My Christ - His Agony

John 19:28

After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.

I thirst! I thirst! The Saviour cried

With burning lips before He died;

A cooling draught He asked of those

Who mocking looked upon His throes.

Angelic hosts from heaven’s height

In sorrow gaze upon the sight;

But yet the sky no water drips

To cool the Saviour’s parched lips.

A thousand fountains flowed that day,

A river flowed not far away;

But not one cup by friend or foe

Was brought to mitigate His woe.

He suffered thirst on Calvary’s hill

That He our thirsty hears might fill,

To open wide a fount of grace

For all who seek the Saviour’s face.

“O come!” we hear the Saviour call--

The invitation is for all:

“Ho, all ye souls athirst, come ye,

And drink the living water free.”

Author Unknown

I never considered before the fact that this, the only word to leave Christ’s lips that focused on His suffering, was a prophecy of scripture. (Psalm 69:21) Jesus, during His entire trial and crucifixion, never cried out in pain, never said a word about His physical suffering. Except for these two words. And these, he only uttered because His Father gave Him leave to do so.

James Stalker said, “How easily we are made to cry out.” How peevish and ill-tempered we become under slight annoyances! A headache, a toothache, a cold or some other slight affair is supposed to be a sufficient justification for losing all self-control and making a whole household uncomfortable.”

-Taken from The Incomparable Christ by J. Oswald Sanders

Nancy Leigh DeMoss said, “When I get the smallest twinge of hunger, I think I am about to pass out, and everyone around me has to know about it. I’ve been fasting for 20 minutes, I can’t stand it!” She is so right. We all do it. The tiniest little thing, and we complain about it for the rest of the day. But Jesus did not mention His pain other than the one area that God allowed Him to.

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,

In my place condemned He stood;

Sealed my pardon with His blood;

Hallelujah! What a Saviour!

P. P. Bliss