"I Thirst" John 19: 28-29 (4th Petition Lord's Prayer)

Midweek Lenten Vespers 4                                    13-March-2024

Lenten Theme: “The Lord’s Prayer In The Light of Christ’s Passion!”

Sermon Text: John 19:28-29 Joh 19:28-29 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!" (29) Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth.

Sermon Theme: “I Thirst” (4th Petition) I. The Father Graciously Gives Daily Bread! II. Pray To Give Thanks!  by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert

I.N.R.I. It was mid October in Jerusalem. The Feast of Tabernacles, or Booths had arrived. For one week each fall, the faithful of Israel gathered together around Jerusalem. They erected “booths” /“tents” /”tabernacles” to remember the 40 years of wilderness wanders of their forefathers in the time of Moses. Six months earlier they had gathered here to celebrate Passover - remembering God’s actions to deliver them from 430 years of Egyptian slavery. It would be the blood of the innocent male lamb without spot or blemish that spared them from the Angel of death and brought them to freedom. The Passover Lamb’s flesh would strengthen them for their journey towards the promised land.  

    Weeks before that Passover Jesus after a day of teaching 5,000 men plus their families in the wilderness, had taken meager food supplies, gave thanks to God the Father ordering the disciples to feed the crowd. The five loaves and two small fish became a feast in the wilderness. Twelve large baskets of leftovers were gathered as Jesus had blessed them with daily bread. The Savior cared for their stomachs not only their souls.

     The day after Jesus preached in the synagogue in Capernaum and the crowds contended with Him. History records, Joh 6:30-35 Therefore they said to Him, "What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? (31) Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, 'HE GAVE THEM BREAD FROM HEAVEN TO EAT.'" (32) Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. (33) For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." (34) Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always." (35) And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” Jesus’ Words were too hard for them. They abandoned Jesus. Even many of His disciples walked away.

     At the feast of tabernacles, history reports, Joh 7:37-38 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. (38) He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."  Six months later we find Jesus crucified. He has suffered in darkness under God’s full just wrath for every sin of thought, word, and deed committed by mankind. Every one of my sins. Every one of your sins. Now we hear Him pray, “I Thirst”. Learn from His prayer on the cross - the 4th request we make in the Lord’s Prayer: I. The Father Graciously Gives Daily Bread! II. Pray To Give Thanks!

I. John reports from the foot of the cross, “After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!"” Jesus’ public ministry began with thirst. Baptized into our sin by John the Baptizer, the Holy Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan for 40 days and nights - fasting for 40 days left Him exhausted - hungry and thirsty. Satan tempted Jesus to take care of His own need and ignore others. Jesus didn’t. Remember the weapon He wielded against the Old Evil Foe? Mat 4:4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD.' "

     Learn - our life isn’t sustained by the bread we eat, the money we make, the clothes we wear! (LSB pg. 324 4th Petition. W.D.T.M?) Jesus teaches us to pray to “Our Father” not “my Father” by grace we are knit into the family of God as His beloved children. Now He teaches you to pray for “our daily bread” - not “my daily bread” - this isn’t a selfish prayer for my own stomach. It is a prayer for all human beings on this planet.

     Suffering our hell - God’s just wrath for our sin, our rebellion, our evil - the Fount of Life is dry. He pours out His Holy precious blood for me - for you! He sacrifices His innocent life to suffering and death for us. Scripture must be fulfilled. He prays: “I thirst!” He preaches, Luk 11:9-10 "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (10) For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Now from the cross He teaches us to ask our Heavenly Father for all our physical needs.

     Our prayers don’t force God the Father to feed us - He is good and gracious - David teaches us to sing, Psa 145:15-16 The eyes of all look expectantly to You, And You give them their food in due season. (16) You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing.” We don’t deserve daily bread, but our merciful Creator Father sustains His creatures. As Jesus teaches us reality through The Apostles’ Creed - we confess, All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me.

    Without Our Heavenly Father’s blessing of daily bread - no matter how hard we labored - we’d starve. No farmer can make seed grow, or cattle bring forth offspring. No weaver can produce cloth without God supplying the raw materials. No doctor can keep a patient alive or heal their ailments - apart from Our Father’s undeserved gift.

    Our Father sends rain on the just and unjust - He is good! He gives us His only begotten Son - our Brother - to fulfill all Scripture for us. Jesus hungers and thirsts to clothe us with His righteousness in Holy Baptism.

II. Jesus prays, ‘I thirst!” Our Father answers His prayer - 29) Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth.” God Our Father quenches the thirst of our Brother through the hands of His executioners. Sour wine is given Him, that He might bless us with our daily bread: (LSB pg. 324 4th Petition. W.D.T.M?)

        All we receive is from our Heavenly Father through the hands of others. A mother’s breasts are God our Father’s gift to sustain an infant with nutritious milk to grow and thrive. A father is God our Father’s gift to train up children nurturing and teaching them God’s Word. As the five loaves and two small fish filled up twelve large baskets - Our Father’s blessings of daily bread are mind boggling.(LSB pg. 324 4th Petition. W.I.M.B.D.B?) Daily bread includes everything that has to do with the support and needs of the body. Take time to think what this all entails. Blessings that come from Our Father outside of ourselves - undeserved - given for our Father is love. Every breath, every heart beat - is His gift of daily bread to you! Thank Him! Government is His blessing by which He maintains order in this fallen world - Praise Him! The Roman soldiers near Jesus’ cross must serve our Father to answer the prayer of our thirsty Brother - Serve Him in your daily vocation. Self -control is our Father’s blessing of daily bread - obey Him in thanksgiving!

    Praying this petition we pray against Satan and his demon host. If the devil had his way we would have no food, no clothing, no family, no good government, no good weather. Satan is a murderer and liar from the beginning. Thank our Father “He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil. “

   It is under the cross of Jesus that we learn to pray trusting our Father for our daily bread. It is by Jesus’ Word through the Holy Spirit that we thank Our Father - as we share our abundance with all in need - giving even our enemies food and drink if they are hungry and thirsty - for we are our Father’s children. It would take King David a lifetime of struggle to learn the truth of our daily bread: Psa 37:25-28 I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread. (26) He is ever merciful, and lends; And his descendants are blessed. (27) Depart from evil, and do good; And dwell forevermore. (28) For the LORD loves justice, And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.”  Thank-you Father! Amen.