Lent Devotions
Lent Week Three – for Catch up.
Week four started March 11, and Week five starts March 18. I’m so sorry for the delay – thank you for your patience with me as we prepare to move!

Fourth Sunday of Lent
I thirst

Music

Ho Everyone that thirsteth – Sheri Yohe
(I like the version that we used to sing, but, it’s not available!)

Scripture

John 19:28-30 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
The Finished Work of Jesus
28 After this, when Jesus knew that everything was now accomplished that the Scripture might be fulfilled, He said, “I’m thirsty!” 29 A jar full of sour wine was sitting there; so they fixed a sponge full of sour wine on hyssop[a] and held it up to His mouth.

30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” Then bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Devotion

Jesus was giving up his life, for us.
Jesus was suffering intensely, for us.
Jesus was dying, for us.

And he says “I Thirst”

I have been meditating upon these words, and I have found a blog that explains very nicely what I’d like to present.
Adam Hamilton’s Blog “I thirst”: More here than meets the eye.”

One that I was looking for was to what prophecy did this refer? Quoting from Adam Hamilton’s blog:

At the surface, Jesus’ words, “I thirst,” John tells us, lead to the fulfillment of Scripture. What Scripture did Jesus fulfill by making this statement? Most scholars think it is Psalm 69:21b: “For my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” When he said he was thirsty and was offered wine vinegar, Jesus was pointing us back to this verse from Psalm 69. He was saying, “Look, what I’m doing now was written centuries ago. It is part of God’s plan that was set in place long before now.”

The others being his humanity – thirsting; His reference to the drinking his blood; his reference to HIMSELF drinking of the cup; and reference to the living water.

There is a comment on this blog that talks about some other symbolism in this event, written by anonymous. It gives some food for thought:

My friend, I’m sorry but I think you missed it. “as a sponge was dipped in wine vinegar, affixed to a stick and lifted up to Jesus.” That stick holds the key to the passage which John is talking about.
Numbers 19 is the laws for purification in which a Red Heifer (Jesus) is sacrificed outside the camp, then burned in a fire with cedar wood (the cross) scarlet yarn (the robe which was put on Jesus while they were mocking him) and hyssop (the very wood used to raise the wine to Jesus.) The ashes from that fire were mixed into water from a running water source (the hebrew for running water, moving water, and Living Water is the same). It was that water which was used to purify the parts of the tabernacle worship as well as to purify the people who were unclean from touching a dead thing, they would be washed on the third day and on the seventh day then at the beginning of the eighth or new day they would be clean and allowed back in the camp. This is all a picture of how Jesus sacrifice on the cross is for our purification.
When John says that Jesus was fulfilling Scripture it wasn’t a fulfillment of prophecy, an emphasis on His humanity, an expression of finishing his suffering, or that the Living Water had dried up, but it was actually a fulfillment of the Law.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Matthew 5:17

Even with this comment, I believe that Adam does a wonderful job of speaking to those concepts of this very passage, therefore, I’m going to speak to OUR thirst!

Isaiah 55:1-3 King James Version (KJV)
55 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

When Jesus spoke to the woman at the well, he talks about a different kind of water…one that would never leave you thirsting again.
There is talk in the Bible about fresh water and that from cisterns – and that some will choose cistern water over fresh.
When Jesus talks to the disciples, He warns them of false sheep – lions that seek to devour…to test the spirits.
There is TRUE water, and there is FALSE water.

What are we to thirst after?
First – WHY???
BECAUSE water is so vital to our life.
USGS says that our bodies are approximately 60% water.
A medical article says that the body us up to 75% water, and talks about the symptoms of dehydration.

Years ago, I was struggling with my own issues with dehydration.
My electrolytes would get out of whack, and I could not function.
I was missing the signs of dehydration – I was so far PAST thirst.

Dehydration is deadly – both physically, and spiritually. I compared the two!

We are to remember Jesus’s sacrifice by eating his flesh(bread) and drinking his blood (wine) – we are to remember, so that we continue to desire HIM.

Then WHAT are we to thirst after?
We are given a promise, if we thirst after righteousness:

Matthew 5:6 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
6 Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed,
for they will be filled.

When Jesus speaks, even in a very seemingly simple phrase such as “I Thirst” – there is so much to be gathered from him. It was said of Elijah that not one word of his ever fell to the ground wasted. How much MORE the words of Jesus.

He was broken and spilled out for us…and as he was breathing his last words, he gave us a reminder…a proof text…and a promise…in one simple phrase – ‘I thirst’.

Broken and Spilled Out – Steve Green

Are we willing to be broken and spilled out?

Do we thirst to be filled with the living water by turning away from the worldly cisterns?

Do we remember daily the price with which we were purchased?

Prayer and Worship
Come to the Water – Matt Maher
Come to the Water – Paul Baloche
All Who are thirsty – Vineyard

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Copyrights and Legal-eze
There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

• Naomi’s Heart Ministries
• Obed’s House Ministries
• Project Based Missions, Global
• The son of a friend will be interning with CRU – previously known as Campus Crusades for Christ. If you’d like to support someone I can vouch for in this area, please consider going to Matthew Plant’s donation page.
• Compassion