John 19:28
After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.”
The intensity of the physical suffering of Jesus is something that we will never fully appreciate. Thirst was its ultimate expression just before Jesus shouted, ‘It is finished’ and took His last breath. Concerning this physical suffering, Friedrich Krummacher writes, “The blood vessels of His sacred body are almost dried up. A dreadful fever rages through His frame. His tongue cleaves to His jaws. His lips burn. There is scarcely a greater torment than that of insatiable thirst” Jesus really suffered for our sake. And this, the Bible records, was to fulfill Scripture. The specific passage alluded to here is the one in Psalm 22 from where Jesus quotes quite a bit during His period of anguish:
“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)
The fact that Jesus suffered an incredible and insatiable thirst was also so that those who believe in Him would never have to thirst again. That is what He said to the Samaritan woman regarding Himself and those who drink from the living waters. In other words, He suffered thirst so that we may never have to. If an unquenchable physical thirst is a horrible experience, I wonder how tormenting it must be to suffer from an unquenchable spiritual thirst. At the cross, Jesus purchased that which we can now get freely as written in Isaiah 55:1:
“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”
Reflections
1. Do you thirst? Come to the living waters.
