I Thirst

Bonnie Drury meditates on the longing in the words uttered by Christ on the Cross. 

When Jesus said, “I thirst,” from the Cross, his human nature was indeed thirsty and dehydrated from the lack of sustenance and the loss of blood. It is important in our faith that we acknowledge Jesus as both fully human and fully divine. Most theologians agree that the thirst He felt was both physical thirst and thirst for our souls. 

He had made the ultimate sacrifice and wanted all to partake in the rewards. Jesus’ statement on the Cross goes back to Psalm 69:21, which mentions vinegar being used to quench thirst. The Gospel of John notes that this prophecy was fulfilled (John 19:28). This moment in the Passion serves as a powerful symbol between human suffering and divine purpose. There is that moment of vulnerability and the fulfillment of scriptural prophecy. 

We, too, thirst. 

When we fall in love, we thirst for the wisdom to choose wisely, to remain steadfast, as we travel through the complicated journey that is marriage. 

We can relate to His words in every aspect of our lives as we thirst (yearn). When our child is born, we thirst for the knowledge and strength to raise that child and all that it encompasses. 

When we start a new job, we yearn for the ability to fit in, to do our job with competence. We want to be able to learn and to keep up.  

When we’re hurt and in pain, we thirst for relief from that pain, be it physical or emotional or spiritual. 

We can acknowledge that we feel, in a miniscule way, what Jesus felt on the Cross. He saw eons of souls stretched out before him, and He thirsted for their salvation. Just the fact that He could think of us in the midst of such pain tells us about the incomprehensible enormity of His love. 

Christ Is Our Shepherd 

When Jesus said "I thirst," it was not a drink of earthly water — that is not what he meant — but a drink of love. ... The Creator cannot live without the creature, the Shepherd without the sheep, the thirst of Christ’s love without the soul-water of Christians. (The Cries of Jesus from the Cross by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen and Al Smith) 

This is something to ponder, and it points to Christ’s parable about leaving the 99 to go in search for the one lost sheep (Luke 15:4). It explains why we thirst for His love, our spouse’s love, our children’s, neighbors' and friends’. We need each other and our connections. 

God’s Response to Humanity 

Reverend Kyle Norman writes that “Christ’s death on the cross is God’s definitive response to fallen humanity.” God wants to bestow love rather than punishment. Even on the cross, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). He asked God the Father to forgive His persecutors. 

Jesus had a human family and friends, so He understands our thirst for our loved ones to be safe and healthy. He wept when Lazarus died (John 11:35), feeling that loss, even when He knew He would raise His friend from the dead. 

“I thirst” means that Jesus lived our human life, thus He knows and understands our hopes and dreams, our fears and disappointments. As Reverent Norman said, “It is because Jesus thirsted on the cross that he can quench the deepest longing of our soul.” 

May we always thirst for a closeness to Jesus Christ, Our Savior. May we thirst for a better understanding of His Word and yearn for the faithfulness to follow through in His plan for our lives. May we thirst so that, we too, may love fully and join Him in Heaven one day. Amen. 

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Copyright 2025 Bonnie Drury
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