we live. It’s a most marvelous thing, that Christ would say, “I thirst.” One of the most marvelous presen tations of Christ Was made by John Owen, the great Puritan preacher of the long ago. People would come on their horses and wagons for miles to hear him preach. He used the term, “Christ, the divine egress and Christ the divine life” so often that it per meated his sermons in a glorifica tion of Christ. He never tired of speaking of Christ, the fountain of life. The same has been true of many, many others such as Richard Baxter. He stated, “The fountain of blood that frees us from sin flowed from His very veins.” Yes, it’s by Christ, the Fountain, that a vein transfusion is made. It unites man or woman to God Him self, in a new, vital and loving re lationship. He is the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world. It was Christ who immediately, after death, went and spoke to the spirits in prison, pouring grace upon them. Peter used these very words “poured out” with reference to this marvelous gift of the Holy Spirit. In the ages to come, when Christ sets up His kingdom, there will be lit eral and spiritual waters flowing out from before that throne. It will bring refreshment to the ends of the earth, giving life, joy, happiness, and peace to all men. In the light of all this, how could Christ say, “I thirst” ? Paul would have answered, “He came to thirst for us.” He thirsted for the greater Body of Christ. Christ asks for a drop from the countless grapes which He had cre ated. His thirst was for a moment. Then, undoubtedly the natural, nor mal torments began again, until death came. But the full meaning of this is far deeper and more mean ingful. Both the fountain of life pouring forth from that cross, as well as the thirsting, occurred that all men might have the water of 9
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” This One hanging on the cross is the unique person of the universe. He’s the One who said, “Come unto Me, all ye who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” “Him that com- eth to me, I will in no wise cast out.” I challenge you, on the authority of what Christ has accomplished on the cross, to make the most important decision of your entire life in ac cepting Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as your own personal Saviour. Word Five by Dr. William Bass C AN YOU imagine the Son of God being given a spongeful of vine gar upon a hyssop, while on the cross ? He was taunted with the words, “Let’s see if Elijah will come to take you down.” What is custom arily known as Christ’s fourth word from the cross is “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” And the fifth, John 19:28: “I thirst.” What relief from His suffering was to be found in a little sour taste? The pain was most intense. There were torture, fever, overwhelming thirst, intense pain, loss of blood and dehydration. It is really an incompre hensible mystery to think that the Son of God, who was to reign over the Kingdom of God, should suffer so extremely. He asked for the fruit of the vine to quench His need. Christ our Saviour was one with God. Out of His very nature He spoke the words which created stars, the planets, moon and earth. He is the fountain of life. The Psalmist rightly declares that the fulness of the earth is the glory of the Lord. Christ sustains us, not only by the word of His power, but also by the light and heat of the nature in which
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