I AM THIRSTY: VOICE FROM THE CROSS

By Warren Coe

South Suburban Evangelical Free Church

MARCH 6, 2005

INTRODUCTION

1. We continue our discussion on last seven words Jesus spoke before he died. Standing at cross and meditating on these words is like Moses before burning bush.

• We are on holy ground. God’s presence permeates sweat, blood and brutality.
• Here is pure righteousness and holy love displayed before a watching world
• Like Moses, we must take off sandals of worldliness and bow low in humility

2. Today we consider 5th utterance of Jesus’ I am thirsty. At first glance this statement appears the least important of all Jesus sayings on the cross.

• It consists of three words in English but only one word in Greek.
• In contrast to My God, My God, it seems less weighted with truth.
• However, we’ll discover that this word is as important as the rest of Jesus’ words

What truths are discovered in this word from our Lord? Truth #1

I.’I AM THIRSTY’ REVEALS THE HUMANITY OF JESUS

1. One of first tools of interpretation that Bible students learn is to look for plain meaning of the text. Don’t get fancy. Look for literal meaning of a passage.

• The most literal way to interpret V28 is to see that Jesus was thirsty!
• Not surprising when you consider the last eighteen hrs of his life.
• In the garden he sweats blood. Then he was scourged, crowned and naked. He was certainly dehydrated. He asks for wine! Fever caused parched lips, eyeballs burned in socket, excruciating headaches, swollen tongue,

2. Why does John include this detail? When John wrote this gospel a heresy called Gnosticism invaded church. It taught that the spirit was good, and physical matter was bad.

• Jesus was good not bad, so Jesus was spirit, not flesh. He walked without footprints
• This meant that Jesus sufferings on cross weren’t real. He was just acting.
• Jesus’ death was faked since a spirit can not die. This was Gnosticism.

3. Why was this heresy dangerous? Bible prophetically taught that the savior would be born to the human race Is7,9. Is53, It taught that the savior would be a lamb!

• For our sins to be forgiven required a perfect, sinless human sacrifice.
• If Jesus was a spirit and not flesh and blood then our sins are un-forgiven.
• And we are still under judgment of God. But the Christ was man, God man and lamb of God

1st truth we discover in Jesus’ words ‘I am thirsty’ is his humanity which was necessary for redemption.

II.’I AM THIRSTY’ REVEALS Jesus’ SCRIPTURAL FOCUS IN LIFE and DEATH

1. Look carefully at V28. It says that Jesus knowing¡­that the scriptures might be fulfilled said.  Bible tells us Jesus’ mental focus was upon fulfillment of Scripture.

• John uses two important words in V28; NASB accomplished, bring to close
• To finish by adding last stroke with nothing more to be added.
• To fulfill means to bring to a goal, to reach successfully mark that was set.

2. The former refers only to last things; the latter to everything including the last, as constituting a successful accomplishment, a long great work done.

• When you pack for a long trip and the last piece of luggage is in the trunk packing is done.
• When you close the lid of the trunk then all packing is done. Jesus’ drink was the former.
• And this act constituted completion of earthly, redemptive ministry.

3. When it came to his ministry, his drink was last objective of a bigger goal of redemption. And as always his mind was steeped in Scripture.

• I am thirsty quote from Ps69:21 ‘for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink’
• Throughout sufferings Jesus’ mind was centered upon God’s Word and its fulfillment
• Scripture was his nourishment. Mt 4:4 and Jn 13:49. If true for Jesus, it is more so true for us.

Jesus’ thirsty cry reveals his humanity, his scriptural absorption and…­

III.’I AM THIRSTY’ REVEALS DEPTHS OF Jesus HUMILIATION

1. As Lord and Savior we can’t help to marvel at depth of his humiliation. He did not shrink from pain/torture/depravation.

• Two times Jesus is given opportunity to drink wine during sufferings. Here and Mk15:23
• He accepted one but rejected other. Why? Mk15:23 wine was a sedative.
• It dulled senses. It deadened the pain. It drugged the mind of the pain.

2.  Jesus endured pain of cross with clear and unclouded mental alertness. He willingly and fully experienced the depths of degradation and humiliation of the cross.

• Turn to Is53 500 yrs before Christ, prophet foresaw Christ’s extreme sufferings
• Be sure Jesus was no masochist. He didn’t love pain. As a man pain was pain.
• What Jesus was determined to receive upon himself was full wrath of God.

3. Degradation: Jesus experience on the cross brings a sad understanding of the exceeding sinfulness of sin. In the spring ’64 Kitty Genovese murdered outside apartment.

• 38 people heard and did nothing. The nation could hear please of an innocent and do nothing.
• Just so, we can’t see Jesus suffer and not think differently about wickedness of sin
• That’s why it’s always the same when people come to Christ.  Weeping over sin.

CONCLUSION

1 Once more the gravitas of our savior’s death is before us. In this three word request, I am thirsty; volumes of Biblical truth are displayed.

• We see the truth of his humanity revealed in this 5th statement.
• We see the scriptural focus of Jesus’ mind even while he suffered.
• We also see the extreme nature of Jesus’ sufferings.

2. When Jesus asked for the wine he knew his work for others had now been completely accomplished. He had fully suffered the wrath of God for sin.

• He knew he delivered his people from it to merit for them eternal life.
• This cry instructs us as to the price by which our redemption was secured.
• Blessed be the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.