Thirsting for Christ
9/2 Reading Portions: 1 Samuel 26; 1 Corinthians 7; Ezekiel 5; Psalms 42-43
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9/2 Reading Portions: 1 Samuel 26; 1 Corinthians 7; Ezekiel 5; Psalms 42-43
Psalm 42:2
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?
SLAKE
When Jesus uttered “I thirst” from the cross (John 19:28), it was certainly an indication of His true humanity. He was, after all, flesh and bone Man. Deprived of sleep, beaten mercilessly, scourged ruthlessly, and through the blood-loss by those inflictions, the Lord Jesus was dehydrated greatly, at a point quite near to death. Moreover, John tells us that He said this specifically to fulfill Scripture, such as: “my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death” (Psa 22:15); and again, “They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink” (Psa 69:21), because they filled a sponge at the end of a hyssop branch with sour wine when they heard Jesus say it (John 19:29). While this is true, I believe the Lord’s utterance also fulfilled the portion of Scripture we’re considering today. Although Jesus suffered the holy wrath of God for sins He did not commit, and though His intimate fellowship with the heavenly Father was broken as part of that wrath, and despite physical sufferings not only from the beatings and scourging He underwent, but also suffering physically, mentally, and emotionally from the wrath poured out upon Him, the sinless Son of God still thirsted for God and sought ultimate refreshment from God alone. Still perfect. Still sinless. Still righteous. His only desire was His heavenly Father. This is why Jesus was still pleasing to the LORD while He hung as a curse upon the tree (Isa 53:10).
Because Christ thirsted for the living God, we have been empowered to thirst for Christ as our mighty God as well (Isa 9:6). The flesh hates this spiritual truth and doesn’t want us to thirst for Christ (Gal 5:17). So, if we find ourselves not thirsting for Christ above all, we must get back to Christ’s cross. When we are thirsting for Christ, the only thing which will satisfy, that will slake our thirst is Christ’s person and work. Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Does your soul thirst for Jesus Christ?
Is God’s glory what you seek?
He thirsted while He paid the price,
For sinners’ joy with flesh that’s weak.