“Later, knowing that everything had been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” – John 19:28 (NIV)
The nature of thirst is a feeling of emptiness or extreme dehydration that needs to be quenched. In His final moments on the cross, we see Jesus submitting Himself to a very vulnerable human feeling of emptiness and need, both body and spirit. He allowed Himself to be brought to the pit of all thirst. He felt bodily thirst as He pushed the limits near death. His body lay bare for all to look upon, spit upon, and mock.
Even though we serve a God Who has conquered sin and death, we have this image of our Lord’s reflection with His final words on the cross. What was He conveying by saying, “I thirst”? What purpose did those words have for Him and for us today?
As Jesus proclaimed His thirst, He expressed His readiness for the sacrifice that His Father required. He reminded us that He is the Suffering Servant, the Lamb of God, and the only One who took away the sins of this world. He was ready! It was finished!
Jesus completed the redemption work. He began to satisfy our longings for life beyond death and to quench the souls’ thirst for living water. It is finished ‘signifies’ that all believers are no longer condemned by sin since Jesus has taken the penalty for our transgressions.
His completed work offers hope for eternal life and a future free from suffering. Jesus, both fully God and fully man, offered the perfect once-for-all sacrifice, making any further sacrifice unnecessary. IT IS FINISHED.
Read: John 19:30; Acts 2:36
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 40:1-8; Luke 8:40-56; Luke 9:1-9; Numbers 31:25-54; Numbers 32
