Tonight, we hear about one more symbol of God’s love: Wine vinegar. That doesn’t sound very important, does it? Wine vinegar was the cheap, sour wine that poor people in Jesus’ day drank. Like Jesus on the cross. Here’s what happened: “Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that 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). Before he died, Jesus drank some wine vinegar.
Why? Because he was thirsty. That, in and of itself, is an amazing part of the story of Jesus. Jesus is God. The Bible shows us Jesus’ deity over and over again. Jesus has existed from eternity. Jesus has all power and all glory and all knowledge. Yet, Jesus was thirsty. Why? Because Jesus—God—became a real human being like you and me. He got thirsty. He got hungry. He got tired. He felt pain. Just because Jesus is God, don’t for a second think that he didn’t suffer on the cross. He felt every bit of pain and agony and thirst as he suffered for us.
But there was another reason Jesus asked for a drink. John tells us. Did you catch it? “So that Scripture would be fulfilled…” When Jesus said, “I am thirsty”, he was fulfilling one of God’s promises. Every word from God is fulfilled! Which promise? There are two psalms in the Old Testament—both written by King David—that especially describe what the Messiah—the Savior—would suffer. As David wrote these psalms, he was going through difficult times in his own life, but his struggles were a picture of the even greater struggles the Savior would face.
Listen to Psalm 22: “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me. My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet. All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garments” (Psalm 22:14-18). Sound like Jesus on the cross? “My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth…”
Here’s the other psalm—Psalm 69: “You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed; all my enemies are before you. Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none. They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst” (Psalm 69:19-21). Sound like Jesus on the cross? “They gave me vinegar for my thirst.” King David lived 1,000 years before Jesus, but God allowed him to see what his Savior would suffer. And Jesus did. Every promise, every word fulfilled.
Even seemingly unimportant words about being thirsty. Do you know how many verses there are in the Old Testament? 23,145. In the middle of those 23,145 verses are these two little verses about thirst. Let’s be honest, with all that Jesus suffered, we would have understood if being thirsty wasn’t his top priority. But did these verses matter to God? Yes. Does God keep his promises? Yes! How many? All of them! Recently, a man told me that he believes in all the core teachings of Scripture, but there are other things in the Bible that just aren’t important. Would you agree? No way! Every word from God matters. Jesus made sure every word was fulfilled.
Do you? Do you keep your every word? I’m afraid I don’t. There are lots of ways that the Bible shows us our sins and our need for Jesus. It would be hard to top this: Could you imagine if God were to show you a list of all your broken promises? How many would there be? Start with your childhood. How many times did you tell your parents you would make your bed or brush your teeth or be home at dark, and you weren’t. And you didn’t? How many lies did you tell teachers as you went through school? “I didn’t get my assignment done because…” How often have you kept the truth from your spouse? How many things you have promised your kids that you haven’t fulfilled? “We’ll go to the _____________ next week, I promise!” Could you imagine if God would show you a list of all your broken promises? How long would it be? How sad would it be?
And not just broken promises to other people. Broken promises to God. God says to us: “You know that one little sentence I spoke 1,000 years ago that everyone in the world has forgotten about? I am going to keep it. I am going to make sure it comes true.” That’s God: Every word fulfilled. How many promises to God have you broken? How many times have you promised to change your life? How many times have you promised to never do that again? How many times have you promised to do better? How many of those promises have you broken—just today?
So many sins. So many broken promises. It seems like people more and more are warning us not to trust other people. Do you know what the Bible says? Duh! People talk like it’s a new thing to not to believe everything you hear. Come on! For 3,500 years the Word of God has been telling us not to put our trust in human beings. It’s just that the Bible says it even stronger than people do today. Today, people say: “You can’t trust the other side.” “You can’t trust Democrats.” Or, “you can’t trust Republicans.” Do you know what the Bible says? You can’t trust anybody! Not their side. Not your side. Sin fills the world with broken promises on every side.
So whom can we trust? God. With God, it’s every word fulfilled. Just look again at Psalm 22. Remember, this was written 1,000 years before Jesus came. It’s hard to predict tomorrow’s weather, let alone 1,000 years from now. But look at every word fulfilled: “All my bones are out of joint.” Sure sounds like a crucifixion. “My mouth is dried up.” Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” “A pack of villains encircles me.” Think of all the people who mocked Jesus on the cross. “They pierce my hands and my feet.” Nails. A spear. “They cast lots for my garment.” The soldiers cast lots for Jesus’ clothes. How many of those words were fulfilled? Every single one!
That’s why Jesus could shout, “It is finished!” With God, it’s every word fulfilled. So do you think God will keep his promises to you and me? Yes! “In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). Is that true? Yes! “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Is that true? Yes! “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Is that true? Yes! “The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Is that true? Yes! “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown” (Revelation 2:10). Is that true? Yes!
When you hear Jesus on the cross say, “I am thirsty,” you can be absolutely sure that every one of God’s promises is fulfilled. Forgiveness. Grace. Eternal life. Strength. Wine vinegar. It’s all true. With our God, it’s every Word fulfilled.
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