A Thirsty Suffering
Read the Text: John 19
Memorize the Text: He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:7-8)
Consider the Text: John 19:28
Jesus endured the cross because of his great love for us. As the world's weight rested upon his shoulders, Jesus hung on the cross while some people mocked him and the sun scorched down upon him. At this moment, Jesus declared, “I thirst.” this simple statement revealed the humanity of Jesus and demonstrated our need to long after Jesus to have our spiritual thirst quenched.
This statement from the cross illuminated the HUMANITY OF JESUS. The statement of thirst revealed that Jesus faced the physical needs of the body. Elsewhere in the Gospels, the writers revealed that Jesus increased in knowledge and wisdom (Luke 2:52), was hungry after fasting (Matthew 4:2), and faced fatigue after traveling (John 4:6). Thus, Jesus entering into the realm of humanity showed God’s involvement in engaging our circumstances to provide a path to redemption. At the same time, the humanity of Jesus was necessary for the bridge to be formed that covered the gap between God and humanity. Do you recognize the humanity of Christ?
When Jesus declared, “I thirst,” he revealed the existence of a SPIRITUAL THIRST. A spiritual thirst happens here and now because we live in a land parched and longing for something greater. Sin plagues the world and forms a spiritual void that we long after. This thirst exists because the ultimate quenching occurs in heaven, and thus the longing remains in the here and now. We live in the hope of what is ahead and long for that fulfillment.
We long and thirst for righteousness. This occurs as we recognize the ways of the Lord and seek to obey them and live them out faithfully. We pursue righteousness because of our link to the Lord and our desire to live obediently to the Lord who cares deeply for us. Paul spoke to this in Romans 12 as he revealed how the Lord cares and tends to his own.
We long and thirst spiritually. Jesus alone QUENCHES OUR THIRST. Jesus carried out God's redemptive plan as he humbly came to earth and sacrificial went to the cross. He fulfilled the promise of the Lord for a Messiah. He met the demands of our sin by becoming the needed substitute through the spilling of blood, the enduring death, and the victorious resurrection. Thus, Christ alone makes one perfect and satisfies the longing and thirst of the Lord.
We live with a deep spiritual thirst that we cannot satisfy apart from Christ. Christ alone quenches the spiritual thirst we battle. When we think about the declaration of Christ on the cross, let’s not forget that he took on our penalty so that we could have the spiritual thirsting in our lives dealt with.
This blog is part of the Coffee and Quiet Time with Jesus Devotional Series found at equippingfaith.com. Join the journey of reading through the New Testament this year. More information can be found at equippingfaith.com.
