Monday 22 April, 2019

So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. 17 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle. 19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: jesus of nazareth, the king of the jews. 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. 21 The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.” 23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. 24 “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.” This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said, “They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.” So this is what the soldiers did. 25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” 27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. The Death of Jesus 28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

“I am thirsty”

I’ve often wondered why this small detail was mentioned in the Bible. What does it mean? Especially since, in another account of Jesus’ crucifixion in Matthew 27:34, He tastes the vinegar/myrrh mixture (basically a sedative) and rejects it. I wonder if this was a different thirst that Jesus was experiencing.

The Holy Spirit is described as a flowing river of water for those who are thirsty (See John 7;37-39). Was that the thirst Jesus was missing?

The same verse in the passage above gives us a clue here – “later, knowing that EVERYTHING had now been finished”…v28.

Everything.

All of my sin. All of my rebellion and rejection of God’s authority in my life. All the desperate dryness of my sin and my separation from God – that permeates my whole being – was heaped on Jesus. No wonder He was thirsty?

Are you thirsty? Are you dry inside? A dryness that comes when God is not in your life? You don’t need to be! Jesus has come to take that dryness for you. Just come to Him today and drink.

Jesus, my sin and rejection of you has made me dry and I don’t want to live like that anymore. Thanks for dying in my place and taking my everything onto yourself. Please pour the water of your presence into my life now. I need it.

Amen

Written by Boudy Van Noppen