I Thirst (4/4/2026)

Tomorrow’s service begins with prayer at 10:00am. Worship with everyone together in the sanctuary is at 10:30am. Classes will meet following worship, the children’s and youth classes will meet in their rooms. I will have our Resurrection Sunday message to share with the adult class.

But before the day of victory, there was a day of sacrifice, and Isaiah 53 told about the purpose of Jesus’ suffering. He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

But why was that? It was because he bore our griefs. He carried our sorrows. He was wounded and bruised for our sin. He was chastised for our peace. He was whipped for our healing.

Our God is unique in that He chose to go alongside us on our journey of struggle and suffering. What great love!

But some people struggle through such suffering don’t see it as great love, but wrongly accuse God of being cruel to permit suffering. Others decide there must be no God because of it.

But the reality is that Jesus understands us because He also suffered. And He did, so He would be able to bear our sufferings and walk alongside us as a very present help in the time of trouble.

Just think of Jesus’ second to last statement recorded from the cross. His last was, “it is finished,” but right before that he said: “I thirst”

John 19:28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.

Jesus knew thirst, but He was also the One who previously said: “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.” John 7:37
That statement was part of the wonderful promise of the outpouring of the Holy Ghost:

John 7:38-39
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

And once you have tasted of THIS water, nothing else will ever satisfy:

John 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

This is just one of many examples of Jesus enduring an affliction so that He can accompany us and bring relief to us through our affliction.

So before we joyously celebrate the resurrection tomorrow, recall that Jesus endured sorrow so that He could bear our sorrow along with us.

Communion Service Tonight

BUPC: Tonight is communion service, and thankfully, it is also Passover. When Jesus celebrated Passover the final time with His disciples (we call it the Last Supper), the night went in a different direction than what His disciples were expecting. Passover was about their deliverance from slavery in Egypt, but Jesus took it into a different direction. He said it was about His death for remission of sins. And during the meal He told the disciples, “this do in remembrance of me.” Meaning it was to be repeated. Paul put it like this: so this to “shew the Lord‘s death til He come.” Since the Lord has not come yet, we are still doing this to honor and commemorate the death of Jesus.

So tonight, at 7pm, the children, youth, and adults will be together to take part of this special event, and children to adults who have been baptized in Jesus’ name are able to participate in communion if they wish. It will be a learning experience that connects communion to baptism. We’ve been fasting and praying this week for miracles this weekend, but let’s expect them even tonight.