In the 16th century, the Maharaja of the province saw the potential of building his castle on top of the hill of Jodhpur. The hill is so steep that it would be impossible to conquer the castle. He sent surveyors to check out the land. They disrupted a holy man in his prayers. The man pronounced a curse that there would never be enough water in the castle. Jodhpur borders the desert, which means water is of crucial importance.
The Maharaja gathered his wise men to see if anything could be done to remove the curse. They advised him that the curse could be broken if someone willingly sacrificed his life. The Maharaja sent messengers throughout the kingdom, and a young man volunteered to sacrifice his life for the building of the castle. He was buried alive in one of the walls. The grateful Maharaja promised to support the poor man’s family.
Removal of a curse requires sacrifice. Jesus sacrificed His life willingly to remove the curse of sin from our lives. He came not to provide water for a fortress on a hill, he came to provide us with living water that flows from within our hearts. The sacrifice of Jesus once and for all gives us hope for eternal life and reconciliation with Our Creator, God.