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.
G. Someone has said, ‘Even the hot hell of thirst could not claim the attention of our Lord till He had won through. But having gained the victory, He was eager to receive whatever help human hands could give.”
Last…
III. What Happened of This Prayer?
A. Over the past several years I have been surprised at the lack of kindness on the part of some that I felt I had the right to expect it.
1. But you know far more often I have been surprised by the kindness of others from those I expected nothing at all.
2. How many times have those whose faces I have never seen, whose names I did not know warmed my heart and made me feel almost half ashamed by their unexpected kindness.
B. When Jesus spoke this prayer, a request showing His human need to quench His thirst, things probable continued for the moment just about as they had before.
1. Insults being hurled; some just standing around waiting to see what would happen next.
2. But the Gospels of Matthew and Mark tell us not of this spoken word but right before Jesus cried out “It is finished” tells us that, “Someone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine, put it on a reed, and offered it to Him.”
C. This someone could not take it any longer.
1. He said “This man is suffering and if I don’t help him now, I can never help him again because his end is near.”
D. We are not told who this person is who so beautifully served Jesus in His last minutes.
E. He was so busy doing this act of kindness that he forgot to tell us his name.
1. But maybe it might be recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
2. Maybe one day it was heard at heaven’s throne. “I was thirsty and you gave me a drink.”
Close
The greatest comment I have heard or read on this passage of Scripture gives this wonderful application. This episode on Calvary represents the eternal heartache of our Lord Jesus for the suffering of the world today. He is still suffering the agony of those around us.
If we have the heart to minister to them in His name, Jesus will say to us, “I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink… Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto Me.”
I know it is Sunday evening, and most of us here tonight would probably say we have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. But if not we give you an opportunity to respond and to accept Him as Lord and Savior of your life.
To those of us who say we are Christians, our prayer our desire should be to run as that someone did to minister in His name. Our desire should be to here one day; “I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink… Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto Me.”
