The fifth statement that Jesus makes as he is dying on the cross is found in John 19:28; it is a poignant expression of human, physical need, “I am thirsty.” This statement underscores the full humanity of the One whom we confess as “fully human, fully God.” In Jesus Christ the physical and the spiritual were fully joined. Jesus wasn’t just God masquerading as a man. And so Jesus suffered physically and emotionally from hunger, thirst, rejection, and violence, just as we do. Like us, he was also created for relationship with God. And so I will also explore the symbolic meaning of thirst as it is used in Psalm 42:2 “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” Are you thirsty? Jesus was.
blessings, Ernie
To listen to a brief drama and my message, click on The Fifth Word – “I Thirst”