"I Thirst" - Jesus.

We are in the Lenten season, and one thing about Lent is that it invites you and me to check our inner life and come back to Jesus. Today we will reflect on the heart of this season and why we should carry the same enthusiasm in our spiritual life throughout the year.

"...Jesus said, 'I am thirsty' (John 19:28).

Jesus' thirst signified His humanity. He was fully God but was also fully man with flesh and blood. He was flogged and slapped, and then He carried the heavy Cross. The crossbeam (patibulum) Jesus carried is estimated to have weighed between 75 and 125 pounds (~ 60 kg), while the complete cross weighed more than 300 pounds. With such brutal flogging and bleeding accompanied by scorching heat and exhaustion, that weight was heavier than we realize. On top of that weight, He carried the weight of our sins, which made His journey even more difficult. When we read through the Stations of the Cross, we also see that He fell three times but refused to give up for the sake of the salvation of all humanity. He was crowned with thorns and lost so much blood that His body's oxygen supply would have been easily affected.

Yet, Jesus continued...

He was then nailed to the Cross—on His feet and wrists. He suffered immense pain for six hours on the Cross. Later, knowing that everything had now been finished and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, 'I am thirsty.'

This thirst is human, but more importantly, it is a longing for the salvation of you and me. As we read the following verses from the same chapter in John, we uncover the spiritual meaning. Let us read from John 19:29-30: "A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. When He had received the drink, Jesus said, 'It is finished.' With that, He bowed His head and gave up His spirit."

Did you know that hyssop was used to apply the blood of the Passover lamb to the wooden doorposts of the Jews?

In these verses, we see that the end of the hyssop plant was pointed to the Perfect Lamb. It needed to be dipped in the Blood of Jesus and applied on the wooden Cross for our salvation. One drop of blood from Jesus would have been sufficient for our salvation, but He did not hold Himself back. He completely allowed Himself to be crushed for our iniquities so we might be saved by believing in Him.

We also see the presence of a jar of wine vinegar. It is a fermented product consisting of grape juice and yeast. This idea is similar to "that which is soured," or in Hebrew, "that which is leavened". Leaven, as we know, symbolizes sin. Jesus took on Himself the whole of our sins and cleansed us with His Precious Blood.

Jesus is the Living Water, but for our sake, He became thirsty. This idea was vividly captured in the words of St. Augustine: "Man’s maker was made man that He, Ruler of the stars, might nurse at His mother’s breast; that the Bread might hunger, the Fountain thirst, the Light sleep, the Way be tired on its journey; that Truth might be accused of false witness, the Teacher be beaten with whips, the Foundation be suspended on wood, that Strength might grow weak; that the Healer might be wounded; that Life might die."

"I thirst" is not a gasp from a dying man but an invitation from a loving Father.

Lent is Jesus inviting us by saying, "I thirst." Will you come back? Will you be serious about your spiritual progress? Will you be willing to sacrifice what is needed for God? Will you surrender your life to Christ today and forever?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Your Son Jesus and for His precious Blood that cleanses us of our sins and redeems us of our sinfulness. We thank You for His life, teaching, death, and resurrection. We thank You for inviting us into a deeper communion with You. We want nothing but to be consumed by Your love and to know You more. Thank You for this new day and new life with Your new mercy and fresh supply of grace. Help me to be thankful for everything you have done in my life, enthusiastic for everything in the present, and confident about the future, for You alone, O Lord, are my Shepherd. We put our intentions forward, which You know are in our broken hearts. We ask all of these in the name of Jesus Christ, true man and true God. Amen.