I Thirst!

July 6, 2021

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!”

~John 19:28~

The trying hours our Lord Jesus hung from that cross is enough to cause intense hunger pains and dehydration in the body. The pain, torment and separation from God really weighed on our Lord that very hour. At that moment Jesus spoke some of His "last words," although it truely would not be His last. Jesus says, "I thirst!" As i meditated on this verse with Holy Spirit understanding why He was showing me this tonight, He pointed me to the direction of body verses spirit mentality. With our human perspective we tend to believe Jesus was speaking of thirsting for His body, now im sure He did feel this sense within Him, yet Jesus was one to walk in Spirit and in Truth. We tend to look at this scripture very literally and notice the soldiers response and accept it as just that. Think about it, if Jesus knew He would be taking His last breath, why would He ask for a physical drink? Remember the words He spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well; "Jesus answered and said to her, “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.”

(John 4:13‭-‬14)

Jesus spoke out as He was feeling that separation from Father, bearing all that sin upon Him including the very curse of not feeling God. His Spirit cried out, "I thirst!" The greatest pain is to be without Father. Jesus walked all of His life in fellowship with Father, doing His works and hearing from Him; suddenly that had been taken away. The pain of this is far more then any amount of strike against the body, suffocation, hunger or dehydration. The dehydration came from His Spirit and He thirsted for His eternal life to be. "And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts." (Revelation 21:6)

Notice these words He speaks in the vision to John, "It is done!" After Jesus became "thirsy" He spoke these next words before giving up His spirit; "So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit." (John 19:30)

"It is finished." Jesus became all He needed to be for us to receive living water, communion with God and eternal life. For this water we cannot go thirsty from. For with His sacrifice and His pain, we have the option of freely receiving His spiritual hydration. The separation from Father is far more damaging then physical pain and suffering, Abba was fulfilling His promises through His Son; "The poor and needy seek water, but there is none, Their tongues fail for thirst. I, the Lord, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them." (Isaiah 41:17)

Jesus became forsaken in the moment for us. He experienced every pain we can possibly imagine and hearing those words "I thirst!" The soldiers responded in the only way they knew or understood how, a physical manner. "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit." (Romans 8:5)

He may have received this sour wine from them and it may have been symbolism, or mere humility in itself however He didn't actually crave a drink. His words spoke through spirit with what He had to offer all of us from there on after.

We can hear the cries of our King as He hung at Calvary in our own spirits and we now too can say we thirst. We thirst for the everlasting life God is giving us. We thirst for more of Jesus' presence in our own life to be shown. We thirst for our own flesh to die with Him. Take a drink of His living water and know that that which kills the body can not kill the spirit. For God has given us this great gift through His Precious Son that day. Lets see with our spiritual eyes, taste with our spiritual tounge and hear with our spiritual ears. The words in which Jesus spoke throughout scripture mean far more then we can physically grasp on our own, it is the Spirit that gives understanding beyond what we think we may "know." I thank Holy Spirit for revealing this to me tonight and for the intimacy with my Lord Jesus Christ who has brought me to this moment to understand the deep love He has for all of us. Do we thirst as much for Him as He thirsted for Father in this verse?

Prayer:

Yahweh, My Great Loving Father, thank you for all that You fulfilled for us. I am grateful to have my eyes opened spiritually and I ask for an increase in this so that I may always learn more through the scriptures. I know that I will never "know it all." For when I believe that I do, I may fall. Teach me O Lord each day so that I may only grow closer to Your image. To see as You see, feel as You feel and act as You would act. I surrender myself to the cross and lay my burdens down. For I know the water in which You give, I will never go thirsty. I praise You for everlasting life and I adore Your words. I cherish them and hold them close to my heart each day. Thank you for blessing this day and guiding me Holy Spirit. I am grateful to have Your Presence within me. I pray for my brothers and sisters eyes and ears, I bless their walk with You, for the sanctification process lives on. In the Name which is exalted High, Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.