GOOD MORNING BELOVED!
Welcome to this special edition of the SJMBC Podcast:
“HOW IMPORTANT IS THE WORD OF GOD TO YOU
WHEN IT COMES TO . . . ?”
I am your host Brother Henry Cotton, Jr. and I am also the Pastor of the SJMBC. Welcome to our Podcast. We will be broadcasting every day during this Holy Week Celebration by remembering Jesus “Seven Last Words from the Cross.” The topic for our Podcast today is:
“HOW IMPORTANT IS THE WORD OF GOD TO YOU WHEN IT COMES TO . . . THE WORD OF DISTRESS!”
As Jesus hung on the cross in excruciating pain; having been beaten and bloodied, the Bible singles out seven last phrases (or words) that Jesus spoke. The fifth word was:
“After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. 29 Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.” John 19:28-30 (KJV)
As Jesus was hanging on the cross putting various things in order, and fulfilling the needs for some individuals (as well as for the world), we also see Jesus fulfilling a prophecy found in Psalm 69:21 involving Him:
“They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.”
(In the Bible, GALL is also mentioned as a substance which is usually bitter tasting and comes from plants, or from the bile of the liver/kidneys [Job 16:13; Deuteronomy 28:18]).
So after losing so much blood from being battered, bruised, beaten, and “Marred more than any other man,” Jesus expresses a personal need . . . He was thirsty! We usually just think of the wine (vinegar) being bitter, but Gall was also bitter tasting. The use of gall was not only physical in its use here, but it also served a spiritual purpose.
Physically, even though gall was bitter tasting and terrible to the taste, for some people it eased their suffering; thus allowing them to endure an even lengthier stay on the cross. Figuratively and symbolically, gall was used to represent the bitterness, sorrow, even the indignation of one being judged for their sin and disobedience to the law. No matter what the Romans were trying to do by offering it to Jesus, He refused it, thereby fulfilling prophecy.
So beloved ones, even in Jesus’ distress, He refused anything that might have even taken away some of His suffering (expound and conclude).
Remember, our ZOOM Podcast airs live on Tuesdays at 7:00am:
Pastor Cotton is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82997714213
Meeting ID: 829 9771 4213
You can always reach me through our website and our email:
Website: https://stjamesmbcphilly.com
Email: pastor@stjamesmbcphilly.com
