“After this, Jesus, knowing all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), ‘I thirst’.” – John 19:28
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” – Philippians 2:5-8
“By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God…” – 1 John 4:4
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us the with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” – Hebrews 4:15, 16
Jesus knows how I feel. He knows my struggle. He knows what I need. How can one word say so much?
Yesterday, our meditation on this one word from the cross reminded us that every detail of the cross was part of the divine plan of God. The cross was not some kind of “trap” set by Satan that Jesus happened to get caught in. It was the ultimate act of sacrificial love for our salvation.
Today this single word, this cry from the cross reminds us of the “humanity” of Jesus. The Scriptures tell us that it is very important to understand that “God became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). The mystery of the incarnation is that Jesus was fully God and fully human. He was not some type of phantom or ghost that could not experience the things of life that we experience. His divinity did not somehow insulate Him from “real life” on this earth!
The verses above from Philippians explain that He willingly emptied Himself…set aside His divine privileges in order to relate to us and, then, to model for us what a godly life looks like. He did it so that He could sympathize with us when we call to Him in pain and suffering and encourage us by His example. He did not use some spiritual “get out of jail free” card to skip over the problems of living on this earth. He did not opt out of the pains of life or even part of them. He got tired and fell asleep. He got angry and frustrated. He felt the warmth of the sun and the chill of the rain. He got hungry and…yes, He got thirsty.
It is important to know this about Jesus because He is a God who has “been there and done that”. He is not a God who cannot relate to us…a God who is aloft and doesn’t understand how we feel or what we are going through. No, He knows what it is to be lonely and betrayed by friends. He knows what it feels like not to live up to the expectations of others. He knows what it is like to be in physical pain and mental anguish. The Book of Hebrews tells us that our Savior knows you and understands how you feel. He has walked where you are walking. You can go to Him for help and comfort…He knows what you need…and, with compassion, He is able to provide it.
Today, come to the cross and look upon a God who loves you and knows how you feel.