Sayings from the cross #5: Suffering

‘I thirst’ (John 19:28)

When considering a complex truth I often find myself focusing on one aspect over and above another before having to re-set and consider other aspects.  The mind-blowing, incomprehensible mystery that Jesus was fully God and fully human is one of those situations.  Sometimes I find myself focused on His complete humanity while on other occasions I am absorbed by Him in His perfect divinity.

Here, at the cross, this truth is displayed in stark relief: our Saviour endured the cross as both God and man, and in that suffering He won for us unimaginable riches.  In this cry before us today, clear for us all to see, is the stripped back humanity of Jesus as He utters, ‘I thirst.’ 

Mark’s account describes how Pilate had Jesus scourged before being handed over to be crucified (see Mark 15:15).  Once in the custody of the soldiers, Jesus had a cruel crown of thorns rammed onto His head and was beaten, spat upon and mocked (Mark 15:16-20).  Remember that Jesus’ arrest took place on Thursday evening.  He was then tried through the night before being taken to Pilate early on Good Friday.  The subsequent trials and beatings had continued through the morning until He was led away to be crucified.  The lack of food and drink, the loss of blood through the scourging, the physical exertions of the morning, the lack of sleep, and the excruciating pain of the torture of crucifixion resulted in a battered and dehydrated man.  No wonder His parched tongue gasped the words, ‘I thirst.’

And yet John makes clear in His account that Jesus was in full control of His mental faculties: Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfil the Scripture), ‘I thirst.’ (John 19:28).  Even in His dehydrated state, Jesus knew.  He was fully aware of the course of events which needed to take place.  He knew the Scriptures inside out and knew that each and every word would be fulfilled and come to pass in the plans of God.  He therefore knew the suffering, rejection, pain and death the Chosen One would have to endure.  And in the midst of this no detail, including this one of thirsting, would be missed.  So the Suffering Servant declared His humanness and uttered, ‘I thirst.’

The soldiers, on hearing Him speak, grabbed the jar of sour wine which was nearby, soaked a sponge with it and held it up to his lips using a hyssop branch (v29).  This was no thirst-quenching draught of cool water.  This was no leisurely cappuccino or refreshing lemonade.  But it did fulfill Scripture… 

Psalm 69 is a description of horrific suffering for an individual who is innocent but facing an array of ruthless enemies who are seeking his destruction.  He desperately waits for God while being surrounded by numerous hate-filled foes.  His main wrongdoing seems to be allowing ‘zeal for God’s house to consume him’ (v8) as he begs God to not hide his face but to deliver him from the persecution and mockery. 

The whole psalm is well-worth meditating upon, especially in this Easter season, with a view to noticing future echoes of Jesus in it.  With this in mind, verse 21 stands out: ‘for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.’  In the midst of the suffering, at the depths of the inhumanity meted out on this innocent man is the prophetic declaration that he will be offered sour wine to drink.  

However, from this despairingly low point the psalm rises to a crescendo of rescue, praise, restoration and salvation to generations.  Incredible! 

And so, 1,000 years later, we see Psalm 69 enacted and fulfilled: an innocent man suffering cruelly at the hands of others but winning salvation for all.  The God-man will die.  But first He will suffer and in His suffering cry, ‘I thirst.’

This Easter marvel again that your Saviour is one who completely understands what it means to be human. He identifies with you in your suffering.