Making Sense of the Cross 2 | What Christ Tasted (2)

Making Sense of the Cross 2 | What Christ Tasted

He Tasted Dryness (Psalm 22:15)

An extreme and agonizing thirst sets in - the secretions generally fail - and the saliva especially is suppressed, so that the mouth feels parched and dry.

Dryness Signified Silence

Job 29:10 “The nobles held their peace, And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.”

Ezekiel 3:26 “And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover: for they are a rebellious house.”

Isaiah 53:7 “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, Yet he opened not his mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, So he openeth not his mouth.”

The videos I watched showed someone manhandling the sheep with shears. The sheep did not once fight back, nor did it bleat. It laid there to be overtaken.

Thus Christ answered not a word to the charges of the false witnesses before the high priest, nor to the accusations of the chief priests and elders before Pilate; nor did he open his mouth, when he was led to be crucified, neither against the law and justice of God, nor against his people for whom he suffered, nor against his enemies who used him cruelly;

Dryness Signified Our Sentence

John 19:28 “After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.”

Luke 16:24 “And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.”

Christ took our wrath on Calvary, not in hell. Christ paid for our sin on Calvary, not in hell.

He Tasted Distress (Matthew 27:33-34)

This vinegar mingled with gall had the effect of this, it is said, was to stupefy the senses. It was often given to those who were crucified, to render them insensible to the pains of death. Our Lord, knowing this, when he bad tasted it refused to drink. He was unwilling to blunt the pains of dying. The "cup" which his "Father" gave him he rather chose to drink. He came to suffer. His sorrows were necessary for the work of the atonement, and he gave himself up to the unmitigated sufferings of the cross. JESUS WANTED TO TAKE EVERY PAIN, EVERY PUNISHMENT, AND NOT BE UNDER ANY ANTISTETICH.

Matthew 26:39 “And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”

He Tasted Death (Hebrews 2:9)

His Dryness signified His Desire (for all men to be saved)

His Distress signified His Devotion (to take all the wrath and payment for the sin of all men)

His Death signified His Delight (Romans 5:6-8, greater love hath no man than this, John 3:16)

John 11:25–26 “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”

Revelation 1:18 “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”

John 8:51–53 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?”