All right, let's turn over to
John chapter 19. We're talking about preaching
from the cross, the words of our Lord as he was hanging on
Calvary's tree. What an awesome thing it is for
him to go through that with us. And I'm just gonna read a few
verses in John 19. Look at verse 19. This is after
he had spoken the word of love and fellowship, told John, woman
behold thy son and son behold thy mother. This is probably
after the The lowest point, as some say, the lowest point of
his experience on the cross when he cried out, my God, my God,
why hast thou forsaken me? The word of substitution. And
then look at verse 28, it says, after this, John 19, 28, after
this, Jesus, knowing all things were now accomplished, that the
scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Just two words, I thirst. And
it says in verse 29, now there was set a vessel full of vinegar,
and that's probably sour wine, a vessel full of vinegar, and
they filled a sponge with vinegar and put it up on hyssop and put
it to his mouth. I thirst. I call this message the word
of want. Because when you're thirsty,
what do you want? You want a drink, you want water. You ever been so thirsty, you
have your mouth so dry, and just a sip of water can do the trick. They say you
can't live very long without water. I don't know, Dr. Paul, I'm not trying to jump
into your field here or not, but I've heard that, is it the
rule of three, I think they say? You can live 30 days without
food, three days without water, and three minutes without air,
something like that. I may have that, you can correct
me later. But to be thirsty, it means you want water, you
lack water, you lack moisture. And here is the Lord Jesus Christ
wanting. Now it says here that the scriptures
might be fulfilled, he said, I thirst. Do you think he was
just saying it because he remembered the scriptures and they had to
be fulfilled? No, he was really thirsty. But
he was also aware that what he was doing on that cross was the
fulfillment of prophecy of the word of God. So here's our Lord
wanting. Wanting. lacking, crying out
of his great pain, agony, his great need and lack of water,
just a drink of water, suffering, extreme physical dehydration. And notice it says there in verse
28, after this, again, That's probably just after he'd faced
his lowest point, crying out of his very soul, my God, my
God, why hast thou forsaken me? And then he cries, I thirst,
great physical thirst. But I want you to notice something
about all that's going on here. There's more than just a physical
thirst here, there's also a spiritual thirst. And I'm gonna talk more
about that. But here's my point, because
Christ thirsted, because he thirsted, because he suffered, and he thirsted
and suffered unto death, because of his want unto death, we his
people will never have to thirst spiritually again. will never
have to lack. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall
not want. Isn't that amazing? Now obviously
the first thing I believe that we need to deal with here is
this is a testimony to our Lord's true humanity. His true humanity. I thirst. God doesn't thirst. But this person who is God did
thirst. and that was attributed to his
human nature, his human qualities. It's a testimony to his true
humanity and to his physical suffering. You know, the person
of Christ, the person of Jesus Christ is a marvelous, mind-boggling
thing to consider. God and man in one person. Who can understand that? We know
what God reveals to us about it. He is Christ, Jesus Christ,
this person, hanging on this cross, thirsty, is very God of
very God, in every attribute of his deity. He wasn't a human
who was deified, and he wasn't a deity who was humanized. He's
God in human flesh. God manifests in the flesh. that became flesh and dwelt among
us. In his nature as God, he's God
in every attribute of deity. This is the one who created this
world, filled the seas with water, every stream, every brook, he
created it, filled it full. And he's thirsty. This is the one who in his nature
as man, every bit human, with all of our human limitations
and all of our sinless infirmities. Now we have infirmities. We don't
have sinless infirmities. He had infirmities, but his infirmities
were sinless. You can read about that in the
book of Hebrews. Let me just read this to you.
Chapter four, Hebrews chapter four, which says in verse 15,
listen to this, for we have not an high priest. Now who is our
high priest? Jesus Christ. the one and only
high priest. But he says, we have not a high
priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. What are the infirmities? They're
the weaknesses, they're the limitations of this human body. But he was
in all points tempted like as we are. Now what I mean by that
is, you remember when he was on the mount being tested of
Satan and he hadn't eaten 40 days and 40 nights? How hungry
would you be if you hadn't eaten 40 days and 40 nights? How hungry?
He was just as hungry. How thirsty would you be hanging
on a cross? He was just as thirsty as any
human being, but there's a difference. Look at verse 15 of Hebrews 4.
Let me read it to you. He was tempted like as we are
in all points, yet without sin. underscore that in your brain. He suffered infirmities and weaknesses,
he cried, he sorrowed, he got tired, he had to sit down and
rest, grew weary. Everything that we as humans
go through in our emotions, in our weaknesses, in our limitations. Christ went through. He knows
what, somebody says, oh, nobody knows what I've been through.
He does. But the difference is, we're sinful. He's not. There was no thought of sin in
his mind when he said, I thirst. There was no temptation for him
to deny the glory of his Father or to hinder the salvation of
his people and his great love for us, his people, in order
to quench that thirst. I guarantee if we got that thirsty,
we'd think of all kinds of sinful ways to deal with it, wouldn't
we? Because that's us by nature. But there was no thought of sin
in our Savior's mind that would quench that thirst. Think about it, God in human
flesh. As God, he has no beginning and
no end. As man, he had a beginning, but
you know something? As God, man, he has no end. He
exists in glory forever and ever and ever as God made man. God in human flesh. Worthy is
the lamb that was slain forever and ever. And this is the body,
this human body was the body that God prepared for him to
die this necessary death. Why did God have to take into
union with Himself, God the Son, a human, sinless human body?
In order to die. In order to suffer like this.
In order to thirst. In order to save His people from
their sins. His name shall be called Jesus.
For He shall save His people from their sins. Well, this is
part of it. His thirst. This body was necessary for him
to carry the weight and bear the punishment unto death of
our sins imputed, charged, accounted to him. That's why he's suffering,
that's why he's thirsty. Somebody said he could have called
10,000 angels, but he didn't. He could have stopped them from
arresting him, but he didn't. He could have just called up
The rains come down and open his mouth and quench his thirst,
but he didn't. He could have come down on that
cross and killed the whole bunch of us, but he didn't. Why? Two reasons. The glory of his
father and the salvation of his people. That's why. It was in
this human body that he bore our sins. Listen to this. This
is 1 Peter 2. Let me just read you this. If
I can find it here, 1 Peter chapter two and verse 22. He's talking about believers
being buffeted for our faults here. And he says in verse 20,
1 Peter 2, 24, what glory is it if when you be buffeted, when
you suffer for your faults, there's no glory in that now. You're
just getting what you deserve. If you go out of here and speed
and get picked up, get a ticket, there's no glory in that. Is
there? You shall take it patiently.
But if when you do well you suffer for it, you take it patiently,
that's acceptable with God. Why was the Apostle Paul in chains?
For preaching the gospel. That's acceptable to God. And
he says in verse 21, for even here unto are you called because
Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that you
should follow in his steps. Christ, verse 22, who did no
sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. Now think about
this. all of his life, walking here
on earth, even unto his death, there was no sin in him, neither
guile found in his mouth. And it says in verse 23, who
when he was reviled, reviled not again, when he suffered,
he threatened not. He just said, I thirst. But committed himself unto him
that judges righteously. We're gonna see in the last In
the last saying of Christ, what does he say? Father, into thy
hands I commend my spirit. And then it says in verse 24,
this is what I wanted to get to. Who his own self bear our
sins in his own body. In a human body. God in human
flesh bore my sins on the tree. That we being dead to sin should
live under righteousness by whose stripes we're healed. That's
our savior. So this body was necessary for
him to carry the weight and bear the punishment unto our sins
imputed to him. He was made sin. That's right. And that's what it brought about
his thirst. But the second thing we need to notice back here in
John 19, 28 is his divine knowledge. Look what it says in verse 28,
Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished. Knowing
that the scriptures might be fulfilled. In other words, here
he is hanging on this cross, suffering, thirsting, but he's
still fully aware. of everything he's doing here,
of what he was there for, fully conscious, he was in his right
mind. You know, I believe if I was hanging on that cross like
that, I'd probably be out of my mind. Not him. Christ was in the process of
fulfilling the prophecies of the Word of God. Everything that
the Old Testament prophets said about Christ, who he is, Undo
us, a child is born. Undo us, a son is given. Isaiah
said that. Everything the Old Testament
prophesied about his finished work, he shall establish judgment
and justice. Bearing our iniquities, the chastisement
of our peace was upon him. Suffering unto death, down to
the most minute detail, even I thirst. Even saying, I thirst fulfilled
the scriptures. What scriptures did that fulfill?
Well, some say it fulfills a scripture that is written in Psalm 22,
which is a messianic psalm. In Psalm 22 verse 14, listen
to this. He says, I'm poured out like
water and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax. It is melted in the midst of
my bowels, and verse 15, my strength is dried up like a pot shirt,
and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws, and thou hast brought me
into the dust of death. That's our Savior hanging on
that tree head. But it's probably more closely
related to Psalm 69, which is another messianic psalm. Listen to this, Psalm 69, 20.
Reproach hath broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness, and
I look for some to take pity, but there was none. For all comforters,
but I found none. They gave me also gall for my
meat or my meal, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. You see, Christ had to suffer. The full extent of all the punishment
due unto our sins charged to him. And he did it according
to the scripture. You can read the whole passage
of Isaiah 53 and see it, can't you? Despised, rejected of men,
a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief, he knew pain. You
think you know pain? I think I've known pain. Oh boy,
and I like this one. He can empathize with his people. All of that. And then here's
the third thing we need to notice. His accomplishment by his suffering. Over in John 19, 28, you know
what it said? Jesus knowing that all things
were now accomplished. Here's the thing. Christ suffering
unto death, even his thirst, was an accomplishment. Now let that boggle our minds
for a moment. See to the world, this is defeat. He's a failure. Oh no. You know, When the Lord brought
three of his disciples to the Mount of Transfiguration, it's
recorded in Luke chapter nine, verse 30. Listen to this. It
says, and behold, you know, he showed them a vision and he spoke
with Moses and Elijah. Moses representing the law, Elijah
representing the prophets. And it says in verse 30 of Luke
9, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses
and Elijah. And verse 31 says, who appeared
in glory and spoke of his decease, which he should accomplish at
Jerusalem. His death, which he should accomplish. You know, we don't think of our
own deaths as an accomplishment unless we're thinking about our
passage into glory. We spend our lives trying to
avoid death, don't we? And that word deceased, they
spoke of his deceased, you know what that is in the original
language? It's exodus. His going under the justice of
God on the cross was an exodus out of something. Out of what? Out of sin and death and unrighteousness. But what was he accomplishing?
I'll tell you what he was accomplishing, the complete salvation of all
for whom he died and was buried and arose again. That's what
he was accomplishing. And he knew that, knowing that
all things were now accomplished. He was in the process of selling
the whole matter. Daniel chapter 9, 24, remember
what it says? He made an end of sin. He finished
the transgression. He brought in everlasting righteousness.
All of that accomplishment. What a victory. This cross, though
the world views it as the greatest defeat in the history of mankind,
it's the greatest victory. It's the greatest accomplishment.
And when he said, I thirst, that was an extreme desire that comes
out of a need. And what was his need? Well,
obviously he needed physical water. Can't live without it. They gave him vinegar or sour
wine mixed with gall. Over in the book of Matthew 27,
it says that when they put it to his mouth, he would not drink
it. You know why he wouldn't drink it? Because gall would
have deadened the pain. And he wasn't there to deaden
the pain. He was there to take the full pain of everything that
we've earned and deserve. And he did it based upon sins
that were imputed to him. he had to take the full cup of
God's wrath. He prayed in the garden, Lord,
if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, thy
will be done. Now, spiritually speaking, what
did he thirst for? What was he lacking? What was
he accomplishing? Well, spiritually, He thirsted
for his father's glory in the salvation of his people. That's
what he thirsted for spiritually. He was there to glorify God in
the salvation of his people. And in order for that to be accomplished,
he had to go through what he was going through. He had to
suffer unto death. Next, spiritually speaking, He
thirsted for the salvation of his people from their sins. He
had to die. He had to suffer unto death to
satisfy the justice of God. He's drinking the cup of God's
wrath for his people. And so you could say there's
a spiritual thirst there to finish the work, to complete it, to
fulfill the law, to satisfy justice, to bring forth an everlasting
righteousness of infinite value, whereby God is just to justify
the ungodly. Legally, he thirsted after righteousness,
not righteousness in himself, he had that as God. But the righteousness
that would meet the need of his people, the very righteousness
of God revealed in the gospel. He had to finish it all. His
attribute of righteousness would not meet our needs. All that
would do would be to condemn us. But his righteousness imputed
to us from which we get life. You see, by nature, we are in
want of righteousness. There's none righteous, no, not
one. We lack it. We're like old King Belshazzar,
you remember him? Back over in Daniel chapter five,
had a big party. Disrespected the God of Judah
by misusing the instruments that they found in the Temple of Solomon
to hold a drunken party. Remember the vision of the hand
that came down and wrote on the wall? Remember what it says? Thou art weighed in the balance
and found wanting. Well, my friend, that's us by
nature, isn't it? None righteous, no not one. That's
me by nature. I like it, I want it. But you know what God's word
tells us? Christ said it. Blessed are they which do hunger
and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. You know, by nature, we're not
really hungry and thirsty for righteousness. We think we are. We're hungry and thirsty for
religion. Sometimes we're hungry and thirsty for human morality. You know, we see things on the
news and people acting crazy. Don't we say, man, I wish they'd
act right? But we don't hunger and thirst after righteousness
until the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins and shows us our
lack, our want, our need. And when he makes us hungry and
thirsty after righteousness, he fills that hunger, how? By
turning us to Christ and his obedience unto death in our stead
as our surety, our substitute, our redeemer. How are we going
to be filled? By the righteousness that Christ
worked out as our mediator on that cross. That's how. And nothing
else, listen, if the Holy Spirit has brought us to be hungry and
thirsty after righteousness in that way, nothing else will fill
it. Religion won't do it. Walking
an aisle won't do it. Getting baptized won't do it.
Trying to be a good person won't do it. It'll only be by God-given
faith in Christ, looking to Him as the author and finisher of
our faith. And then notice this, spiritually
Christ thirsted after eternal life. The Bible says that sin
demands death. Grace reigns through righteousness
unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. He knew he was going
to die. He's on his way to death here.
He's close to death. Going to experience it. But in
his spiritual thirst, he thirsted after life. Life everlasting. His thirst for righteousness
in life was fulfilled completely by the things that he accomplished
right here. His death on the cross. And my
friend, now let's consider this. Because of him, we'll never thirst
again. Not spiritually. Because he died,
we live. Because He died, we're justified
completely. We have a complete, finished,
accomplished righteousness before Holy God. In fact, it's a sin
to try to add to it. It's a denial of Him. If righteousness
comes by the law, then He did all this in vain. That's what
the Scripture says. Well, He didn't do it in vain.
Remember the woman at the well? John chapter 4. Christ said in verse 14, whosoever
drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst,
but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of
water springing up into everlasting life. I get thirsty up here talking,
but spiritually I'm full. John 6, 35, Jesus said unto them,
I'm the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never
hunger. He that believeth on me shall
never thirst. Listen to this, this is Revelation
7, verse 16. This is talking about in glory.
They shall never hunger no more. They shall hunger no more, neither
thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on them nor any
heat. For the lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall
feed them and shall lead them unto living fountain of waters
and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. You think that's pie in the sky
religion? As old Mark said, the opiate of the people, no. It's
a reality because he thirsted. He died. He was buried. He arose again. He ascended to
the Father. Oh God, the psalmist said, thou
art my God. Early will I seek thee. My soul
thirsteth for thee. My flesh longeth for thee in
a dry and thirsty land where no water is. What do we need? What do we lack? The water of
life. Isaiah 32, one, behold a king
shall reign in righteousness, princes shall rule in judgment,
and a man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, that's Christ,
and a cover from the tempest, as rivers of water in a dry place,
as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. Let me read you one more and
then I'll quit. Isaiah 41, 17. When the poor and needy seek
water, Who are the poor and needy? That's a sinner being, that's
convicted of his or her sin. When they seek water, and there
is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I, the Lord, will
hear them. I, the God of Israel, will not
forsake them. I will open rivers in high places,
and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the
wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.
Now how does all that come about? in the glorious person and the
finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ, who cried out in his
suffering, saying, I thirst. That want has been satisfied. That lack has been fulfilled
by him whom to know is life eternal.