April 16th: Human Like Us; God Like No Other
John 19:28, After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.”
You’ve likely heard Jesus’s dual nature (divine and human) discussed often at Grace Point in sermons, classes, or devotionals. In this brief, profound statement from the cross, we see His humanity dramatically displayed. “I thirst.” It’s interesting that we don’t hear Him say, “I’m hurting,” or “I’m in pain.” Despite the horrors that were inflicted on Him during his unrelenting torture and excruciating crucifixion (that’s a redundancy, actually; the word “excruciating” comes from Latin word excruciare, which the Romans created to describe pain that was as intense as crucifixion), His only recorded reaction is to the dryness of his mouth and the dehydration of his body.
Here is our Savior asking for a bit of moisture for His lips, reminding us that He is, without a doubt, a man. In return, He is given vinegar and gall, which He refused (a fulfilment of the prophetic words of Psalm 69). He knew what it was like to be fully human, but because He is also fully God, He can offer us living water from a well that never runs dry. Because His Spirit is in us, we can never say we haven’t the means to draw from that well.
There has never been a time when Jesus wasn’t God, but there was a time when he wasn’t human – before his incarnation. Now and for the rest of eternity, He is both, and we can stand in awe and gratitude for the sacrifice that covers the debt of our sin – a sacrifice that He alone could offer.
You’ve likely heard Jesus’s dual nature (divine and human) discussed often at Grace Point in sermons, classes, or devotionals. In this brief, profound statement from the cross, we see His humanity dramatically displayed. “I thirst.” It’s interesting that we don’t hear Him say, “I’m hurting,” or “I’m in pain.” Despite the horrors that were inflicted on Him during his unrelenting torture and excruciating crucifixion (that’s a redundancy, actually; the word “excruciating” comes from Latin word excruciare, which the Romans created to describe pain that was as intense as crucifixion), His only recorded reaction is to the dryness of his mouth and the dehydration of his body.
Here is our Savior asking for a bit of moisture for His lips, reminding us that He is, without a doubt, a man. In return, He is given vinegar and gall, which He refused (a fulfilment of the prophetic words of Psalm 69). He knew what it was like to be fully human, but because He is also fully God, He can offer us living water from a well that never runs dry. Because His Spirit is in us, we can never say we haven’t the means to draw from that well.
There has never been a time when Jesus wasn’t God, but there was a time when he wasn’t human – before his incarnation. Now and for the rest of eternity, He is both, and we can stand in awe and gratitude for the sacrifice that covers the debt of our sin – a sacrifice that He alone could offer.
REFLECTION
Have you ever been very, very thirsty? Do you remember how that felt, and then your relief as you gulped down a glass of cool water? Have you ever been spiritually thirsty? What’s the reason for that, and how do you find restoration? Read Psalm 42.
Have you received the gift of salvation that is possible because of His sacrifice?
Have you received the gift of salvation that is possible because of His sacrifice?
PRAY
Father, your gift of living water is available to us only because of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Your design for our redemption and full satisfaction for our thirsty souls is beyond our understanding, but we thank you for granting us salvation out of your generous, compassionate heart. Amen.