“I thirst!”

“I thirst!” These were the only words of complaint uttered by Jesus Christ. He never complained when he was dragged around at night, flogged multiple times, crowned with thorns, spat, hit, ridiculed, or crucified. But now, he uttered these simple words while he hung on the cross, suffering and dying for the sins of humanity. This simple phrase reminds us of Christ’s humanity and divinity.

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. John 19:28, 29

As much as this thirst is a physical sensation, it is also a spiritual reaction. Jesus had just atoned for all mankind and all that was left now was to give up his ghost. But before that he ensured that the prophecies were all fulfilled. In doing so, Jesus acknowledges His thirst for the salvation of mankind. The work for which Jesus Christ came to the earth is now fulfilled, and it is up to humans to seek Jesus to be saved. It is for this that Jesus thirsted.

Further, throughout the Bible, water is used as a symbol for spiritual nourishment and refreshment. In Psalm 42:1-2, the psalmist writes, "As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?" We later read in John 4, Jesus tells the Samaritan woman, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” This everlasting life is through Jesus Christ, who is the living water, who conveyed the love, grace and mercy of the LORD. Thus, the thirst of humanity can only be quenched through accepting Jesus Christ.

The physical affliction which Christ underwent cannot be downplayed. These words highlight the physical suffering endured by Jesus. Crucifixion was a torturous and painful form of execution, and Jesus experienced all the physical pain that came with it. His body was dehydrated and weakened, and he experienced intense thirst. We are reminded of Jesus’ complete identification with humanity. Probably having this in his mind, the author of Hebrews identifies Christ as one who can sympathise with our weakness, for he experienced every part of humanity including pain.

Finally back to the fulfilment of the prophecy. Psalm 69:21 reads, "They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink." Till the very end, Jesus was particular about fulfilling the inspired words of the prophets and thereby completing every part of his mission. This is also another confirmation for the people that He was indeed the Christ. By saying "I thirst," Jesus brings to mind this prophetic verse and demonstrates that he is the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy, the long-awaited Messiah who would suffer and die for the sins of the world. Additionally, the fact that Jesus uttered these words on the cross is significant, since it is a reminder that even in his darkest hour, he remained faithful to God's plan for him, demonstrating his obedience to God and his willingness to endure suffering for the sake of our salvation. The response however is subpar. They offered him a sponge with sour wine. Water might have at least quenched the physical thirst which Jesus had, but this did not help. However he still accepted it for our sake.

Ultimately, the phrase “I thirst!” is yet another reminder of the incredible sacrifice Jesus made on the cross for our salvation. Choosing to take on human form, Jesus willingly submitted himself to the sufferings of humanity and endured every form of physical and emotional pain. He can without doubt be empathetic to our sufferings. Further, we now have access to the living water and to receive, all we have to do is ask.