Welcome to Hank’s Place – 281
We’ve been learning more about our Great Salvation in JESUS! How? By using chapter titles from Michael Card’s “A Violent Grace” as a kind of launching pad for our thoughts.
Today, “He suffered thirst so I can drink living water.” John 19:28 On the Cross Jesus uttered, ”I am thirsty.” This was the fulfillment of the final prophecy about the Passion, a quote from Psalms 69:20-21. The soldiers soaked a sponge in wine vinegar and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. It was cheap soured wine that the soldiers often drank themselves while on duty to keep awake.
Jesus was thirsty. Do you recall the other time Jesus was thirsty? It’s in John 4. Early on in His ministry – at Jacob’s well in Samaria. Jesus had a conversation with a Samaritan woman, initiated by His asking her for a drink. Then He offers her living water to drink —even though Jews had nothing to do with Samaritans. And that water, in says in John 4:14, would become in her a ‘spring of water’ welling up to eternal life.
Jesus was thirsty, and His thirst was both the means and the opportunity for that Samaritan woman to experience lifelong satisfaction and wholeness.
Jesus again spoke of thirst in John 7. Verses 37-38 declare, “If anyone is thirsty let them come to Me and drink, whoever believes in Me as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” Pure life-giving water, in a never ending stream, quenching the most desperate thirst, free for whoever – believes. Jesus spoke this during the Feast of Tabernacles. The Feast of Tabernacles celebrated God’s provision of water from the rock in the wilderness, and Jesus wanted everyone to know that it had arrived. This time God had sent living water, but first the ROCK must be struck.
Back to the Cross. How could He who was the living water experience unquenchable thirst? It was truly a mysterious exchange indeed. And now by the power of the Holy Spirit a follower of Jesus need never again experience soul – thirsting.
Dear believer, through you and through me Jesus still extends His offer to a very thirsty world, “come to Jesus and drink your fill.” Share this Good News with someone today. Help them drink — and COME ALIVE!
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