Greetings in the name of our Risen Lord. I went to Nebraska Friday and got to see a bunch of friends in both Seward and then in Exeter at a wedding Saturday. I drove back Saturday night and got back to Brookings at 3 in the morning. Then I had to get up Sunday for confirmation Sunday. It was a great day of nine kids getting confirmed and then spending the day at three receptions. However, I went to bed early last night to try to catch up on sleep. This week is busy already because this morning we delivered 76 Brain Food bags to the college students for Finals week. Then tonight is voter's meeting and tomorrow is call day at the seminary. We will find out who the vicar for next year will be and transition will unfortunately officially begin. Here is my second sermon from the Tre Ore service on Good Friday.
Good Friday Tre Ore Sermon
“I thirst” John 19:28-29
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Two little words. The fifth saying of our Lord from the cross is two little words. “I thirst.” These two little words may seem unimportant or less important that the other sayings. Can these two little words have much theological importance if any at all? I mean Jesus has been beaten, standing while on trial, forced to walk to the place called the Skull, and nailed to a cross. He has not had anything to drink since the last supper with His disciples. Most likely He is just actually thirsty from the pain and agony He has endured with no food or water.
Except I believe these two little words have great theological importance. First of all as the text tells us itself, they are the fulfillment of scripture. Christ very often in His life did things a certain way to be the fulfillment of Scripture. He did this to show He was indeed the Messiah, the Christ, the one promised throughout the Old Testament history, the one prophesied about by the prophets. This saying fulfills Scripture from Psalm 22, the famous Psalm for words Christ speaks from the cross of “My God, My God why have you forsaken me?”, we also get verse 15 where it reads “my tongue sticks to my jaws.” This could also be the fulfillment of Psalm 69 verse 21 where it says, “they gave me vinegar for my thirst.” These words are prophesied about Him in these earlier scriptures, and Christ speaks them to fulfill these prophesies. However, I believe they have even greater importance than that yet. These words are the climax of a theological theme that can be seen from the beginning of Genesis to the end of Revelation.
In Genesis 2 where the garden is described, there is the added detail of the river that flowed out of the garden and divided into four rivers flowing out into the world. This one river watered the garden and gave life to the garden, just as the four rivers that flowed out into the world gave life to all the areas they went out to. Plants need water, animals need water, every living thing needs water, and this river is where they get that water. The river, flowing water, is seen as a life source for all of creation.
In Ezekiel 47, the river or flowing water is coming out from the threshold of the temple, flowing out giving life to everything that is in contact with the river. This river, or flowing water is a life source, and it is coming directly from the temple, or the presence of God. Just as the river that came from the garden came from where God was with His people. This river is a life source that comes directly from the presence of God. So the river equals life, and the river comes from God’s presence; therefore, the river is life flowing from God’s presence out to His people and creation.
Then in John 1 we see that Jesus Christ is the Word become flesh who was with God and who is God. Jesus is the new tabernacle or temple. Jesus is the presence of God among His people. Jesus is now the life source of all creation, just as the river flowing from the temple in Ezekiel or the river flowing from the garden. Jesus is the life for all people.
And now as He hangs upon the cross, with all the sin of the world upon Him, He says, “I thirst.” The life source of all creation, the river of life that flows from the presence of God, Jesus Christ Himself who is that river of life, thirsts! He is dried up. He thirsts, because He as He hangs upon the cross with all sin that ever has and ever will exists placed upon His shoulders, the river of life is dry.
However, our hope is not lost, the only life source for all of creation is not gone! As He commends His Spirit to the Father and breaths His last, they stab the spear into His side and what comes flowing out? The new river of life, the new life source of His blood and water missed together. This is the new river that flows from His pierced side because all sin has been paid for, all sin is gone upon His death. He is the life source because through His death paying for all sins, His forgiveness now gives life to all believers. He is the new life source and the river of life flows from His pierced side.
This life source of water has been poured over us as the water was splashed onto our foreheads and the word of baptism spoken over us. We are now given our eternal life, we now have our eternal life because the river of life flowing from His side comes pouring over us in our baptism. We have our eternal life in Him, because He hung upon the cross, taking all the sin upon Him, allowing Himself to be dried up of life. He was willing to be dried of up all life, willing to die, so that we now have the life source of Him and the river of life flowing from Him for the rest of eternity.
Then we see this same thing in Revelation 22, in John’s vision into heaven. John describes it as seeing “the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” This river is flowing directly from the throne of our God and the Lamb who is Christ our Lord, and this river of life flows out from His presence directly to us giving us our eternal life in Him. These two little words are so important because Christ who is the river of life, our only life source, was willing to be dried up, willing to die for us so that we may always live in Him. He said, “I thirst,” to show that He took the entirety of sin upon Himself, dying to rid of all sin once and for all, to give you the eternal life you have and are living in His name. He is your life source, He is the presence of God from which the river of life flows directly to you, giving you life for now and for the rest of eternity, because your Lord “thirsted” for you!
In the name of our life source, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, Amen.
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