Good Friday: The Thirst

"I thirst" (John 19:28 KJV).

How? How can God's Son be thirsty? Most of the time when we think about Jesus, we think about spiritual things: faith, trust, hope, salvation. But as Jesus hangs on the cross, things are very physical. Jesus says, "I thirst."

The cross keeps us from thinking that our faith and our beliefs are other-worldly. Jesus lived here. Jesus suffered and died here. His message is for us here. The truth is, if we're going to meet God, we'll meet him here.

As you read the Gospels, you'll notice the writers are minimalist with their descriptions of the crucifixion. They report "they did this," then "they did that." No gory details. Just "I thirst."

Why does Jesus say this? Earlier Jesus said, "Whoever drinks from the water that I give will never be thirsty again" (John 4:14; 6:35) and, "All who are thirsty should come to me!" (John 7:37).

So, what does this mean? In the Bible, to "thirst" is usually for more than water. It means to long for, to desire, to year for. Early in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus blessed a type of holy desperation: "Happy are people who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness" (Matt. 5:6).

Augustine once said, "Our hearts are restless until they find rest in thee."

When the soldiers heard Jesus say, "I thirst," they offered him a sponge with vinegar on a stick. But Jesus is thirsty for more than water. Jesus has this deep, holy thirst that longs to see God's will done on earth as in heaven--a thirst that can only be satisfied by lifting the cup of salvation and drinking every drop.

When we say, "Jesus is Lord," we mean that God is personal, available, and present. This God thirsts for us, completely gives himself to us, and moves close to us.

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