Banquet With The King: Mission Completed

Prayer – Lord Jesus, You did it! You obediently did what You came here to do. We are released from the bondage of sin…the oppression of our selfish lives. Our hearts are cleansed by the power of Your blood. Many were healed…of sickness, lameness, and blindness. All who repent receive clean hearts. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You!

Cross at the Holy Family Shrine
Gretna, Nebraska

It is Finished.

Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, "I am thirsty." A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. When Jesus had tasted it, he said, "It is finished!" Then he bowed his head and released his spirit. John 19:28-30

Meditate. Consider Jesus purpose while He was on earth.

This was not an impossible mission…but a difficult one—even for Jesus. When He went to the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed, “Let this cup pass from me….” But that wasn’t God the Father’s will for Jesus’ life…or ours. So, He went to the cross.

I find a bit of irony in the story of the Passover…and the cross. When God gave Moses and the Israelites the instructions for the Passover, He told them to use a hyssop branch to put the blood of the lamb on the door posts and lintel. Then as Jesus hung on the cross, the soldiers used a hyssop branch to raise a sponge of sour wine for Jesus to drink. Hyssop branches. It is also mentioned in Psalm 51 where David wrote about his heart being cleansed from sin after his affair with Bathsheba.

Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in secret You will make wisdom known to me. Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; Cleanse me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness, Let the bones You have broken rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins And wipe out all my guilty deeds. Create in me a clean heart, God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And sustain me with a willing spirit. Psalm 51:6-12 NASB20

Hyssop is in the mint family and it is considered to be a wild form of marjoram that was used in religious and purification rituals in Biblical times. We don’t need to use hyssop to sprinkle blood on the frame of our door, but we still need to ask God to purify our hearts. Give us clean heart and restore a right spirit to us. Jesus gave us the opportunity to be renewed. Don’t pass it by. He was thirsty…and was given vinegar to drink, but that was not a thirst quencher. Then He bowed His head, breathed His last breath, and released His spirit. His mission was complete.

Verse of Salvation ~ So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord's kindness. 1 Peter 2:1-3

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table (Good Friday)

Jesus was given sour wine which is actually vinegar. Who drinks vinegar? A little bit—but just a little splash—of apple cider vinegar mixed with water is good for a lot of things. It is a natural probiotic, so it is generally good for gut health and the immune system. It also contains antioxidants that some people claim will prevent or treat esophageal cancer, but like any claims for weight loss, skin infection treatment, or glycemic control, those should be taken lightly and discussed with your medical professionals.

It is not likely that the sour wine Jesus was given was made from apples. Jesus lived in the Promised Land…a grape growing area in which the Lord Himself had brought the Israelites to live.

For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys and hills. It is a land of wheat and barley; of grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates; of olive oil and honey. Deuteronomy 8:7-8

That was the land of milk and honey…and wine that made the heart glad. The sour wine that Jesus tasted was His last food…until He ate fish with His disciples after His Resurrection. Wait. There is more to His story. His Mission continues after His Resurrection…after His Ascension.

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®,

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.

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Banquet With The King

Friday, April 7, 2023

Mission Completed

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