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WORDS OF SUFFERING: “I THIRST” (John 19:28-30)

A. Just before Jesus began His life’s work He made Himself very conscious of hunger (he

fasted 40 days & was tempted by the Devil).

1. In that event, we learn how to overcome temptation.

B. At the end of His life’s work He made Himself very conscious of thirst (he endured a crucifixion).

1. In that event we learn that there is a sacrifice involved in being obedient to God the

Father.

2. But mainly what we will learn by the statement “I thirst” is that Jesus WAS both human & divine.

C. Before we proceed, let’s not confuse the two drinks that were offered to Jesus at the

cross.

1. The first, vinegar mixed with gall (Matt 27:34), was a narcotic offered before the crucifixion intended to dull the edge of pain - Jesus denied it.

2. The second, six hours later, was vinegar that would revive Him, making Him more

conscious of His pain. [Jesus was the incarnate (the in-the-flesh) Word of God. But He was not only the Son of God, He was “Immanuel… “God with us” (Isa 7:14; Matt 1:23).] I. THE DUEL NATURE OF JESUS

A. The words “I Thirst” show us that God is unique among men’s creative ideas of deity.

1. Every religion recognizes some form of a “god”, & most religions have a pantheon of gods.

a. Those gods are usually vague, uninvolved, self-serving & unpredictable; they

have human qualities since they are contrived by the human mind. 2. But Jesus proved that God is not like that; He wants to be understood, involved,

sacrificial & predictable – SO HE CAME TO US!

a. Jesus possessed all the true qualities of God, because He is God.

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Col 2:9 – For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 1 Tim 3:16 – And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.

B. The words “I Thirst” show us that God truly did come to this earth.

1. Most skeptics agree that He was a historical figure & an influential teacher, but they will not accept, in the face of evidence, His deity.

2. But in the first few centuries of the church the problem was the opposite.

a. The Greeks accepted the deity of Jesus but they had difficulty accepting His

humanity.

b. Therefore in the Gospels we have constant notices that Jesus was God in a body.

1) Matthew 4 – He was tempted to eat. 2) Mark 4 – He slept due to exhaustion.

3) Luke 4 – He healed by a touch.

4) John 4 – He was wearied & thirsty.

[So the birth of Jesus is not the ONLY time we can talk about God living in human flesh. The words “I thirst” at the cross powerfully emphasize that very point; He lived as we do. Next, there are four verbs mentioned our text: two of them speak of His divinity, & two of His humanity.] II. FOUR VERBS – THE DUEL NATURE OF JESUS

A. “Knowing” (19:28) — His Divine Nature. 1. The word “knowing” means seeing, or being aware.

2. Jesus had just entrusted the care of His mother to John, & was prepared to move on

to His final act.

3. It’s as if Jesus was taking inventory of the prophecies He had to fulfill, & now there was one prophecy left.

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4. John’s account of the crucifixion contains 8 prophecies about Jesus that were fulfilled.

a. Seven of them came from Psalm 69, & of the seven one remained—“they gave

me vinegar for my thirst.” (69:21).

5. Jesus innately knew that this prophecy had not been fulfilled, & so His words “I thirst” caused it to fulfilled.

6. Being God, Jesus could have moistened His own tongue, but as He once said, “the

Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35), & for that reason He uttered the words “I thirst” so they would give Him the “vinegar”.

B. “Gave” (19:30) — His Divine Nature.

1. This is another proof of the deity of Jesus; He literally willed Himself to die.

2. Some people don’t have the will to live, but Jesus was the only One who willed

Himself to die - at just the right moment.

3. It must have taken a tremendous amount of inner strength to hold out as long as He did.

4. But this is just one more proof that He, & not man, controlled the events at the cross.

John 10:17-18 (NASU) – I lay down My life so that I may take it again. 18 No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. [Now that we have noticed His divinity at the cross, let’s notice His humanity.]

C. “Received” (19:30) — His Human Nature.

1. The words “I thirst” were not an appeal for mercy; the words do give us insight into His intense agony.

2. But Jesus had two more things He was going to say, but the human body required a

little something first - the last drink of a dying man. Psalm 22:15 – My strength is dried up like a potsherd, & my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.

D. “Said” (19:30) — His Human Nature.

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1. John tells us what Jesus said, “I thirst”. Matthew & Mark only tell us that “He cried with a loud voice”.

2. Luke gave us Jesus’ final words (Luke 23:46; Psa 31:5).

3. The point is that Jesus did not just pull Himself up enough to say “I’m done”, or “I

quit”.

4. He moistened His chapped lips & refreshed His parched throat enough to make His two final statements ---- in a “loud voice”.

a. “It is finished” – God has done what He came to do. “My flesh…I shall give for the life of the world” (6:51).

b. “Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit” – Now I shall go to the One from

whom I came (14:12; 16:10). [The last three expressions of Jesus at the cross: “I thirst” – “It is finished” – “Father, into Your hands…” express both the deity & humanity of Jesus.] III. TWO APPLICATIONS

A. He Can Relate To Our Humanity (Heb 4:14-16; 1 Pet 5:7).

1. No one can say to God that He doesn’t understand my lot in life, my real life circumstances.

2. No Christian has a problem or burden to great for Him to bear.

3. Jesus endured the greatest indignity & injustice ever heaped upon one man.

a. Much of what happened to Jesus in the last three years of His life – just wasn’t fair!

b. But He endured the shame of the cross in order that He might rise from the dead to become our only Savior (Rom 4:25), and our Judge (Acts 17:31).

B. We Should Imitate His Humility (Phil 2:3-8).

1. We (the church that is) are, in one sense, the Lord’s incarnate body today.

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a. The world can know Christ through us (just as the world knew God through Jesus)

…IF, that is, the world sees in us a humility that will sacrifice dignity & worldly approval to do obey the Father in Heaven.

CLOSING

A. The words “I Thirst” are surrounded by proofs that Jesus was, while on this earth, both man & God. 1. Jesus never thought for a moment that He would be wasting His time to say these

words.

2. He knew that we would be listening -- and that we would take what He said & respond to it in some way.

B. Everybody needs respond to Jesus’ words at the cross in some way.

1. Whether in gratitude for the price He paid for our redemption.

2. Or by a closer walk with Him, a more obedient attitude.

3. Or you may need to be baptized to avail yourself of the benefits of Christ’s death.

4. Let us all respond in the way that we need to this morning….