The Thirsty Creator

The fifth word: "After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scriptures), 'I thirst.'" Just contemplate this for a moment: the Creator of the vast oceans and the deepest bodies of water, the trickling creeks and the still ponds, was thirsty. The One who calmed the raging sea and caused replenishing rains to fall upon parched land, lacked the moisture to even wet His lips. He who freely offers Living Water to all who come to Him, was dying for lack of water. The Saviour who will quench forever the desperate thirst of His lost sheep, had a physical thirst which none would satisfy.

Oswald Sanders notes: "The precious word from the cross, 'My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?' was a cry of spiritual anguish; this word, the shortest, was the sob of physical agony. He who began His ministry with gnawing hunger is closing it with raging thirst. The climax of spiritual anguish synchronizes with the zenith of physical pain. Only one word of two syllables in the original yet into it is compressed the most intense agony of which the human body is capable.'"

We almost feel as if we must avert our eyes from such profound suffering... and such agony all on our behalf. O forgive us of our heedless sinning, our thoughtlessness, our self-centeredness that is preoccupied with our circumstances.

And help us to look to our Saviour on the cross who declared "I thirst" so we need never know eternal thirst. Help us to look to the cross as we cry out to the Lord Jesus "I fear." "I hurt." "I doubt." "I tire." "I forget." "I dislike." "I worry." "I lack."

For we know You died to take our fear. You endured pain and betrayal and thirst and You are right there with us as we must endure our own hard, hurtful places in our lives. You hung on that cross so that we can come to You with our exhaustion and our emptiness and our failures and our deficits of love and faith and energy. And we know You understand, You redeem, You renew, You resurrect. You thirsted that we might be eternally and joyfully filled and satisfied. O Lord, help us to come to You with our fears and hurts and doubts and lacks. And to be the glory forever.