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“Even his final act on earth was intended to win your trust.”

A thought by Max Lucado (2012-01-02) from his book, He Chose the Nails  (p. 91). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

Here, look at this, “Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, ‘I am thirsty.’ A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John 19: 28– 30 NIV)”

As you can see this was the last thing He did before He died.

Max says, “Jesus. Lips cracked and mouth of cotton. Throat so dry he can’t swallow, voice so hoarse he can scarcely speak. He is thirsty. To find the last time moisture touched these lips you need to rewind a dozen hours to the meal in the upper room. Since tasting that cup of wine, Jesus has been beaten, spat upon, bruised, and cut. He has been a cross-carrier and sin-bearer, and no liquid has salved his throat. He is thirsty.”

Then Max says, “Why doesn’t he do something about it? Couldn’t he? Did he not cause jugs of water to be jugs of wine? Did he not make a wall out of the Jordan River and two walls out of the Red Sea? Didn’t he, with one word, banish the rain and calm the waves? Doesn’t Scripture say that he ‘turned the desert into pools’ (Ps. 107: 35 NIV)”

We know by reading His story, we know He could but why didn’t He?

Max says, “Why? Why did he endure all these feelings? Because he knew you would feel them too.

“He knew you would be weary, disturbed, and angry. He knew you’d be sleepy, grief-stricken, and hungry. He knew you’d face pain. If not the pain of the body, the pain of the soul . . . pain too sharp for any drug. He knew you’d face thirst. If not a thirst for water, at least a thirst for truth, and the truth we glean from the image of a thirsty Christ is— he understands.

“And because he understands, we can come to him.”  He understands and he wants you to come to him.


So, will you?

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