A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it to His mouth. And when Jesus therefore had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished." And he bowed His head and gave up His Spirit."
John 19:29-30
It was at the Wedding Feast in Cana of Galilee where the Lord Jesus offered His first gift to the Church. The guests at the reception were the first physical beneficiaries of that miraculous wine. But surely you and I and all believers are beneficiaries as well. The wine was judged to be exceptionally good, a wine which everyone was pleased to drink.
Today, Good Friday, we naturally think of the Feast which was not festive. It was Passover Week during the long ago Spring when the Jewish Messiah was slain upon the Roman Cross. The irony is as obvious as it is cruel. Passover marked the occasion when God spared the sons of Israel in Egypt. That Spring they celebrated by taking the Life of the Son of God in Jerusalem.
Both Feasts culminated in a gift of wine.
The wine offered to Christ was of a far different quality than the wine offered by Christ.
Apart from death itself it was our last gift to Him.
Only He could give the wine no one was able to make.
Only He would drink the wine no one was willing to take.
Christians take pains to combat sin. It is well that we should. We may begin a fast, study a book, or join a group. Anything that helps me not to sin is a good thing. And I need lots of help.
I find that Good Friday helps.
And I am helped specifically by that gift of sour wine.
When I am tempted: the lustful gaze, the unkind word, the selfish choice...in those rare victorious moments I check myself and ask,"Is this the gift I offer Him, Who gave such gifts to me? Do I offer Him the dregs, the vinegar of my life, this sour choice for Him who yielded such perfection so willingly for me?"
May your worship during these days be profitable, fruitful and fitting for Him whose achievement overwhelmed the Cross, the grave the skies.
For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart. You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin.
Hebrews 12:3-4
John 19:29-30
It was at the Wedding Feast in Cana of Galilee where the Lord Jesus offered His first gift to the Church. The guests at the reception were the first physical beneficiaries of that miraculous wine. But surely you and I and all believers are beneficiaries as well. The wine was judged to be exceptionally good, a wine which everyone was pleased to drink.
Today, Good Friday, we naturally think of the Feast which was not festive. It was Passover Week during the long ago Spring when the Jewish Messiah was slain upon the Roman Cross. The irony is as obvious as it is cruel. Passover marked the occasion when God spared the sons of Israel in Egypt. That Spring they celebrated by taking the Life of the Son of God in Jerusalem.
Both Feasts culminated in a gift of wine.
The wine offered to Christ was of a far different quality than the wine offered by Christ.
Apart from death itself it was our last gift to Him.
Only He could give the wine no one was able to make.
Only He would drink the wine no one was willing to take.
Christians take pains to combat sin. It is well that we should. We may begin a fast, study a book, or join a group. Anything that helps me not to sin is a good thing. And I need lots of help.
I find that Good Friday helps.
And I am helped specifically by that gift of sour wine.
When I am tempted: the lustful gaze, the unkind word, the selfish choice...in those rare victorious moments I check myself and ask,"Is this the gift I offer Him, Who gave such gifts to me? Do I offer Him the dregs, the vinegar of my life, this sour choice for Him who yielded such perfection so willingly for me?"
May your worship during these days be profitable, fruitful and fitting for Him whose achievement overwhelmed the Cross, the grave the skies.
For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart. You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin.
Hebrews 12:3-4
3 comments:
So well put. Have a blessed Easter :)
I'm guilty of giving Him not only the dregs but others as well. Can I ask Him to give me the best wine, so I can offer it back to Him and to those He's put in my path?
Oops. Misplaced modifier. The daily tornado alarms have fried my brain. I should have said, "not only Him but others... and I'm supposed to be teaching English!
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