Quenching our Lord’s thirst

After instituting the Lord’s Supper, sharing His last discourse and praying, Jesus takes the disciples (except Judas) to Gethsemane. Here, Jesus prays in agony for himself and all that is about to happen. Later that night, Judas arrives with a great crowd (armed with swords and clubs) and betrays Christ with a kiss; Jesus is arrested. Then Jesus is taken to Annas and Caiaphas, placed before the Sanhedrin, and then taken to Pilate, who sends Jesus to Herod, who in turn sends Jesus back to Pilate. Pressured by the crowd, Pilate gives in and hands over Jesus to be crucified in spite of Jesus’ innocence. The soldiers then mock, strike, bruise, and whip Jesus. A crown of thorns is placed on His head and Jesus is led to Calvary mount with the cross placed on Him. Subsequently, at Calvary, Jesus is stripped and crucified. Hanging on the cross, fastened with long nails, in much anguish and pain, Jesus utters seven short phrases which we traditionally meditate on the “Good Friday”. Generally, these phrases are interpreted to the themes of forgiveness, salvation, relationship, abandonment, distress, triumph, and reunion. The following is a brief discussion on the fifth saying on the cross, as recorded in John 19:28, “I thirst.”

After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” John 19:28.

The purpose of Jesus’ arrival on Earth is drawing to a close. With His innocent blood shed on the cross, He had defeated Satan and atoned for the sins of all humanity. He had also arranged for His mother to be taken care of by His beloved disciple. His departure is at hand and the suffering on the cross is about to end. Yet, there were a couple of prophecies in the Scripture left to be fulfilled, and thus, Jesus says, “I thirst.”

His are the thousand sparkling rills

that from a thousand fountains burst,

and fill with music all the hills;

and yet he saith, 'I thirst.'

The Scripture predicts that there will be great thirst on the Christ and also that His adversaries would offer him vinegar to drink upon such a time, as recorded in Psalm 22:15 and Psalm 69:21.

my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. Psalm 22:15.

They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink. Psalm 69:21.

It is not strange that Jesus was thirsty. The gospels record Him to be thirsty after a journey (John 4:6,7); we also read of Him to show human responses of tiredness (John 4:6), sleepiness (Matthew 8:24), hunger (Matthew 21:18), etc., Naturally, Jesus after suffering much since the previous night and being at the extremity of pain and agony of death, would leave him parched and dehydrated. 

All fiery pangs on battle-fields,

on fever beds where sick men toss,

are in that human cry he yields

to anguish on the cross.

But, beyond this, Jesus saying “I thirst” holds a deeper spiritual meaning. Another point to consider is that Jesus himself says “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink (John 7:37).” Therefore, the thirst Jesus feels here is not about the Spirit either (John 7:39), but rather, it is for the souls of humanity. It is a divine thirst for the salvation of all men and women. Indeed it is for all of us which Jesus suffered and died on the cross. He atoned for all our sins, so that we can be made holy and grow closer to Him.

But more than pains that racked him then

was the deep longing thirst divine

that thirsted for the souls of men;

dear Lord! And one was mine.

Understanding this, what can we do to quench the thirst of our Lord?

Satisfying the needs of the needful

One of the two greatest commandments is to love our neighbors as ourselves. As we begin to practice this, we will be inherently aware of the many needs of the needful. Our attempts at meeting and satiating these needs of the needful is one of the ways of quenching our Lord’s thirst. Jesus himself says so when He explains the final judgment.

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, Matthew 25:35

And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Matthew 25:40

Whatever we do to provide for the “least of these” will go a long way to appease our Lord, and it is not without reward. For it is to such ones who obey and graciously help others in need does Jesus call to inherit His kingdom!

Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Matthew 25:34

Satisfying the Will of the Father

Another way to quench our Lord’s thirst is to do the Will of the Father. We see this in the interaction Jesus has with the woman from Samaria. Jesus weary from the journey rests near a well, while the disciples go to get food. Here, the Samaritan woman arrives to draw water and Jesus asks her for a drink. 

A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) John 4:7,8

The rest of this meeting is recorded in John 4, but it is never mentioned that this woman gave Jesus water. However, the encounter with Jesus changed her life and she brought back with her the entire village to Jesus to hear from him. No doubt, this is not a chance encounter. Jesus sought this lost soul, leading to both her and her entire village being saved. During this, Jesus explains to His disciples that His food is to do the Will of the Father and accomplish His work.

Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.” John 4:34 

For our part, we too can quench the thirst of our Lord by sharing the good news and leading the lost to salvation. Jesus Christ’s suffering and anguish for us on the cross cannot be understated. He did all this for us, and He would be satisfied only by seeing the redemption of those for whom He suffered. He bore our sins and still makes intercession for our transgressions.

Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:11,12

Here too, we are not without reward. Our efforts to quench the thirst of our Lord by turning many to righteousness will be rewarded with an eternal place for us in the heavens.

And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. Daniel 12:3

Satisfying the LORD’s search

Yet another way to quench our Lord’s thirst is by being the person whom He is searching for. But who is the LORD searching for and why? The LORD is searching for someone to intercede, someone who would stand in the breach before Him; someone who prays.

He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him. Isaiah 59:16

And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. Ezekiel 22:30

Consider Moses, were it not for him the Israelites would not have made it into Canaan. Time and again when they murmured, backslid, and disobeyed, it was Moses who stood and pleaded on their behalf. 

Therefore he said he would destroy them — had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them. Psalm 106:23

It is also our responsibility to be warriors in prayer, praying earnestly not for us, but for others - others in our street, region, city, state, country, world. Such that before the time of grace closes, everyone may know the LORD and repent. We may or may not be directly in a position to share the word of God, or help the needy. But we are always in a position to pray. Let us pray for the end of unrighteousness, wickedness, injustice and for everlasting righteousness, goodness, justice! Let everyone on Earth see the light and be freed from darkness! Everyone who sincerely prays for the wellbeing for the nation and against the sins committed in it are protected by the LORD.

And the Lord said to him, “Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it.” Ezekiel 9:4

saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” Revelation 7:3

Finally, when we work towards quenching our Lord’s thirst, it’ll bring about a great change among everyone on Earth. Sin will be hated, injustice will be nonexistent, everyone will live together in harmony in reverence to the LORD and magnify His name!

Then all mankind fears; they tell what God has brought about and ponder what he has done. Psalm 64:9

May the grace of the LORD be with us and may we understand our Lord’s thirst and do our part to quench it.

O Love most patient, give me grace;

make all my soul athirst for thee;

that parched dry lip, that fading face,

that thirst, were all for me.