iThirst - Part A

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Now, let's get started with today's message from Pastor Skip Heidzig. The world we live in today is the world of I. I'm not just speaking about selfishness. I'm not just speaking about me, myself, and I, but I mean, we live in the world of iPhones, iPods. iPads, iMacs, iTunes, iWork, iLife.

iCloud, I could go on, but I won't. It's Apple technology. And boy, have they done a good job in distribution and marketing. 73 million iPhones have been sold worldwide.

Some of you have that item. Guess how many iPods have been sold worldwide? 250 million. 25 million iPads. 14 billion applications, they call them apps, have been downloaded to these mobile devices.

In the iTunes world, 10 billion songs have been downloaded. Yeah.

So what's with the eye part of it?

Well, Steve Jobs back in 1998 was describing his products and the use of the letter I as the Apple platform signature letter. And in trying to describe what it means, he said. The meaning of I is included in such words like internet. individual Inform, instruct. and inspire.

So, the whole point of the I is that you are individually tailoring your technological needs. To service Your lifestyle, your desires. And they would even say, your needs.

So, we're going to make products for you to consume technologically. That will satisfy your deepest needs or desires or lifestyle.

Now Apple has a tagline. to describe that individuality. The tagline is, there's an app for that. Or we have an app for that.

So the commercials will say, You want to write a book? We have an app for that. You want to take creative pictures? There's an app for that. Shall we Do you want to find out the temperature of any city at any time?

There's an app for that. You want to play angry birds in traffic? We have an app for that. So, they have all these applications that you can download and utilize for your lifestyle. But technology Is unable to meet our needs.

deepest needs. The deepest and most profound thirst that we all have Only God has an app for that. Technology does not. God does for two reasons. Number one, He's our manufacturer.

He knows what we need more than we know what we need. He made us. Number two, Because he became one of us and lived a human life. An experienced human experiences like even what we're about to read, thirsting. He can service the deep needs of the human heart.

Again, we step into the scene of the cross. We look at verse 28 and 29, which records the shortest. of the seven statements that Jesus made on the cross. After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished. that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, I thirst.

Now, a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there, and they filled a sponge with sour wine. and put it on hyssop. And they put it to his mouth. Let me give you a little thumbnail sketch of what happened at the crucifixion of Christ so that you just have it fixed in your mind. It was about a six-hour episode.

We believe that Jesus was placed on the cross about 9 o'clock in the morning. And from nine to noon, while he hung there those three hours, he made three statements from the cross. The first was a statement of intercession. As he prayed to his father concerning the crowd that was there, he said, Father, forgive them. They don't know what they're doing.

The second was the statement of salvation as he turned to the criminal next to him and said, Assuredly, I say to you today. You will be with me in paradise. The third statement was a statement of affection and provision. That's one that he gave to his mother that we read last week as he saw Mary at the foot of the cross. John, that's who we presume was the disciple whom Jesus loved.

Jesus looked down and said, Dear woman, Behold your Son. And then to John, Behold, your mother. After that, around noon, a pervasive darkness covered the land. There was silence on the cross. Jesus said nothing except Perhaps one statement that broke the silence.

It was a cry of separation as he said My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? The last three statements were after that three-hour period of darkness, just before his death, he uttered three things. I thirst. It is finished. And then finally, Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.

Those are the seven sayings of Christ. while he was hanging on the cross when he died. We've been studying the Gospel of John for two years. And I know some of you are going, I know, I know. But it's given us an advantage in studying it this slowly and this deliberately.

What is it? 879 verses of John. We've discovered that one of John's mega themes is he wants to introduce Jesus Christ as being God in a human body. That's one of his designs. He does that a lot, every chapter.

Here is God in a body of flesh. It's when we put all four gospels together that we get the full composite picture of Jesus. And I'm glad we have four gospels. Because it's like the Holy Spirit is the set director, and he films the scene from four different camera angles to get the full picture. And just as a camera placed in one setting will give you a different expression on the face or a different nuance or a different emphasis.

So the Holy Spirit does that with Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Matthew presents Jesus in his legacy as the king of the Jews. Mark presents Jesus. In his humility, As a servant. Luke presents Christ in his humanity as the Son of Man.

He loves that phrase. But it's John who singularly portrays Jesus. In his deity as God. in human flesh. And even now, when we come to this fifth statement of Christ hanging on the cross, I thirst, we see a mixture of humanity.

And deity. of human suffering And God being in control. And it's Sovereignty. We're going to look in these two verses at three things I want to draw your attention to. We want to look at what Jesus.

New What Jesus said, and what Jesus did. Those three elements comprise this message: I thirst. Let's look at what Jesus knew. Verse 28. After this that is, after Jesus gives Mary into the care of John, After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished.

That the scripture might be fulfilled, said I thirst.

Something else that we've discovered, have we not, in going through the Gospel of John, is that John wants us to realize that Jesus knew. everything. He was fully aware of everything around him, that he displayed the characteristics of being omniscient. He knew stuff. He knew what people were thinking.

He knew what motivated people when they came to him. He knew what time it was on the redemptive calendar and what God's plan was at all times. He knew it all. Let me throw out a couple examples. John chapter 2, Jesus performs miracles.

We're told that many believed in him when they saw the miracles that he did. But, John writes, Jesus would not commit himself to them because he knew all men. And he knew what was in man. In John chapter 6, We're told that Jesus gave a message that was a pretty tough message to listen to, and some of the disciples among themselves were complaining. And they said, boy, that was a tough, tough message to understand.

Who can get that? They complained. It offended them. The Bible says Jesus knowing That his disciples were complaining, went over to them and said, Hey, hey, does that offend you what I just said?

Well, it'd be tough to hang around a guy like that, wouldn't it? Always knew what you were thinking and would call you on it when you thought it. In the 13th chapter of John, It's the Last Supper. It's about to begin. John begins the chapter, and Jesus knowing.

that the hour had come for him to depart this world and go to the Father. He knew exactly what time it was on the redemptive calendar. In that same upper room in John 16. Jesus makes a statement that made the disciples go, huh? He said, a little while and you see me no more.

And again, in a little while, you see me. And they went, huh? They didn't get it. It says, Jesus knew in himself that they went, huh? Didn't say that, but he knew that.

He knew that they wanted to ask him about that.

So he said. You're wondering what I meant by that, aren't you? And he told them. He knew that. And then finally, we get to chapter 21, which we haven't gotten to yet, but we will.

Okay. And it's after the resurrection. Christ and Peter are together. And Jesus asked Peter that famous question. Peter, do you...

Love me. He asked him three times. Remember? The third time he asked him the question, Peter said, Lord. Uh You know.

All things. And you know that I love you. Took Peter a long time, but now he figures it out. You know everything. You're listening to Connect with Skiff Heitzig Weekend Edition.

Before we get back to Skip's teaching, the 1960s promised us an explosion of love and brotherhood. But instead, they delivered a nation in turmoil, confusion, and moral decline. Fortunately, God has the solution for our damaged families. And in Beyond the Summer of Love: Relationships in the Real World, Pastor Skip Heitzig gives a biblical guide for marriage and families that can help restore relationships which have been damaged by sin. Beyond the Summer of Love is our thanks for your gift of at least $25 today to help share biblical teaching with more people around the world through Connect with Skip Heitzig.

Go to connectwithskip.com slash offer or call 800-922-1888 and request your resources when you give $25 or more today to help reach people around the world with the good news of Jesus through Connect with Skip Heitzig. Let's continue with today's teaching with Pastor Skip. It's one of John's themes. Here is Jesus. He knew everything.

He was fully aware of what time it was and what is happening and what people's motives are and what they're thinking.

So here's Jesus, even on the cross, knowing that all things are accomplished, meaning every single thing up to that point in redemptive history have all been lined up and accomplished, except one scripture is left unfulfilled. And that is Psalm 69. Verse twenty one. And so we are told That the scripture might be fulfilled. He said I thirst.

Okay. Pause for just a moment. Step back from the cross. Because as you look at the crucifixion of Christ, You can look at it from one side. Or another.

Please look at it from both sides simultaneously. See, there are two sides of it. There's the human. Side, there's the divine side, there's the human responsibility, there's the divine. Action.

From the human viewpoint, This is a Mistrial. This is a misjustice happening. This is men plotting and hating, and Judas betraying, and Jewish leaders lying, and Pontius Pilate cooperating with their scheme, all from a human level. But from the divine level, It was planned all along. It was God's design all along.

It was predicted all along.

Now, listen to what Peter will say in Acts chapter 2 as he preaches to the Jerusalemites, and he combines these two truths. He speaks about Jesus being crucified. This is what he said. Him. Being delivered.

by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by your wicked hands and crucified and put to death. You see how he puts two of those truths together? You're responsible for what you did, but this was God's plan all along. God's plan all along doesn't preclude your human responsibility. And both human responsibility and divine sovereignty were wrapped.

around the same cord. as we look at Jesus hanging on the cross. I read something that I committed to memory. I'll share with you now. James Johnsia, author, writes this.

He said, God will never burglarize the human will. He may want to come in and help. But he will never cross the picket line of our unwillingness. Isn't that good? Yeah.

In other words, Here's God allowing human choices to be made. At the same time, he's behind the scenes, sovereignly operating and allowing those choices to be made, though ultimately driving the car where it needs to go. But he will never burglarize the human will. He'll never cross the picket line. Sure.

of our unwillingness.

So we have human responsibility, we have divine sovereignty.

Now, that the scripture might be fulfilled, we're told in verse 28. He said, I thirst. I mentioned that scripture was Psalm 69. Don't have to turn there now, but look at it later. It's a messianic psalm.

It describes the suffering of the coming Messiah, like Psalm 22 did. And in verse 21, It describes this scene. It says this, and I quote: They gave me gall for my food. And to quench my thirst they offered me sour wine. To satisfy my thirst, or vinegar, but it's sour wine.

Some translations put it differently. The sour wine was, well, it was just cheap wine. It's what the Roman soldiers drank. The legionnaires would have a pitcher of sour wine. It's like the worst of the wines.

I don't know. I don't know much about it, but it'd be like Boone's Farm. All right.

Some of you like going, I know what that is.

So I'm a little worried about this.

So, this is like the cheap wine that the Roman soldiers, in carrying out their duties of execution, would have at that place. And they offered it to Jesus to drink at the time. It also said that they administered That to him with hyssop. John records that. Hyssop.

Hyssop was a weed, had a long shaft or reed, and it had a spongy end. It really grew like a weed around Jerusalem among the crevices of the rocks, so they would just pull out a piece and use it.

So they're just pulling out the hyssop, but... The Jewish mind And the Jewish reader, in hearing hyssop, would go all the way back. To Exodus 12 and hearing hyssop. Because hyssoph is what God told the children of Israel to dip in the Passover blood, the blood of the Lamb, and wipe on the lintels and the doorpost of their home so that the death angel would pass over. Every Jewish Ear would think Passover, blood.

Lamb. Salvation. How fitting the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, being crucified on what festival? Passover was happening at the very moment. This is going on.

So every single thing is being fulfilled and accomplished according to plan, even Psalm 69 and even the nuance and the typology of the Hisav being used for this event. That the scripture might be fulfilled, he said, I thirst. I want you to step back again from the scene and consider something. This is something I think every single Christian needs to consider. Have you ever considered what Jesus' relationship was?

to the scriptures. That is what he said about the scriptures, how he would refer to the scriptures. Yeah.

And the reason every Christian should examine that. It's because I fear That Jesus' view of the scripture, and in his case it was the Old Testament at that time. The Jesus view of the scripture is far different from many who claim to follow Jesus. You know that 64 times or 64 places in the New Testament Jesus referred to Old Testament scripture? And always as the word of God, and always as something that was inerrant and perfect and would never be broken.

For instance, he quotes Deuteronomy 8: saying, Man shall not live by bread alone, but By every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. That's what he said. He affirmed that. In John chapter 10, Jesus said about the scripture, And the scriptures cannot be broken. I wonder if you believe that.

He said concerning the scriptures in The Gospel of Mark and the scriptures must be fulfilled. On five occasions Jesus Christ asked the Jewish leaders Questions like this. Have you not read? Haven't you read what Moses wrote? Haven't you read what David said?

As if holding them accountable for reading and believing the scriptures? But The passage of all passages. That came from the mouth of Jesus were these words. Till heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle. That is the smallest Hebrew letter in the alphabet, or the stroke of the pen will pass from the law till everything.

is fulfilled.

So, you have a lot of people that say, Yeah, I don't know if I really believe the Bible as the Word of God, inerrant, and all that stuff. Yeah.

But I love Jesus. Really? If you can't trust Jesus in what he said about the Bible, how are you going to trust him in anything else? Because the one you claim to follow is one who said the word of God cannot be broken. And incidentally, the Jesus you claim to follow in Matthew 19 said that God created man in the Garden of Eden.

In Matthew 24, it said there was a worldwide flood that happened. In Luke chapter 11, claim that Jonah was swallowed by a great fish. I know it's a fishy story for a lot of people, but for Jesus, it was scripture. He said that Sodom was an actual place that literally got destroyed, and manna fell from heaven. All of those miraculous things Jesus said happened.

That's the Jesus that we follow. That's his relationship to the Scripture. And we're reminded of that here as Jesus hung on the cross and knew all things were accomplished that the Scripture might be fulfilled. said I thirst.

Well, let's look at that, what he said. Two words. I thirst. One word in Greek. Dipso.

Dipsa, one single word. It's the shortest of the statements that Jesus made on the cross.

Now when we hear those words The veil is pushed back. And we understand something about the cross. First of all, it shows us the cross's intensity. It reminds us that victims of crucifixion went through a physiological phenomenon of dehydration, intense dehydration. That The tissues of the body became emptied of their fluids, and those tissues sent messages to the brain over and over again.

I'm dehydrated. I thirst. Thanks for listening to Connect with Skip Heitzig. We hope you've been strengthened in your walk with Jesus by today's program. Before we let you go, we want to remind you about this month's resources that will help you understand and follow God's plan for your relationships.

Beyond the Summer of Love: Relationships in the Real World by Pastor Skip Heitzig is our thanks for your support of Connect with Skip Heitzig today. Request your copy when you give $25 or more. Call 800-922-8888. That's 800-922-8888. Or visit connectwithskip.com slash donate.

And did you know that you can get a weekly devotional and other resources from Pastor Skip sent right to your email inbox? Simply visit connectwithskip.com and sign up for emails from Skip. We'll see you next time for more verse-by-verse teaching of God's Word here on Connect the Skip-Heitzig Weekend Edition. Make a connection! Make a connection never.

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