When the Water of Life Became Thirsty

For he was tested. in every respect as we were yet. He never sinned.

So is your body struggling with pain?

So was it. Are you misunderstood today?

So was he.

Now Jesus says, I thirst, and as he does, he is identifying with a very basic need in a suffering, fallen human race because of sin. This is a glimpse. into his humanity. Why would Jesus? The creator of water.

cry out in thirst. What does that moment reveal about his love and your greatest need? Welcome to Wisdom for the Heart, the Bible teaching ministry of Stephen Davey. Stephen is the pastor of the Shepherds Church in Cary, North Carolina. He's also the President and Bible teacher of our ministry, Wisdom International.

He's currently working through a series entitled The Lamb's Last Words. He's looking at Jesus' final words as he was experiencing the crucifixion. Today's message is called, When the Water of Life became thirsty. If you can imagine that two billion people today. are thirsty.

They have little access or none at all to clean drinking water. In fact, 485,000 people die every year because all they had was polluted water to drink, and the contaminated water eventually. killed them. In most third world countries today, children, especially girls, sacrifice their education so that they can walk many miles back and forth doing nothing more than collecting water. for their families.

It's hard to imagine, but some four billion people. Got up this morning. with this priority question. Where am I going to find my next drink of water? If you understand the scarcity of water going back to Bible times, you'll understand why civilizations fought over wells.

of water. Why uh the panic of thirst? Cause the Israelites to want to defy Moses and return to Egypt. They were thirsty. Why the Psalms in the Bible equate joy with water.

Well like Jesus preached salvation and equated it to a drink of never-ending Clean water.

Now, that's hard for me to understand, us to understand in this country, because water really isn't much of a problem. Unless your pipes froze last night. Water isn't miles away for us. It's the turn of a faucet. A few steps away.

This concept of being thirsty Has become a metaphor over the centuries for the never-ending thirst for. for more. The thirst for Fame, the thirst for pleasure, the thirst for things, possessions, money. I saw a commercial several years ago where a well-dressed wealthy, middle-aged man. A woman on each arm.

A drink. in his hand, which was being advertised. And he looked into the camera and he said, Stay thirsty. My friend. And I thought how utterly tragic.

That was. How hollow. How empty. How temporary, dangerous. I can remember standing on the hillside on the south of France.

Below me was The beautiful French Riviera. and the famous Monte Carlo Bay. where the rich and famous play, where they anchored their yachts. I I saw a gray ship. Anchored out there as well.

And I asked my. host about that naval ship. And he smiled and he said, that's not a naval ship. That's the renovated personal yacht, the largest in the world that once belonged to Aristotle Onassus. I had read about him.

He'd made national headlines. In 1968, when he married the widow of the assassinated president John F. Kennedy. They were married on his private island off the coast of Greece. By the late 1960s, his worth was estimated at $1 billion, worth several billion in today's economy.

And when he was interviewed in the early 1970s, he famously said, or rather infamously said, all that matters. is money. People with money our royalty. But then the wisdom of Solomon came true. That money can suddenly sprout wings and fly away.

With several bad business decisions, along with a failing economy. Anasis lost more than $800 million. in one year. He would die two years later. never able to satisfy.

is thirst. What are you chasing today? What are you thirsty? Four. Today.

We're about to enter a scene where both physical thirst and spiritual thirst. are implicated. If you're new to our exposition through the gospel By Luke, we've covered the first four statements of Jesus Christ from his cross. Father, forgive them. They don't know what they're doing.

To the dying thief, he promised. Today you will be with me in paradise. He said to his mother, Woman, behold your son. And to that man, his disciple John, he said, behold your mother. Then last Lord's Day we listened in as he cried from the cross at the end of three hours of darkness, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Well now for today, Jesus delivers the shortest of seven statements. From the cross. In fact, in the Greek language, the Greek text, it's one word. composed of four letters. Simply I Thirst.

Another little phrase we catch. Four glimpses. Of Jesus Christ. And I invite you to turn to John's Gospel, John 19. Luke doesn't include this statement.

We're taking time to cover all seven. John 19, where John gives us this fifth phrase. There are at least four glimpses of Christ that I want to focus on today. First, This little phrase is a glimpse. into his humanity.

John chapter 19 and verse 28. Reads After this, Jesus Knowing that all was now finished, said to fulfill the scripture I thirst. I thirst. I'm thirsty. Imagine one author wrote, the maker of heaven and earth.

has parched lips. The king of glory. Needs a drink of water. Frankly, this phrase gives us the mystery. of the incarnation.

The little baby born in Bethlehem was the eternal God the Son.

Now a member of the human race. In fact, the Apostle Paul wrote: Great is this mystery. God manifested in the flesh. In other words, he was God.

Now in human flesh. And when he came to join the human race, he did not cease. to be God He had been forever God, pre-existent from eternity past, God the Son, but at a point in time he becomes human and now forever moving forward, human. He's now the God man. The Son of God and the Son of Man.

Now as the Son of God He created Water. as the Son of Man. He now wants a drink of water. We've been studying the life of Christ. presented to us in the Gospels.

While he was never anyone less than God the Son, Now for 33 years and Nine months. He's entered the human race. And he gave up then the independent use of his attributes. And that's the key principle. He never served himself, he never used his miraculous powers to make his life more comfortable.

Jesus. Jesus could have commanded an angel to bring clean water in a golden pitcher for him to drink from. but instead he agonizes with thirst. This is what Paul meant in Philippians when he wrote that Jesus did not regard equality with God, that is God the Father, a thing to be grasped. But he emptied himself.

That is, he emptied himself of all the divine prerogatives, all of his divine rights as the glorious God the Son, the creator God that he was.

So now he subordinates every action and every word to the will. of the Godhead. God is Father. If you track through the Gospels, you'll see alternating scenes where, on one hand, it shows us his humanity, on the other, his deity. You see him as a human grow tired and fall asleep on that boat out on the sea.

And then he's awakened and as God, he with one word calms the sea. You see him as a man. Brokenhearted, weeping at the tomb of his friend Lazarus, but then as God calling Lazarus. Back. From the dead.

You see him suffering as a man on the cross. And then you listen to him as the king of heaven who says to this dying thief, Today you're going to walk with me in the gardens of the king. Paradise. As a man, he will die. But as the God-man, he's able to bear your sins and mine in his body on that tree.

and pay the price. For our sin. The fact that he entered the suffering world of humanity. qualifies him uniquely The Bible says to empathize Having experienced Humanity. The Bible says in Hebrews 4.15 that we have in Jesus a high priest.

who can be touched. With the feelings of our weaknesses. That's a powerful statement. With the feelings. of our weaknesses.

For he was tested He was tried. in every respect as we were yet. He never sinned.

So is your body struggling with pain?

Right now.

So was his. Are you misunderstood today?

by somebody.

So was he.

Have you been misjudged or misrepresented?

So is he. Have family members rejected you? Christmas for you is a painful Time of separation. Family members refused to believe. You.

Well.

So were his. Have you had close friends? Believe you.

So did he. Have you ever wondered if your heavenly Father abandoned you?

So did he. Have you ever asked God why? You're suffering.

So did he. Now Jesus says, I thank you. Thirst, and as he does, he is identifying with a very basic need in a suffering, fallen human race because of sin. This is a glimpse. into his humanity.

Secondly, This is a glimpse into his humility. It's really almost too obvious that we We could miss it here, but Jesus is asking a favor from his enemies. You don't do that. It'll do that. If you've been offended by someone, you're not about to ask them to give you a lift to work.

You're too busy carrying a grudge. If you don't like somebody at work, you're not going to ask them. If you can borrow a stapler, you're not going to ask them for anything. If you've been hurt by someone, you're not going to ask them to do anything for you. Your pride's been hurt, your feelings have been hurt.

You're not about to show them that. You have a need they can meet. One author writing on this text had evidently overheard someone's adult son bitterly just sort of spit out the words to his father: I would rather die of starvation. Then ask help. from you.

I don't want anything. to do with you. Or from you. He went on to write that Some of us might not. like to ask a favor of anybody.

But if we do We will ask our friends. You see, Jesus is surrounded by his enemies. They've mocked him, they've reviled him, they've spit on him. Even those callous soldiers down there have been gambling for his clothing. They could care less about him.

They'd driven spikes into his hands and feet. And now the Lord effectively says to his enemies. I'm thirsty. Which is Tanabat is saying, would one of you Give me something to drink. What humility.

His graciousness to them. By the way, it's only now that he even asks for something. He's now accomplished the work. In fact, the record of Scripture has the last three statements of these seven. occurring quickly, one after another.

I thirst, it is finished. Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

So when Jesus says, I thirst, it is only at the end of his life that he's identifying. This personal need. All that to say In other words, he's thinking of himself. Last.

Now according to John's gospel, it Seems that a soldier fulfilled the Lord's request.

Soldiers typically had a jug of Yeah. Wine like this, they brought along during their workday. John writes in verse 29. 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.

Now, according to Matthew's account, if you put the accounts together, Jesus had been offered wine to drink when he arrived to be crucified. We know from rabbinical writings that Groups of Jewish women. would often attend the crucifixions of Jewish men. and offered them wine mixed. with a substance that would dull the pain.

Matthew Writes that it was wine mixed with gall. Mark writes that it was wine mixed with myrrh. The terms gall and myrrh were often used. uh interchangeably because they both related to some form of narcotic. They were used as sedatives.

In the medical world of the first century.

So these women would offer those who are going to undergo such agony this sedative. This narcotic. In fact, you may remember when Jesus was given gifts from the wise men, one of the gifts was myrrh. Myrrh was also formed into this sticky substance that would be used in wrapping linen strips around a corpse. Myrrh would have been an unusual gift for Jesus, but it all foreshadowed his pain.

His physical suffering. His death.

Well, Jesus. Had refused that early offer, that drink mixed with a sedative. that would dull the pain. And this doesn't mean, don't go too far here, that God doesn't want Christians using something medically to dull physical pain. It doesn't mean you can't ask for novocaine.

when you go to the dentist. When I go to the dentist, I'm like Elisha. I asked for a double portion. I don't want to feel a thing. I want to wake up.

Give my lollipop and leave. You know, pain isn't necessarily godly. Jesus isn't trying to be a tough guy.

Now I'm going to tough it out. He refused it because he won't allow the narcotic to dull his senses. To cause them to be stupefied, or what we would call out of it. He has significant work to do. He's got incredibly significant things.

to say. But now here In all humility to his enemies, he effectively admits he would appreciate a drink. They give him a sponge to suck on Filled with sour wine. This is cheap wine. Your translation might read vinegar.

It's a common beverage of the day.

Sometimes translated vinegar was here for the soldiers. It was theirs. And now One of them gives some of it to the Lord. It's not going to satisfy his thirst, by the way, but it will clear his dry throat. and his parched lips And that's what he wants.

Because he's going to shout. Two final incredible statements. And we'll cover them in our future study.

Now, you might have caught something John adds here. In fact, in my Bible, it's placed in parentheses. The Spirit of God wants us to know this little phrase, isn't a throwaway. We have a glimpse into his humanity, a glimpse into his humility.

Now, third, this is a glimpse at his fulfillment. of history. If you look back at verse 28, John writes, Jesus said this to fulfill. The scripture. I thirst.

Now, that doesn't mean Jesus is reading a script as if to say, okay, now it's time for me to say, I thirst. What this means is that Jesus is simply fulfilling The record of prophetic history. Every time he speaks. Every word Every deed It just validates one passage of scripture after another. He was betrayed by a friend.

Psalm 41:9. He was falsely accused, Psalm 35:11. He would be silent before his judges, Isaiah 53:7. His tongue would cleave to his jaws, his hands and feet would be pierced, his garments would be divided among them. They would gamble for his clothing.

All of that is in Psalm 22, verses 13 through 18. Even that piercing cry from Jesus, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? That's the opening line of Psalm 22. It's verse 1.

Now even this drink Psalm 69:21. In his thirst, he will be given sour wine to drink. History. This one author said is his story. He wrote it.

He entered it. He redeems it. He's in control of it. And one day he will unfold it. into eternity for his redeemed.

One more thought. From this little phrase. This is a glimpse of his invitation. to lost humanity. Arthur Pink.

provoked my thinking when he wrote that Jesus effectively uttered From the cross the cry of every lost person. They are thirsty. for what the world cannot satisfy.

So he writes, Jesus is describing the world. who will always be thirsty. For more Let me ask you again. What are you thirsting for? What are you chasing?

What do you want? at a live I got an email this week. from Dima and Maria who are serving in Ukraine. I want Andy Talked about the physical threats they've been experiencing. Putting their baby in the bathtub at night, dry bathtub to sleep for protection.

On the other hand, he described the church they're planting and this amazing spiritual harvest. of people Coming to faith in Christ. He said they outgrew their space, they are now renting a gymnasium to hold their worship. services and they've been allowed to paint The interior To just sort of clean it up. And he said they recently, this past week, painted over a huge mural of Muhammad Ali.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. That famous heavyweight boxer and that reminded me in fact I sat down and I wrote him back of the illustration. Where I had read in Sports Illustrated many years ago. A reporter went to interview Muhammad Ali and he was retired. That time is aging.

He took the reporter out to a barn on his property, and that barn held all of his memorabilia, all of his mementos. trophies, everything, you had these huge posters framed with those famous photographs of him that were on magazine covers hanging on the walls of that barn. The reporter said that He went over to look at some of them and noticed that Pigeons had left droppings on them. He stared for a while at that. scowling.

Then walked over to the barn door, stood there quietly thinking for a while, and then muttered under his breath something. And the reporter said, What did you say? Ali said I once had the world. And there was nothing. I once had the world.

And there was nothing. Has your thirst for the world? brought you to the point where you've realized that You need something more. Than the world. You need a Savior.

Have you had enough of that polluted water of sin to know it only makes you heart sick? Makes your soul Sick. Empty. Sin never quenches thirst. thirst, by the way.

It only makes the desire stronger. But the satisfaction Weaker. Isaiah prophesied that God's people will. Draw water with joy from the well of salvation. Isaiah 12:3.

The Messiah prophesied through Isaiah: I will pour out water on the thirsty land. And streams on the dry ground. Isaiah 44, verse 3. Jeremiah 17, verse 13 says that the Lord Himself is the fountain. Living water, which is why Jesus will come along then and he will later say in John chapter 7, verse 37 to his audience: If anyone thirsts, let him come to me.

And drink. Here's the invitation as the book of Revelation is coming to a close. Jesus says, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, to the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life. without payment. And again, in the final chapter of Revelation, in fact, the Bible closes effectively with this invitation.

And it's to you today, by the way, if you haven't come yet to him. Let the one who is thirsty come. Let the one who desires take the water of life. without Price. Isn't that great?

No payment. No no price tag attached. You will never be Thirsty. Again. Jesus thirsted so your thirst could be forever satisfied.

This is Wisdom for the Heart with Stephen Davie. Stephen called this message when the water of life became thirsty. It comes from his series entitled The Lamb's Last Words. If you'd like to own this series as a set of C Ds, that series is available today at a 50% discount. You can learn more at wisdomonline.org.

That's wisdomonline.org. You can also call us today and we can help you over the phone. Our number is 866-488-Bible or 866-482-4253. Stephen has three more messages to go in this series, so we'll continue through it next time. Here on Wisdom for the Heart.