I Thirst (Jn. 19:28)

Introduction

· If you’ve never been to one of our Good Friday Services, you’re in for a real treat today. Seven pastors from seven local evangelical churches are going to come up this afternoon in tag team style to give a brief devotional on the Seven Words of the Cross. This is a visible expression of the unity of the Body of Christ.

· Right now it is just after noon on Friday, April 2, 2021. 2,000 years ago, it was at this very hour that Jesus hung on the cross for our sins, when a great darkness crept over the earth, expressing God’s judgment for our sin. Matthew 27:45 says, “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.” What amazing love God showed us at calvary! Let’s celebrate God’s gift together. Would you stand with me as Eric and Karli lead us in a time of singing?

The Thirst of Jesus

· We come now to the Fifth Word on the Cross. “I Thirst.” John 19:28–29 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth.

· “I thirst.” Jesus says. What an understatement. Jesus’ thirst by this time must be profound. The last recorded drink he took was the cup of wine in the Upper Room with His disciples, some 18 hours earlier. How long ago that must have seemed.

· Think about all that had transpired since then. He has trembled in prayer and sweat like great drops of blood in the Garden of Gethsemane. He has endured a long, cold night of abuse in the courtyard of the High Priest. He has been beaten and whipped all morning, and lost dangerous amounts of blood. He has spent six hours hanging on a cross under the chafing wind and the scorching sun. He is severely dehydrated. His skin is dry. His throat is parched, His lips are stiff and swollen. And he groans out the words, perhaps only a whisper, “I thirst.”

Part of His Suffering

· When we think of Christ’s suffering, we often think of the crown of thorns on his head, and the nails in his hands, and rightly so. But we can gloss over his thirst.

· Being thirsty is an everyday occurrence. It is a mild discomfort at first, but it’s our body’s way of telling us to stay hydrated. Thirst is probably our most common physical connection to the suffering of Christ.

· I hope he won’t mind me telling this story, but one of our own members, Kevin, discovered a few years ago what it means to be truly thirsty. He took a hike from Desert Hot Springs to Yucca Valley. Got dropped off in the morning by his wife in the morning. But she became concerned when he still wasn’t home by that evening. She called search and rescue, and they spent all night looking for him, but were unsuccessful. It wasn’t until 6pm the following day, in the peak of summer, that he was found. It turns out he had started from the wrong trailhead, and headed right into one of the most rugged, desolate parts of the San Bernardino National Forest. He had only two small water bottles with him. High up in the mountains, looking out over the Coachella Valley, he saw cars on the freeway and the twinkling of house lights, and all he could think about was people sitting at their dinner tables, drinking water. He said to me, “Now I know what it feels like to die of thirst.”

· The next time you grab an ice cold Gatorade at the store, or lift up a glass of water for a sip, thank Jesus for his sacrifice. The same one who created the oceans, and quieted the waves, was willing to be thirsty for you so that you could receive eternal life, and drink of the water of life.

Fulfilled Prophecy

· The Bible tells us that Jesus said this not merely to describe his suffering, but in order to fulfill the Scriptures.

· 19:24 || Psalm 22:18 they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.

· 19:33, 36 || Psalm 34:20; cf. Ex. 12:46 He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.

· 19:18 || Isaiah 53:9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth

· These are just a few of over 200 prophecies that Christ had fulfilled in his lifetime, proving he truly is the Messiah promised of God.

· When Jesus says “I thirst,” he sets in motion the very last Scripture that needs to be fulfilled before his death.

· 19:28 || Psalm 69:21 They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink. With this, all will be done. All will have been fulfilled.

Conclusion

· But there is one more reason I believe Jesus makes this statement. And that is to loosen his lips and clear his throat, so his next word can be spoken loud and clear for all to hear. The sixth word from the cross is the most important word of all, and Pastor Bob will come up at this time to tell us about it…