The fact that Jesus cried saying that he was thirsty stands out among all of the other calls from the cross. Of course he would be thirsty. He had not eaten, drunk anything, or had any sleep since the day before. Among all the ways that he was brutalized the scene is horrific. It is difficult for us to imagine how badly his body was mangled far beyond what any other man would’ve experienced before crucifixion. Blood was oozing from his body. Massive bruises appeared everywhere. The long thorns from the crown that the soldiers placed on his head continued to tear at his skin. Before the crucifixion his body was very buff because of his work as a carpenter plus all the walking he did for many, many miles over three years. Even at that, he finally did not have the strength to carry his cross all the way to the hill. In every way man and Satan attacked him.
We may be missing a point in our study of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. He cared for the welfare of his mother. He appreciated the presence of his disciple John at the cross. He interceded for those responsible for calling out to Pilate that he be crucified asking the father to forgive them because they did not do what they did. He promised the penitent thief that he would be with him in paradise. It is quite obvious that even in the last hours of his life Jesus was concerned about others and not himself. However, in the last few minutes before he dismissed his spirit, he made a point to say he was thirsty. But why?
Jesus allowed himself to be crucified as a perfect sacrifice for sinful mankind. He submitted to all the mocking, abuse, and attacks. We must step back from this picture so that we have a better understanding of the two words he spoke, “I thirst.” The text that we are reviewing also says that he spoke those words to fulfill Scripture. Notice how specific did Jesus orchestrate his crucifixion allowing evil to have its way. Remember that Jesus willingly allowed this crucifixion telling his disciples in the garden that if he so wanted, he could call a multitude of angels to rescue him. Instead, Jesus was very aware of all the prophecies concerning him. He would not let one prophecy be ignored or missed as part of his crucifixion.
Recall also other scenes prior to his crucifixion. He told people who were thirsty to come unto him . When he talked to the Samaritan woman at the well, he discussed her physical and also her spiritual thirst. In Matthew 5:6 he placed a blessing on those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. In John 7:37 Jesus invited any man who had a thirst to come to him and drink. Jesus stood in the place of sinful man who was thirsty but which only God could provide. He also accomplished all of the prophecy about his own thirst of the cross. When he said, “I thirst,” he was saying that for you and me. Not a single point of prophecy was missed. All was fulfilled in Jesus. All he experienced was by his permission because his love is what took him to the cross.
Christian Writer 