104 - The Seven Words from the Cross (5)#
104 The Seven Words from the Cross (Five)
John 19:28-29
28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, ‘I thirst.’ 29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth.
Let us pray together:
Father, we especially thank You, we come once again to seek Jesus Christ. When we seek You, the weak can become strong, for Jesus is our strength. The sick can be healed, for You are our healer, You are the God of healing. When You were on the cross, You provided us with all Your supplies. You swallowed all the curses for us, so that we may dwell in Your blessings. When Your precious blood flowed out, our sins were forgiven. When Your blood and water flowed out, it became our supply, giving us the living water of Your life. Thank You for providing us with such supplies. May the Holy Spirit guide us to receive. In the name of Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.
Today is the fifth sermon on the Seven Words from the Cross.
The fifth word Jesus said on the cross is I thirst.
Why did Jesus say I thirst? A person nailed to the cross has their hands and feet pierced by nails, and blood would flow out from the nail wounds. Jesus was crucified at nine o'clock in the morning and died at three o'clock in the afternoon, a total of six hours. Have you ever thought about what it would be like to stand under the sun for six hours when the temperature can reach 46 degrees at noon? Thirsty? Yes, thirsty. Moreover, Jesus was now nailed to the cross.
When His blood flowed out of His body, the moisture in His body also began to flow out, so He would be thirsty. Therefore, at the foot of the cross, the soldiers prepared a bucket filled with vinegar, then dipped a sponge in the vinegar and offered it to those on the cross. What was the purpose? To relieve some of their suffering, because the process of being nailed to the cross is a long and painful death. Jesus did nothing else; He bore it all. To fulfill the words of Scripture, He said I thirst. Which scripture is this?
It is from Psalm 69:21: They gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
When Jesus said He thirsted on the cross, it was to fulfill the words of the Old Testament. The Psalms were written around a thousand years before Christ, while Jesus was crucified around thirty years after Christ; long before this event occurred, God already knew it would happen. Why did Jesus say I thirst? Today we will share: What does it mean for us that Jesus said He thirsted?
The first point of sharing: Jesus thirsted because He supplied us with all His living water.
There is a principle in the Bible: to understand something, you must first see where it first appears. For example, we are sinners, so we need to look in Genesis to see when man first sinned. The answer must be in the Bible; this is the method of interpretation, to see where this word first appears. For example, God loves us; when did love first appear? It was a word God spoke to Abraham regarding his son. Abraham loved his son very much, and God said: "Take your beloved son to Mount Moriah and offer him to Me." This is the first appearance of love.
When Jesus said I thirst, where does the Bible first mention thirst? In Exodus 17:1-6.
1 All the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of Sin, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, ‘Give us water that we may drink.’ So Moses said to them, ‘Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the Lord?’ 3 And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, ‘Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?’
4 So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, ‘What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.’ 5 And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.’ And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
The first mention of thirst in the Bible is when the Israelites were thirsty. Looking out in the wilderness, there were only stones and sand. The temperature during the day could reach 46 degrees, and in the wilderness of Sinai, thorns would catch fire at noon because the temperature was too high. At night it could drop to minus 10 degrees, very cold, not suitable for human habitation, with hardly any other living beings except for the locust trees. In such an environment, when the Israelites said they were thirsty, there was no water when they needed it most. They began to complain to Moses: "Moses, why did you bring us out? There is no water here! We are going to die of thirst!"
What do we do when we are thirsty? If the water in our lives runs out, what do we do? Thirsty, and when you turn on the tap, there is water to drink; but in the wilderness, when you feel thirsty, there are many things you want to do, but you have no strength, what should you do? You need to seek this Savior.
When the Israelites were in the wilderness, they did not learn to pray to God; they only complained. Whenever there was a problem, they complained to Moses. Moses was just a person; he could not solve any problems for the Israelites. Moses could only pray to God. When this group of people complained to Moses, Moses turned to God. This is what we need to learn: whenever there are things that cannot be solved, that is your thirst, your lack; you need to turn to God. Moses asked God, "What shall I do? This people is almost ready to stone me." In the wilderness, there are plenty of stones; it would be very easy for them to kill Moses.
God said to Moses: "Take the rod in your hand with which you struck the river." When Moses went to Egypt to see Pharaoh, he always held this rod; what kind of rod was it? It was the rod of judgment. When he struck the river before, what happened? When he stretched the rod over the Nile, the water turned to blood, and the creatures in the river died; this was a rod of judgment.
God said to Moses: "Take this rod with which you struck the river, and lead some of the elders of Israel past the people. I will stand before you on the rock in Horeb." Before Moses led this group of Israelites, he was a shepherd, tending sheep in the wilderness for 40 years. He was familiar with the terrain of the wilderness. Those 40 years were very painful; apart from the sheep, he rarely saw people. It was also God's preparation for him for 40 years. One day God would use him, right here, in the place he was most familiar with, using what he was most familiar with to lead God's flock. He used to shepherd real sheep, but now he was shepherding God's flock. What did he do when his sheep were thirsty?
The wilderness of Sinai has a characteristic: there is water in the rocks. This goes back to the time of Noah's Ark; when the flood destroyed the whole world, during the flood, the water was trapped inside the rocks of Sinai. After the flood receded, there was water in the rocks of the Sinai wilderness. But not all rocks have water; some rocks have water, but not much. When the sheep were thirsty, what did the shepherd do? He would strike the rock with his rod. Some rocks would yield water, and the sheep could drink.
But Moses faced a very big problem; he was dealing with God's people, two million of them. How many rocks would he need to strike for them to drink? Was there no way? Even Moses did not know what to do. Although he knew some rocks had water, not all of them did, and he had to face two million people, plus livestock. At this time, Moses prayed to God: "Lord, what should I do?" God said: "Come here, to that rock in Horeb; I will stand before you. You shall strike the rock with your rod, and water will surely come out of the rock."
This proves that the rock in Horeb was a very large rock; Moses did not expect there to be water inside. God personally told him. After he struck the rock with this rod of judgment, water came out and supplied the people. God had already prepared this many years ago; the water inside the rock had already been stored, and the people drank. So Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
Who does the rock represent? Jesus Christ. On the cross, when God's rod of judgment came upon Jesus, His body was broken, and blood flowed out from His body, as well as water. When His blood flowed out, the identity of sinners changed; because of His blood, our sins are forgiven. When His water flowed out, this water became our eternal supply.
In Numbers 20, a similar event occurred. Forty years ago, when the people were thirsty, the rock was struck, and water came out. Forty years later, the people were still thirsty. God said to Moses: "You shall command the rock to yield water; the rock will surely yield water to supply My people and their livestock." This was already 40 years later. But this time Moses became angry: "You rebellious people!" After he got angry, he struck the rock twice. Water still came out of the rock, and the people and livestock drank. But because of this, God became angry with Moses and said: "Because you did not hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them." You shall see that place, but you shall not enter it. Isn't that scary?
Why couldn't Moses enter? Was it because he did not listen to God's words? Was it because he violated God's words? If that were the case, our blessings would be problematic. If you do not listen to God's words, the blessings God gives will be cut off. Seeing the blessings but not being able to obtain them is the meaning. If you think this way, be careful; ensure that your behavior is always good, ensure that everything you do is correct, and then you can receive blessings. Is that so? No. It is the same. Moses did not obey; isn't that the same? Does it mean we must obey to receive blessings?
Let me explain this scripture to you; this scripture is very important. I have been saying that the rock symbolizes our Jesus Christ. Forty years ago, when Moses struck the rock, water came out and became the supply for the people. But 40 years later, the same problem occurred. God said to Moses: "You only need to command the rock, and it will yield water to supply My people." This means that Jesus Christ can only be crucified once; Jesus Christ can only be judged once.
Two thousand years ago, Jesus was already judged. When you encounter thirst again, when you have needs, you do not need to pray, "Lord, may the blood of Jesus Christ wash away my sins again." What you are doing is the same as Moses. You are denying the work God has done, denying what Jesus has done for you on the cross. God says: "You see this blessing, but you cannot obtain it."
Because Jesus can only be crucified once; it was completed two thousand years ago. When Jesus died for our sins, you were justified; it is impossible to crucify Jesus again; it can only be done once because that one time completed the work of redemption, and God's blessings are already in you. When you encounter problems again, do not pray, "Lord, may Jesus Christ shed His precious blood to cover my sins." God says: "What are you praying for? My Son can only be crucified once; no one is qualified to crucify Him again."
Because of this fatal mistake Moses made, God said: "You shall command the rock." Is it the same for us? When you encounter problems, you can command God to solve them in the name of Jesus Christ. If you are sick, you say: "In the name of Jesus Christ, I command the sickness to leave!" This is like God saying to Moses: "You shall command the rock," and it will yield water to supply My people.
This message is very important for us. If you understand it, you will know that everything we have is in the blessings of Jesus Christ. He has already been judged by God, already struck by God, and can only be struck once. That one time He was crucified became our eternal sin offering; from then on, no one will crucify Jesus again. The first time Moses struck the rock and water flowed out, it became the supply for the Israelites. On the cross, when God struck Jesus, blood and water flowed out, becoming our supply of life. So this is a completed matter.
John 4:13 also tells us: Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. The water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.’
This is Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman. In fact, Jesus wants to give us His water; what does the water refer to?
John 7:38-39,
38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Does this connect with what was said earlier? Earlier it said, "The water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain." In chapter 7, it continues to say, "He who believes in Me will have rivers of living water flow from his heart," which refers to the Holy Spirit. When Jesus shed His blood on the cross, it forgave your sins; when He shed water, it meant the Holy Spirit dwells in your heart. Do you know that the Holy Spirit resides within you? Be assured of this; you are a believer in Jesus Christ. Jesus did not give us any other conditions; you only need to believe in Him, and He will give you the Holy Spirit. But when Jesus said this, He had not yet gone to the cross and had not yet been glorified. After He went to the cross and rose from the dead, the Holy Spirit was sent down.
Everyone has received this power from Jesus. Jesus said I thirst because He gave all His blood and water to us. After the rock was struck, all the water flowed out. And what about Jesus Christ? He gave all His blood and water. The final blood and water flowed from the heart; the soldiers pierced Jesus to see if He was dead, and they directly stabbed Jesus' heart with their spear. Blood and water flowed out from the heart; did they separate?
If the blood and water separated, it proves that the person has died. The water surrounding the heart also flowed out, proving that Jesus left not a drop behind on the cross; He gave everything to us. Do you know how much blessing you have received from Jesus? All of it. His power, His authority, His grace—all given to you, not leaving a single drop behind. Jesus did not say, "You cannot expect this; this is my own thing, you absolutely cannot ask for it; you are not qualified to ask." Did anything like that happen? Jesus gave us everything. He said I thirst on the cross because He supplied everything within Him to us.
The second point of sharing: Vinegar represents that Jesus bore our curses.
What did Jesus drink when He was thirsty on the cross? Vinegar. Do you know what vinegar is made from? Almost all fruits can be made into vinegar. Apples can be made into apple vinegar, pears into pear vinegar. Grains can also be made into vinegar; millet and rice can be made into vinegar. It is very common to make vinegar from fruits.
In the region of Israel, vinegar is made from grapes. Why did they give Him vinegar to drink? It was mentioned earlier that because He was in great pain on the cross, drinking it could numb His nerves. But at first, when they offered Him vinegar, He did not drink it because Jesus wanted to drink all our curses. He did not want vinegar as a substitute; He wanted to personally bear our pain.
If a part of your body still hurts, you say, "In the name of Jesus Christ, I declare that the pain must leave me." At the beginning, Jesus on the cross did not want to numb His nerves with vinegar; He was bearing my pain. In the end, when He said I thirst, it was because He wanted to drink all the curses.
Let’s look at a passage from Jeremiah 31:29-34:
29 In those days they shall no longer say, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’ 30 But everyone shall die for his own iniquity; every man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge. 31 Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord.
33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more. This is the Lord’s declaration.
When you unpack this passage, you will understand why Jesus had to drink vinegar. The word vinegar in the original language means bitter wine; even now, vinegar is referred to as bitter wine. Jesus Christ bore our bitter cup; your bitter cup was borne by Jesus; your curse was borne by Jesus.
Here it mentions that the father eats sour grapes, and the son’s teeth are set on edge; what does this mean? Will this happen? Look at this metaphor: a very sour grape; after the father eats it, how can the son’s teeth be set on edge? This is a proverb, and this proverb refers to a curse. It means that when the father sins, this curse will fall upon his son, and it will fall upon his son’s son. Where is this?
Exodus 20:5, You shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me.
Isn't that frightening? If you sin, how many generations will God visit the iniquity upon? Three or four generations. Why is God so frightening? Experts in anthropology have concluded that if a father has bad habits, such as gambling or drinking, and becomes addicted, he knows his behavior is bad. After having a son, he strictly forbids his son from engaging in gambling or drinking. But research shows that the son still tends to adopt the father's habits and may even enjoy gambling and drinking. Theologically, this is called the hereditary nature of sin; it is those things we cannot see that the father passes on to his children, even to the third and fourth generation. If this father hates God, it will be very difficult for the child to accept Jesus. This means there is a hereditary nature in sin. God set a commandment saying: "I will visit the iniquity of those who hate Me from father to son, to the third and fourth generation." This is the law.
Brothers and sisters, are we under the law? This commandment later produced such a proverb: "The father eats sour grapes, and the son’s teeth are set on edge." The father offends God, and the son suffers disaster together. Many people do not understand why there are hereditary diseases; the child has not sinned, so why does the family have hereditary diseases?
Under the law, because the ancestors had such problems, it is passed down from generation to generation, to the third and fourth generation. But you do not need to worry because you are not under that. In those days, what day is that? When Jesus Christ was crucified for our sins, people will no longer say, "The father eats sour grapes, and the son’s teeth are set on edge," but each person shall die for his own iniquity. When Jesus died for our sins on the cross, from that moment on, each person only needs to bear their own sin; God will not remember their sins for three or four generations because Jesus has paid this price.
Then it says: "The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah." On the night of Passover, Jesus took the cup and said: "This is My blood, which is shed for you; this blood is the new covenant I make with you."
When does the true new covenant begin? It begins when Jesus Christ truly sheds His precious blood; the new covenant begins. At that time, when that day comes, God will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. This proves that the previous one was the old covenant; this new covenant is the covenant of grace, while the previous one is the covenant of the law. Why do I say this? It is very clear here: "Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt." When they came out of Egypt, God gave the law, the Ten Commandments, so today God says: "I will make a new covenant with them."
The new covenant is definitely not the Ten Commandments; it is the grace covenant established by Jesus Christ for us. What was the previous covenant like? "Though I was a husband to them, they broke My covenant," says the Lord. Under the Ten Commandments, God took the hand of the Israelites; but this group of people repeatedly rebelled against God, repeatedly worshiped idols, and repeatedly did not listen to God's words. This is the situation of the Israelites under the Ten Commandments.
But God says: "After those days, the covenant I will make with them will not be like this; it will be different from the previous covenant." This refers to us today. "I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts." What is this? God says, after those days, I will make a new covenant with them; this law of the new covenant is definitely not the previous Ten Commandments.
What is it? The Holy Spirit. Under the new covenant, God says, when you believe that My Son died for your sins, I will put this law, the law of the Holy Spirit, within you. As mentioned earlier, when you accept Jesus, the Holy Spirit dwells within you; God will write the Holy Spirit on your heart. What happens then? "I will be their God, and they shall be My people." God says, "I put the Holy Spirit in you; I will be your God."
"They will no longer teach their neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘You must know the Lord.’"
Under the Ten Commandments, God told the Israelites: "You must teach your children, teach your neighbors, let them worship the Lord. If they do not come, they will surely die." This is the terrifying aspect of the Ten Commandments. But after that day, God puts the Holy Spirit within you.
Some people have had this experience: they have not attended a gathering for a long time, and one day they feel moved and say, "Oh, I want to go back to church," and they come. What power brought them here? The power of the Holy Spirit. This is the Holy Spirit guiding them, moving them to come here to gather and worship God; this is us under the new covenant. At that time, people will no longer say, "You must know the Lord," "for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," says the Lord. The Holy Spirit will teach you to know God.
There is also a very important statement: "I will forgive their iniquity."
Do you believe that God forgives your iniquity? Are you righteous or a sinner? Righteous. A few days ago, a brother called me to discuss this matter: he did not dare to call himself righteous.
I said: "Then what do you call yourselves? Do you still say you are sinners?"
He said: "No, I don’t say I am a sinner either."
Then what are you?
He said: "Our pastor taught us that we are now grace-filled sinners."
I want to ask a question: Is a grace-filled sinner a sinner or a righteous person? No matter how many modifiers you add in front, is it a sinner or a righteous person? A sinner. This proves that Jesus died in vain. The Bible clearly states that you are justified by the blood of Jesus Christ. You are now a person in God's family, already a child of God, able to call Abba Father.
But they say: "No, I do not dare to admit that I am righteous; I am still a sinner." But they cannot directly say they are sinners, as if Jesus did something, so they say they are grace-filled sinners.
I said: "You don’t need to say whether you are grace-filled or not; no matter how you say it, you are still a sinner, right?"
He said: "Yes."
I said: "Jesus died in vain. Because you have not remembered one thing: I will forgive their iniquity. Do you believe? Do you believe that God has forgiven your iniquity? You should admit that you are righteous."
They do not dare to admit they are righteous; they do not dare to admit they are righteous because they are still sinning! They are still sinning; how can they admit they are righteous?
I said this is too simple. Just like your son can make mistakes, but because your son made a big mistake, you say, "From now on, I have no relationship with you because you keep making mistakes." No matter how he makes mistakes, he is still your son.
When you are justified by God, even if you sin, you are still a child of God. Because God wants to forgive your iniquity. The reason God calls you righteous is not because of how good your behavior is, but because of the blood of Jesus Christ; justification has nothing to do with our behavior. "I will forgive their iniquity," is because Jesus has borne our curses. I will remember their sins no more; God keeps speaking, saying: "I will remember their sins no more; I will forgive their sins."
The next statement says "This is the Lord's declaration." Remember this statement. It is not I who said it; it is our God who said it. After those days, God will no longer remember your transgressions; God will forgive your sins, so you are justified by faith in Jesus Christ. Some say we are righteous, but we are still sinning; what should we do? What you need is a way to overcome sin. It is very simple; every day dare to declare, "I am righteous; I am loved by God in Christ." When you declare this, you will overcome sin. This is what Jesus drank on the cross; He drank the bitter wine, drank the curse of the law, and redeemed us.
Galatians 3:13-14
13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.’ 14 That the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Have you received the Holy Spirit now? Yes. You must acknowledge the earlier part. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law; Jesus drank that vinegar. Here it says Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law; Jesus Christ has already drunk the bitter cup for you; He has already drunk the curse of the law for you. Do you know how much the curse is?
Carefully read the latter part of Deuteronomy 28; if you do not obey all the commandments of the Lord, there is a long list of terrible curses. But after Jesus bore the curse for us, He redeemed us from the curse of the law. You have the Holy Spirit because you are no longer under the curse of the law. Because Jesus has been cursed, the blessing of Abraham can come upon you; because Jesus has been cursed, you can receive the Holy Spirit. You cannot say you are a grace-filled sinner, and the Holy Spirit is also in me; how can this happen simultaneously?
Do you know you are much luckier than the prophets of the Old Testament? In the Old Testament, so many prophets did not have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them; it was only temporary. When Old Testament prophets were to be used by God, they had to first purify themselves. Was there work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament? Yes. The Old Testament frequently mentions a term: "The Spirit of the Lord came upon so-and-so," and this person began to work. They began to perform God's power, began to speak God's words, and began to prophesy.
What is the difference between the Old and New Testaments? At that time, prophets had to purify themselves before being used by God, and then the Holy Spirit could enter them. It was not dwelling within; it was temporarily working within; when the work was done, the Holy Spirit would leave. Moreover, under the Old Testament, if those prophets sinned, the Holy Spirit would leave immediately. But we are different now; do you know why?
The Holy Spirit is not temporarily staying within you; He dwells within you. Why? Because Jesus Christ has borne all the curses of the law, so the Holy Spirit can dwell within you for a long time. When you know the Holy Spirit is within you, you should understand that you are no longer under the curse of the law; you are under the grace of Jesus Christ. We receive the Holy Spirit not because of our behavior, but because Jesus has borne our curses. The sins you have committed, Jesus has already borne them for you, so the Holy Spirit can enter you.
On the cross, there was a righteous exchange; Jesus drank our curses. That bitter cup refers to the curse; Jesus drank our curses. No matter what problems you have, Jesus has already borne them for you. Many churches still say that if you are sick, it is because of your sins; if your career is not going well, it is because you have sinned. If this reasoning is followed, it is very dangerous because Jesus has already borne all your curses, including hereditary curses in the family. If this reasoning is followed, it would contradict what Jesus taught us.
Once, Jesus and His disciples saw a man who was born blind, and the disciples began to ask Jesus: "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Whenever there is a problem, we like to associate it with sin; the disciples had the same idea. How did Jesus respond? "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him."
Jesus did not say this man had not sinned, nor did He say his parents had not sinned; Jesus said that this man’s blindness was not related to sin, but because God wanted to save him. When some bad things happen to you, do not associate them with sin; this is the devil's trick. When Jesus bore your curses on the cross, He redeemed you from all curses.
Last time I mentioned an extreme organization that said: "If you keep losing money in business, it is because you have too many sins; so repent of your sins well!"
This person said: "I have already repented of my sins."
What about your parents' sins?
"I have repented of my parents' sins too."
What about your grandparents' sins?
In the end, they set a standard saying: "You must repent of your ancestors' sins up to the Ming Dynasty."
I do not understand why only up to the Ming Dynasty; I said, "Isn't it better to go back to the Tang Dynasty? They are scarier than God."
God said: "When you sin, I will only visit the iniquity of the third and fourth generation;" but they went back ten generations. It is truly fortunate that you are not under the law; God does not have such regulations saying: "If you sin, I will visit the iniquity of the ten generations above and below." If that were the case, we would not be able to live; how would you know what sins your ancestors committed? Unfortunately, many people still believe these erroneous teachings and desperately repent for their ancestors' sins. Jesus has made it very clear that this man's blindness is not related to sin. When you encounter unpleasant things, do not associate them with sin.
When the devil attacks you, you say, "In the name of Jesus Christ, I command this sickness to leave! It is not my sin because God no longer remembers my sins; God has redeemed me from the curse." Jesus has already drunk that bitter cup for us, so we are not under the curse. Do not learn from those strange organizations that say you must constantly break curses. What good is that? When you believe in Jesus, He has already redeemed you from all curses.
It is not that you keep cutting; it is that the moment you believe, you have already severed ties with it; Jesus has that ability. If you have hereditary diseases, declare in the name of Jesus Christ: "I no longer believe the devil's trick. Because at the moment I believed in Jesus, I have already severed ties with those hereditary diseases of my ancestors. I am now healthy because the Bible says: ‘I will show mercy to those who love Me and keep My commandments to a thousand generations.’”
You can say that Jesus Christ on the cross has already fulfilled all the requirements of the law; God's mercy will be given to me for a thousand generations. Remember not to look up: "Only give me mercy for a thousand generations," that is useless; they have already died. Look down; God says the mercy and blessings He gives you will start from you and go to a thousand generations. Because Jesus has already borne the past curses for you, He has drunk all your curses. Do not be deceived; when you have the Holy Spirit within you, you should be assured that this matter has already been completed.
Finally, let’s look at a passage from Isaiah 44:2-3:
2 Thus says the Lord who made you and formed you from the womb, who will help you: ‘Fear not, O Jacob My servant, and you Jeshurun, whom I have chosen. 3 For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring.’
This passage is beautiful! The scripture says He made you; do you know where you come from? Created by God. Then He formed you from the womb, meaning you are in God's hands. And the Lord who will help you says this; this is our God. God not only created you, but He also puts you in His hands and helps you; this is our God. Such a God speaks to you.
God's words to you are very important: "O Jacob My servant, and you Jeshurun, whom I have chosen, do not be afraid!" You can say: "O my beloved daughter… do not be afraid!" Just replace it with your name. For I will pour water on him who is thirsty. What kind of person is thirsty?
You say, "Lord, these days my heart is extremely restless; Jesus Christ is Your peace." If the pressure from work and various burdens is very heavy, Jesus says, "I am your rest." If you are afflicted with illness, Jesus says, "I am your healer;" this is our God. Thirsty means you have a lack; God says, "I will pour My water on the thirsty." God uses a term called pour. When we bless others, it is according to our ability; but when God gives to us, it is according to His ability.
I want to tell you a story, the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. That rich man later burned in the fire; he saw Lazarus in Abraham's bosom. He said: "Father Abraham, send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame!" He asked for a very small drop of water. If you are extremely thirsty today, would a drop of water be enough? No. What does God say? If you are thirsty, God says: "I will pour My water on the thirsty." It will be poured down. The next part says He will pour floods on the dry ground; you say, "I am already dry inside; I am completely hopeless about the world; I do not dare to trust anyone," because your spirit is dry. You say, "I have no hope for this career, for my current job," because you are dry. What will God do? God says, "I will pour My floods on the dry ground."
God does not give you just a stream of water; He pours a river completely on your dry ground, to thoroughly nourish you, so you will see a turnaround. From now on, no one will dare to say you are in a dry place because God's river has already been given to you. I will pour My Spirit on Jacob's descendants; does this refer to us? God says, "I will pour My Spirit upon you; the Holy Spirit will be poured upon you." It will be poured down; as long as you are willing to receive, you can receive; God's blessings are abundant.
Then it says: "I will pour My blessing on your offspring." God may not know what word to use to describe His blessings, so He repeats the word pour, pour, pour. Aren't you troubled? "I will pour My blessing and peace upon you; let’s see if you are still troubled." If you have financial needs, God says, "I will pour My blessings down; let’s see if you still say you are dry." Isn't it dry? God says, "I will let My river pour down; let’s see if you still say you are dry." This is God's blessing. Because of Jesus, He bore our curses, so the blessings can be poured down like this.
Revelation 22 tells us: "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star." The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely."
Jesus has prepared everything; as mentioned earlier, He knows that all things have been accomplished. When Jesus shed His precious blood on the cross for us, everything was completed through Him. The blessings that the Israelites could not obtain in the past are now obtained through Him. He says, "As long as you are willing, all My blessings, all My grace are prepared; you must come to receive." The Old Testament is about striving to do well for God to be pleased with you;
The New Testament is about you striving to receive from God. You must come before God to receive; Jesus has already prepared everything, saying, "If you are weary and heavy-laden, come to Me! If your heart is restless, come to Jesus! If you have needs, Jesus says, come to Me." As long as you are willing to come, God says, "I will freely give you this water."
Admit that you are a thirsty person; you say, "Lord, there are many things I cannot overcome by myself, but I want to overcome; Jesus says, come to Me." Every servant of God does this. When people have problems, they bring them before Jesus. We say: "Do you want to come before Jesus?" He says, "I am willing," and Jesus has already opened His arms to welcome you. Look at Jesus on the cross; when He opened His arms, He was welcoming sinners. Righteous people do not need Jesus. If someone tells you that you are still sinning, you say, "I need Jesus; when others say you are a sinner, you say, ‘That is why I need Jesus.’"
Because of Jesus, I am no longer a sinner; I am justified. Sometimes your behavior may not be good enough; I need Jesus because He can change me. It is not about constantly saying, "Lord! How despicable I am! How shameless I am! How much I owe..." What good is that? You come before Jesus, and Jesus says, "I can supply you; I can change you." Even if you are dry land, I can turn you into a river. This is our God. Do you want to come before Jesus? Jesus can change your life; He can turn your life around. So do not doubt.
Let us pray together.
Let us pray before God for the words we have received. I wish that you stretch out your hands to draw from God what you need. You can say to God, "Lord, I am that thirsty person. There are many breaches in my family; I do not know how to manage my children, to raise my children. I do not know how to manage my relationships; I do not know how to get along with people. Jesus, give me wisdom, for You are my supplier."
You bore my curses on the cross, giving me all Your righteousness, holiness, and love. The Holy Spirit is within me; You have accomplished everything. You want us to come before You to receive. You love me so much. Because You love me, You died for my sins. You want to give me new life, to reign in my life; You have given me Your blood and water and have given me the Holy Spirit.
In Christ, I am a new creation; I am righteous; I am justified by God. I am willing to declare this every day; when I declare this, I see God's blessings. It is not about striving to change myself; it is about coming before Jesus every day; You can change me. I am a thirsty person; You are my source of everything, the source of blessings, the source of healing; everything is with You. Thank You and praise You, Lord, Hallelujah!"
Heavenly Father, thank You for listening to the prayers of our brothers and sisters right now, no matter what they are praying for. You are the healer and our supplier. When Lord Jesus said He thirsted on the cross, it was because You gave us everything. You are the scapegoat; we can come boldly to seek You.
When I stretch out my hand, it is You holding my hand; You will change my life; You will turn my life around. I believe this month will be different; I am in Your hands. You hear the prayers of my brothers and sisters; we are all needy people; we are all thirsty people.
We need Your water; we need Your words to supply us; we need the Holy Spirit to renew us; we need You to pour out upon us. Heavenly Father, we especially thank You and praise Your grace. Jesus Christ has accomplished everything for us on the cross; I have been justified; I am no longer under the curse; You have completely redeemed me from the curse of the law.
I can declare that the curses others have given me have lost their effectiveness. I am righteous; I am just; I am holy. Not because of my behavior, but because of what Jesus Christ has done for me on the cross; my life is no longer the same. This month, I will also see Your blessings upon me; You will pour blessings upon us. I receive this blessing; I will become a testimony of Your glory. Thank You and praise You, in the name of Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.