“I thirst”
John 19:28-29
Jesus’ words from the cross in today’s Scripture appear only in the Gospel of John. It is the shortest of Jesus’ 7 sayings on the cross. One of the things we need to understand is that John writes with great depth and what appears on the surface has much more meaning underneath. This is exemplified in the first seven chapters of the Gospel commonly known as the Book of Signs. There are seven miracles of Jesus recorded and while each of them addressed a particular circumstance or illness a person faced, each was teaching moment revealing Jesus’ identity as the Messiah, the son of God. Every scholar believes that Jesus’ saying, “I thirst” has much more meaning than what appears on the surface.
Persons who were crucified often died from two causes: exhaustion because they did have the strength to continue to lift themselves up pressing against the nails in their feet and hands to garner the next breath, and dehydration. Jesus’ words today speak of his growing dehydration and the Gospels show many people’s response to that. Jesus is offered wine three times the day of his death. The first is when he was carrying the cross recorded for us in Mark and Matthew. In Matthew’s Gospel, he is offered a cup of wine mixed with gall which we think would have acted as poison. Secretly they would have mixed the ingredients to speed up Jesus’ death and limit his pain and suffering. This was an act of compassion because crucifixion was a long, slow, painful death. Jesus tastes the wine and refuses to drink it. Why? Because he was not just to die on the cross for the sins of the world but to suffer for them as well. In this refusal, we see how costly the price of sin really is. Jesus shows us what he told the disciples, that they must deny themselves and take up their cross, just as he has done for us, even it means suffering. He also shows us that suffering can be redemptive.
The second time Jesus is offered a drink is around noon when the soldiers offer him something to drink. They more than likely would have put the cup to his lips and then pulled it away, taunting him as dehydration sets it. And then at 3 PM, Jesus says these words, “I thirst” and is offered bitter wine is but he refuses. The wine was sour wine or wine vinegar. If you want to have an idea of what that might taste like, think of drinking a glass of balsamic vinegar. So what do we learn from Jesus’ saying today.
First, we see Jesus’ humanity. On the surface, these are words of suffering, allowing us to see the humanity of Jesus and the full pain and suffering he’s experiencing on the cross. We got another glimpse into Jesus’ humanity last week in his request for John to care for his mother, Mary. When a father died, it was the oldest son’s responsibility to look after his mother. Women could not work or inherit home or property from their husband so they were completely dependent on their male sons for survival. Thus, the care of his mother would have been a grave concern for Jesus, knowing he was just hours from death. We often don’t think of Jesus physical or emotional needs and concerns in his life and ministry but these words from the cross give us a window into that. Why did John include this in his Gospel? He was at the cross, heard these words and wanted all to see and hear Jesus’ humanity.
Second, we see Jesus’ Messiahship. Our Gospel lesson today states Jesus said these things “that the Scriptures might be fulfilled.” Jesus was not the only one of his day who claimed to be the Messiah, causing great confusion amongst the people over who is the real Messiah was. In these two words of Jesus on the cross, we see that the Old Testament prophecy being fulfilled, revealing his true identity. This wasn’t the only prophecy Jesus fulfilled. Scholars have counted that in his life and death, Jesus fulfilled more than 300 prophecies. There were more than 100 which dealt just with his death on the cross. Some of those include Psalm 41:9 which says that Jesus might be betrayed by a friend. Psalm 31:11 says he would be forsaken by his disciples. Psalm 35:11 says they will make false accusations against the Messiah. Isaiah 53:7 says he will be silent before his judges. In verse 9 of that chapter, it says that he will be proven guiltless and in verse 12 that he will be die with other transgressors. Psalm 109:1-4 says there will be a multititude of spectators. Psalm 22:7-8 tell us that he will be taunted. Psalm 22:18 tells about the gambling for the Lord’s garments. Isaiah 53:12 tells us that Jesus will pray for his enemies. Psalm 23:1 tells us that he will be forsaken by God. And in Psalm 69:21 says he will be thirsty. In Psalm 31:5 that he will yield himself to God. In Psalm 34:20 says that no a bone in his body will be broken. And in Isaiah 53:9 it says that he will be buried in a rich man’s grave. These fulfilled prophecies reveal that Jesus is the one true Messiah. He is the one the Old Testament prophets spoke about, the one the Jews were waiting, praying and anticipating and his death is a part of God’s plan of salvation which was put in place long ago. While today’s saying may reveal much about Jesus’ humanity, they also speak most powerfully to his divinity as the Scriptures are fulfilled.
Third, we see Jesus’ thirst for the salvation of the world. The Passover celebration recalls the safekeeping of the Israelites by God as the angel of death passed over the firstborn of Egypt and their deliverance from slavery. Passover reminds every generation after that God has acted and will act on their behalf. There are four cups of wine in the Passover Celebration:
• The Cup of Sanctification – for God said, “I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians”
• The Cup of Deliverance- for God said, “I will deliver you from slavery to them”
• The Cup of Redemption – for God said, “I will redeem you with an outstretched arm”
• The Cup of Restoration – for God said, “I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God”
At the Last Supper. Jesus said to the disciples, “This is my blood of the New Covenant,” speaking of his death. Most scholars believe the cup that Jesus was lifting at this moment is not the Cup of Sanctification or the Cup of Deliverance but the Cup of Redemption. For that is why he has come, to redeem all humanity from their sins. If you remember when they arrested Jesus in the Garden, Peter pulls his sword to defend Jesus and Jesus says, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup which the Father has given me?” That’s the Cup of Redemption. And when Jesus says he thirsts, he’s saying “I am ready to die for the redemption of the world. In other words, he thirsts or longs for redemption to come to pass.
Fourth, we see Jesus, the Living Water. There is another time that Jesus is thirsty in the Gospels. In John 4, Jesus and the disciples are near Sychar and he sends his disciples into town. Jesus goes to the well in the heat of the day to get a drink and encounters a woman there. This is very odd because women were the only ones in Jesus’ day who carried water. They would avoid the heat of the day by getting water in the morning and in the evening. This woman came in midday because she was scorned by the other women. Why? She was divorced and married 5 times and now living with a man. This was a woman who had been looking for something to satisfy the thirst in her heart for a long time. When she arrived at the well, Jesus said, “Woman, give me a drink, I am thirsty.” She hands him a ladle full of water and he drinks, then says to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you Living Water and you would never thirst again.” John 4:10 In these words, Jesus reveals he is the Living Water and can quench the deep, inner thirst of her soul, and ours. For Jesus said, “If any one thirsts, let him come to me and drink” John 7:37
But this same Jesus who is Living Water now says, “I am thirsty.” The One who has the capacity to satisfy every hunger and quench every thirst hangs on the cross near death and is thirsty. This should break our heart. In these words, we must come to recognize that we have killed the only true source of Living Water. I think one of the things this is prompts us to ask is: “What am I thirsting after in my life?” What are you chasing? What are you desiring to get which you think will make you happy and satisfy your thirst? Do you really think that the next job or promotion or that next house or that next spouse will really make you happy? Do you really think that’s the key to your happiness and fulfilling that longing or thirst in your life? Really? Because it doesn’t work that way! They may bring momentary happiness but they don’t fulfill that emptiness or longing deep within your soul. Just as a Christmas gifts brings joy, a few days or few weeks later that joy has worn off and you begin thinking about the next great thing you want to receive. Jesus’ words remind us that the One who can satisfy the deepest longings of our soul is hanging on the cross. Are you willing to drink from Him to find your soul satisfied? What are you thirsty for? For Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” Matthew 5:6
Fifth, Jesus calls us to take great risks of faith. These last words of Jesus recall his teaching to the disciples: “I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,” Matthew 25:35 Someone in that crowd mustered enough strength and faith to respond to Jesus’ words, “I thirst.” Matthew and Mark tell us that someone sees how thirsty and dehydrated Jesus is and takes a sponge on a stick, dips it in wine and puts it up for Jesus, taking a great risk in amidst the angry mob gathered at the foot of the cross. We too are called to take great risks for those in need. Arthur and Skinner were two high school buddies. They grew up together in Mount Carmel, PA joined the army together and even rode the same ship to the Philippines. That’s where they were separated. Skinner was on Bataan when it fell to the Japanese in 1942 and he was captured. Arthur was captured a month later. Through the grapevine, Arthur learned the whereabouts of his friend. Skinner was close to death in a nearby camp. Arthur volunteered for work detail in the hope that his company might pass by the other camp. One day they did. He requested and was given 5 minutes to find and speak to his friend, Skinner. He was in a barracks called Zero Ward for ill soldiers with no hope and expected to die. He called out Skinner’s name, and out of the barracks walked the 69 pound shadow of the friend he had once known.
Arthur writes: I stood at the wire fence of the Japanese prisoner of war camp on Luzon and watched my childhood buddy, caked in filth and racked with the pain of multiple diseases, totter toward me. He was dead; only his spirit hadn’t left his body. I wanted to look away, but couldn’t. His blue eyes, watery and dulled, locked on me and wouldn’t let go.” Skinner was nearly gone. Arthur didn’t know what to do or say. His minutes were nearly up. He began to untie the heavy knot of the handkerchief tied around his neck. In it was his high school class ring which he was saving to use to barter when he was in need for medicine or food for himself. At the risk of severe punishment, he had smuggled the ring into camp. But one look at Skinner, and he knew he couldn’t save it any longer. As he told his friend goodbye, he slipped the ring through the fence into Skinner’s hand and told him to “wheel and deal” with it. Skinner objected, but Arthur insisted. He turned and left, not knowing if he would ever see his friend alive again. The next day Skinner approached the kindest of the camp’s guards and passed him the ring through the fence. “Is it valuable?” the guard asked. Skinner assured him that it was. The soldier smiled and slipped the ring into a pocket and left. A couple of days later he walked past Skinner and let a packet drop at his feet. Medicine tables. A day later he returned with lime to combat scurvy. Then came a new pair of pants and some canned beef. Within 3 weeks, Skinner was on his feet. Within 3 months, he was taken to the healthy side of the camp. In time, he was able to work. All because of a ring. All because someone took a risk for one in need.
Jesus charges us to look for those around us who are in need and respond by sharing physical water and spiritual, living water. So, who do you need to step out and take a risk and respond to their need in their life? Amen.
