March 29, 2015
Stetson Memorial United
Methodist Church
6th Sunday of
Lent
Final
Words Sermon Series
“I Thirst”
John
19:28-29 AMP
Adapted
from Adam Hamilton’s book “Final Words From the Cross”
“What Do We Thirst For…?”
A
reading from the Gospel of John, chapter 19, verses 28-29, Listen to the word
of God for you and me His beloved children.
John 19:28-29Amplified Bible (AMP)
28
After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished (ended), said in
fulfillment of the Scripture, I thirst.
29
A vessel (jar) full of sour wine (vinegar) was placed there, so they put a
sponge soaked in the sour wine on [a stalk, reed of] hyssop, and held it to
[His] mouth.
Let
us pray…Pray for God’s word to be heard through me or in spite of me…
I like camels. They are really cool. I can
relate to camels at times. Did you know that when temperatures rise above 110
degrees Fahrenheit, camels can survive for about five days without drinking
water? During the winter, camels can survive six or seven months without
drinking water. During that time, they may obtain moisture from plants they
consume. Camels that graze in the Sahara can go all winter without water and
may refuse to drink if water is offered to them. But a large, thirsty camel can
drink as much as 200 liters a day.
There are days that I feel as if I were a
camel. I may drink in the morning but Ii may not drink again until dinner at
night. I am just not thirsty. But like the camel, when I am thirsty I can drink
on drink after another. When we thirsty our bodies need to be replenished. But
what about our souls, when our soul thirst what is it looking for, what does it
thirst for?
We have been journeying our way to the Cross
of Calvary…stopping here and there to hear what Jesus said in His last words
from the cross, His last words of ministry so to speak. These were the last
words of His ministry here on earth. Even from the cross, Jesus was still doing
ministry. His anguish on the cross was leading up of the climax of His ministry
and the reason He was sent from above. It is to this place that we have stopped
and pondered as we await the celebration of His victory.
We have talked about His words “Father
forgive them for they know not what they are doing…” and realized that we are
part of the “them” that Jesus was praying for and about. We heard His words “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me
in paradise.” which are words of hope for us knowing that we will one day
be with Him where He is… We know there was an “adoption” at the cross when he
proclaimed “Woman here is your son…here is your mother.” And then there was
last week’s words…”My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”…Jesus knows our
pain and our suffering for He Himself has been there…
Jesus’ next words make me
stop and ponder for a while “I Thirst”.
Now these two words seem out of place compared to the other words from the
cross and it is only found in the Gospel of John. But these two words tell us more
about Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. Jesus thirsted for righteousness as
He ministered to those around Him. It gives a deeper meaning to who Jesus was
and why He came.
The words I thirst show us
Jesus’ humanity. Almost every person who is near death all the sudden asks for
a drink. They become thirsty just before they pass on to Glory. John was
showing us that Jesus was fully human as we are. Before death He thirsted as we
thirst and died as we die.
But what makes me think at
these words is the question “what do I thirst for”, what is it that I desire, hunger,
yearn for in my life? We live in a world offers many things that promises to “fill
our thirst” but what is truly needed? What is the “better part” that I desire?
We get caught up in things that we think will satisfy only to become thirsty
for more things. Jesus death on the cross beckons us, beckons you and me, to
thirst after only Him…
What is your craving in
life? What is it that you are thirsting for? Is it that bigger house on the
corner lot? How about that promotion that you think you deserve? Maybe, just
maybe, as we seek Jesus, our thirst will be only for Him. Or perhaps as we being
to thirst for those eternal things the thirst of the world would no longer be. Just
think about what would happen if we thirst for righteousness. “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His
righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.” Think of what
would happen if we, as humanity, would begin to seek to quench the thirst of
others…quench the thirst of suffering, quench the thirst of poverty, and quench
the thirst of oppression. “I thirst
for… (Fill in the blank) Perhaps maybe,
just maybe…
Amen
