After this, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." A jar of wine vinegar was there and one of them ran and got a sponge. He soaked the sponge in the wine vinegar, put it on a stalk of a hyssop plant, and offered it to Jesus to drink.
“All was now completed”
– taking on sin / becoming the payment / completion of his mission
“So that the Scripture would be fulfilled”
All that was taking place was the fulfillment of prophecy. It fulfilled two passages out of the Psalms that were considered Messianic. By fulfilling Scripture, it was a sign to let the world know that Jesus was/is in fact the Messiah. He was/is the Deliverer.
“They give me poison for food; they offer me sour wine for my thirst.” Ps 69:21 NLT
“My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.” Ps 22:15 NLT
There are over 300 prophecies concerning the Messiah.
1958 – Peter Stoner, Science Speaks – one man to fulfill 8 prophecies = 1 in 10(17th power)
one man to fulfill 48 prophecies = 1 in 10(157th power)
(This is approximately the total number of electrons in all the mass of the known universe.)
Jesus said, "I am thirsty."
No wonder he was thirsty. Loss of blood. Exposure. Heat. Exhaustion. Dehydration. He’s been on the cross now for 6 hours. The sweat rolls off him like buckets. It’s hot. And the flies are buzzing around him. The crowds taunting him. The blood mixes with the sweat as it pours off his body. In the end dehydration sets in. You know what dehydration is like? First it gives you a fever. Then it gives you a terrible throbbing pain in your head. And then cramps in your abdomen. And then nausea sets in. Then your eyeballs begin to dry up in the sockets. And then your lips begin to go dry. Then your tongue gets swollen and thick. And then your throat feels like sand paper. Your vocal cords swell up. In the end you can barely whisper. It doesn’t sound like human words; it sounds like an animal croaking. No wonder Jesus was thirsty.
~ Ray Pritchard
Took everything he had to utter the single word (in Greek), “I’m thirsty.”
A jar of wine vinegar was there
This was the common drink of Roman soldiers. It was a light wine, turned sour and mixed with water. (from Barnes’ Notes)
Vinegar – OFr. > wine + sour
put it on a stalk of a hyssop plant
Interesting note – the hyssop branch was what was used during the Passover to spread the blood of the Passover lamb on the doorposts of the house.
lifted it to Jesus’ lips
Had already refused gall, which was somewhat of a numbing agent. It was given to knock the edge off of the pain. Sour wine, on the other hand, would actually revive and strengthen him somewhat.
They were expecting him to cry out more for “Elijah”. Possibly thought that they had finally broken him. He finally cried out on his own behalf. They were possibly expecting to hear more words of pain and suffering.
Points to Ponder:
• His humanity
This is not the first time we’ve seen the humanity of Christ demonstrated. He got tired, he cried, he got hungry, he slept, he needed time alone. But again in this, we’re reminded of his humanity.
"Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being." Phil 2:6-7 NLT
Why is that important? Because sacrifice had to be made. Blood had to be shed. And God cannot die. So he became man. The humanity of Christ made it possible for him to be tempted by sin. The humanity of Christ made it possible for him to experience what we experience – to feel what we feel.
His humanity made it possible for him to suffer on our behalf.
• His obedience
"When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross." Phil 2: 8 NLT
This wasn’t pleasant – physically, spiritually, or emotionally. Yet he knew the plan.
"Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?" Matt 26:52-54 NIV
This God, who in the OT, caused the water to flow from the rock to satisfy Israel’s thirst. This God, now in the flesh, turned the water to wine to bring joy to a wedding party. He taught the woman at the well about living water. And while he could have miraculously made water flow from the very cross he hung on to quench his own thirst, he was obedient to the prophecies. He was submissive to the plan.
• His thirst / our thirst
His physical thirst reminds me of my spiritual thirst. And how I am to thirst after him.
"As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God." Ps 42:1-2
And if I long for Christ, the living water, I’ll never thirst again – I will be satisfied.
Jesus replied, "Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life." John 4:13-14 NLT
On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." John 7:37-38 NIV
Big Idea:
Christ experienced thirst on the cross so ours might be quenched.
What do you thirst for?
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." Matt 5:6 NIV
Thirst tells us that our bodies are in need. Spiritual thirst tells us that our souls are in need.
To thirst really means to be desperate. ~ D. M. Lloyd-Jones
We are not meant to hunger and thirst after experiences / happiness / things / approval / money / etc. If we want to be truly happy and blessed, we must hunger and thirst after righteousness.
We must thirst for the Living Water.
The reward for those whose thirst is quenched in Christ:
"Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." Rev 7:16-17 NIV
