Oddities of Thirst (Lent 38, 2023)

I find oddities interesting.  The same Jesus who had food to eat that no one knew about and could resist hunger when tempted to make stones into bread, spoke one simple Greek word (διψάω) among the last 7 phrases He spoke upon the Cross: “I am thirsty.” (John 19:28) or as the KJV has it, “I thirst”.

It was an odd thing to say except Scripture prefaces it with “After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I am thirsty.”“

Here’s the same guy who “On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John 7:37-38)

How could He possibly thirst with living water? 
Here’s the key: He was diligent, ensuring that all Scripture about Him had been fulfilled.
Meticulous perfection is what one would expect from full deity–
and it was held in beautiful tension with
the subject of thirst as a powerful affirmation of His humanity.

Focus for Lent: It was necessary that both divinity (Very Image of God) and humanity were fully on the Cross in the Person of Jesus Christ.

Questions for further thought:

Which Scripture was being fulfilled? After all, the Greek word (διψάω) shows up nowhere in the Scripture of Jesus’ day…not even in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament. 

Some suggestions are Psalm 69:21”They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.“  Or Psalm 22:15 “My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. “

Other options, perhaps He was quoting from Psalm 42 or 63, uttering but a single word aloud for a man who struggled to breathe under the painful agony of the Cross and longing for intimacy with the Father, now impossible because of the payment for sin. 

Psalm 63:1 A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah. You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.

What if with vinegar on a sponge, He fulfilled Scripture by one audible utterance? I’m confident that Jesus was comforting Himself with His Word. As fully human, He was no doubt thirsty in the hot afternoon sun. But His focus was Scripture. What about this one?

Psalm 143:1 A psalm of David. LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. 2 Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. 3 The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in the darkness like those long dead. 4 So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed. 5 I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. 6 I spread out my hands to you; I thirst for you like a parched land. 7 Answer me quickly, LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. 8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. 9 Rescue me from my enemies, LORD, for I hide myself in you. 10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. 11 For your name’s sake, LORD, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble. 12 In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant.” 

I am struck by how Psalm 143 encompasses themes of so many Good Friday/ Crucifixion scenes and “last words”.  What do you think?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thirst for You, for the living water welling up to eternal life! We praise You and thank You for Your faithfulness upon the Cross, and for all the ways You were faithful to do the Father’s work until the very end. Indeed, You put Your trust in God the Father throughout Your ministry. Please show us the way we should go as we entrust our lives to You. We pray that You will rescue us from our enemies as we hide ourselves in You. We pray that You will teach us to do Your will and by Your Holy Spirit, to walk on level ground in confidence of Your unfailing love. Father, please bring us out of trouble, silence our enemies, and destroy the wicked who only want to propagate wickedness in Your face and in our midst. We take no vengeance but leave room for Yours. We wait patiently for your Name’s sake. Amen.