“I thirst.”

John 19:28

Death is near.  His body is reaching its limit.   What it craves more than anything else is water!  We hear that cry from the cross as darkness is covering the earth.

A body can live for a while without food, but not water.  The body needs water!  Jesus cannot help it, he cries that miserable cry, “I thirst.” In his extremity he finally thinks of himself!  But only for a moment.  He was soon to draw his last breath.

The bit of vinegar that the soldiers provided in a sponge helped Jesus in his distress not at all.  Nothing could help. Jesus knew that he must die.  He settled the matter, he will die consumed by thirst.  There is no more unthinkable thing that one can imagine than to bear all the sins of mankind, all at once, all on the back of a single person on an ordinary Roman cross used for enemies of Rome. The cross was for killing a person. That is what is happening.

Listen to the pathetic word of Jesus, “I thirst.”  Only he knew that thirst that he suffered.  He faced death in a few moments, probably, consumed by thirst – just a drop of water, please!  The Creator of water had not a drop for himself!

Jesus died thirsty!  He thirsted that we may never thirst.  He died that we may never die! That is the heart of Easter.