the Third Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
John Gossner's Treasury
After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst: and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. John 19:28-29.
After the dark hour in which He had been forsaken by God, Jesus now had in His heart the consciousness of victory. He saw in spirit the accomplishment of all things, the liberation of captive humanity and the discomfiture of all its enemies. Hence He says, ’’I thirst. " For what does He thirst? O Thou eternal One, upon whom the eyes of all do wait; Thou who openest Thine hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing; Thou who givest "waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to Thy people, Thy chosen" (Isaiah 43:20); Thou who turnedst water into wine, and madest the water spring forth out of the rock to slake the thirst of men and beasts; Thou who givest rain on dry ground and keepest the waters of the sea together as in a heap; Thou who measurest the waters with Thine hand for what dost Thou thirst? For our salvation; for the blessedness of Thy redeemed people. But how do they quench Thy thirst? Thou thirstest, and they give Thee vinegar. This is the true picture which shows how men render thanks to their Creator and Redeemer, and how they reward His benefits. How many are the varieties of fruit and beverage which He has created, with which man may quench his thirst and be refreshed! But now when the Creator thirsts for us and in our stead, we give Him vinegar. Yet, as He Himself would have it thus; and thus it was written (Psalms 69:22). This burning thirst is become to us a well that never runs dry; a river of life and a most blessed fount of refreshing. He, the Good Shepherd, thirsted thus that we might ’lie down in green pastures" and that He might lead us "beside still waters" (Psalms 23:2). He, the Fountain of Life, was dried up that we might "draw water with joy out of the wells of salvation" (Isaiah 12:3. ) He must suffer from thirst, that He might invite all and say, "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters" (Isaiah 55:1. ) "For in that day (after His thirst) shall a living water go out from Jerusalem, out from Golgotha where He suffered the burning thirst and languished" (Zechariah 14:8. ) Thou, Jesus, must needs thirst, that Thou mightest say, "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst. He that believeth on me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of life freely. I will sprinkle clean water upon you" (John 4:14; John 7:38; Revelation 21:6; Ezekiel 36:2) . Such water, such refreshment, hath Thy thirst prepared for us. We all drink from Thy thirst. Thy languishing refreshes us.
Rejected and despised of men,
Behold a man of woe!
And grief His close companion still
Through all His life below!
Yet all the grief He felt was ours.
Ours were the woes He bore:
Pangs, not His own. His spotless soul
With bitter anguish tore.
