如果您我承受极大的疼痛,我们很难地不求解脱。如果我们身体疼痛的不得了,至少我一定会喊叫。但是耶稣呢?耶稣基督在十字架上时,他所说的七句话中,只有一句稍微暗示到他五个感官的痛苦。
事实上,耶稣没有喊叫说,“好痛!”也没有说,“救命!”和类似的话。耶稣没有可怜自己。唯一指着他身体的词句,只有三个字:“我渴了”(约翰福音19:28)。
也许我们认为,“我渴了”没有什么特殊、深刻的意思。但是,因为这是耶稣唯一指着他的痛苦而讲的话,所以我们应该多思考,看看是否有什么特别的意义。
把耶稣基督钉十字架的士兵们,“掺了没药的酒拿给耶稣,可是耶稣不肯喝”(马可福音15:23普通话译本)。为什么不肯喝呢?因为那种药酒有麻醉、止痛的作用。耶稣为了保持他头脑的清醒,就不要任何麻醉。所以,耶稣拒绝了那“掺了没药的酒”。耶稣接受了痛苦,他也感觉到痛苦就好像是您我一样。
但是,现在耶稣块要断气时,因为还有几句话需要说出来,所以他口渴时,就请他们给他喝水,好让他解渴。使徒约翰在场;他把事情记载如下:“这事以後,耶稣知道各样的事已经成了,为要使经上的话应验,就说:‘我渴了’。
有一个器皿盛满了醋,放在那里;他们就拿海绒蘸满了醋,绑在牛膝草上,送到他口。耶稣尝了那醋,就说:‘成了!’便低下头,将灵魂交付神了” (约翰福音19:28-30)。
约翰要强调耶稣是个人。当然耶稣是神,但是以“我渴了”这句话,约翰让我们知道耶稣在十字架上时,他跟我们一样——会感到疼痛、口渴等。
耶稣基督在十字架上并没有可怜自己,没有诅咒士兵们,没有批评犹太人,没有行神迹使得自己从十字架上下来。耶稣基督在十字架上时,为那些把他钉十字架的人祈祷,求神赦免他们。
耶稣注意到旁边与他同钉十字架的一位强盗忏悔了,便拯救了他。他为他母亲设想,为她准备依靠和归宿。耶稣也为您我设想,因为他担当了我们的罪,为我们舍命。
但是,耶稣没有为自己设想,没有为自己做任何事情。连喝止痛药都没有。耶稣也没有做任何事情让自己避免疼痛或让他的头脑不清楚。但是,因为他的口很干,也为要使经上的话应验,他接受了一点醋。尝了醋以后,他多说了几个字,就断了气。
耶稣在十字架上口渴。您我在生命上的沙漠中,心灵枯干。耶稣曾经说过,“饥渴慕义的人有福了!”(马太福音5:6)。基督的死亡让我们在心灵枯干时可以“饥渴慕义”;在“饥渴慕义”时,能够喝耶稣在十字架上用他的生命而买来的活水(约翰福音4:13)。
请问,您是否想要喝耶稣所要赐的活水呢?不必喝醋!请喝活水!
【耶稣基督十字架上的七句话】五:我渴了
作者:谢德华 ©By Edward Short
English Synopsis:
John 19:28: “I am thirsty.”
“…knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips” (John 19:28‑29).
A quick reading might make us think that this brief phrase has little significance. But it is the only reference that Jesus made to his own physical suffering. He was thirsty. Mark 15:23 tells us that he was offered a drugged drink which he refused; Jesus did not seek to be anesthetized from pain (James McGarvey, Commentary on Matthew, p. 244), but he accepted another kind of drink in order to moisten his parched throat (A. Ross, New Bible Dictionray, s.v. “The Seven Words”). Jesus still had a few more words to speak.
On the cross, Jesus didn’t pity himself, he didn’t curse the soldiers or criticize the Jews. Jesus didn’t perform a miracle and step down from the cross. Rather, he prayed forgiveness on those who crucified him, he interacted with and saved a thief next to him, and he provided for his mother. Furthermore, Jesus thought of us, suffered for us and died for us. He refused a drug that would reduce his pain, but he did drink a bit of vinegar to quench his thirst, fulfill Scripture and make two final declarations.