1.0 The Statement

Jesus’ Fifth Statement on the Cross: “I Thirst.” (John 19:28). “After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to His mouth, when Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is Finished: and He bowed His head, and gave up the spirit.” (John 19:28-30). The first Three Statements of Jesus, on the Cross were centred on Others:

• First Statement to His (Christ’s) Enemies – “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” (Luke 23:33-34).
• Second Statement to the Repentant Thief – “Today, you shall be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:42-43).
• Third Statement to Mary, the mother of Jesus and to John, His (Christ’s) Disciple – “When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the Disciples standing by, whom He loved, He saith unto His mother, “Woman, behold thy Son! Then saith He to the Disciple, Behold your mother! And from that hour that Disciples took her unto his own home.” (John 19:26-27).

1. Jesus’ Fourth Statement, “My God, My God, why has You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46; Psalm 22:1), was made when the transaction between His Father and Himself (Jesus) took place, in the 3 hours of “deep-darkness that covered the whole earth,” from 12pm (Noon) to 3pm (Matthew 27:45; Amos 8:9) – God the Father laid “the Sin of the Whole Human-Race,” upon His Son (Jesus), and He (the Father) has to turn His Face from our Lord Jesus, and there was a temporarily broken relationship between the Father and the Son, because the Sin of the Whole Human Race was laid upon Jesus –2Corinthians 5:21 “For He (Father) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (Jesus).”

2. Last Three Statements – But Jesus’ last three Statements focused on Himself – First, His body – “I thirst” (John 19:28); Second, His Soul: “It is Finished” (John 19:30; Isaiah 53:10); Third, His Spirit – “Father into Thy hands I commend My spirit.” (Luke 23:46). Christ’s Body, Soul and Spirit – all were offered by our Lord Jesus Christ in Perfect Obedience to His Father (Hebrews 5:8; Philippians 2:6-8).

1.1 Fifth Statement

Jesus’ Fifth Statement on the Cross, is the shortest “I thirst” (John 19:28b, 29) – This was in fulfilment of the Prophecy in Psalm 69:21b:

• Psalm 69:21b “In my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
• John 19:28b-29 “I thirst! Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His (Jesus’s) mouth.”

In the Greek N.T. it is one word of four letters. It is the only Statement in which Jesus referred to His physical need – “I thirst,” – which is part of His physical suffering. Crucifixion is an agonising form of death; as Jesus hung on the Cross, all His physical fluid was drained right out of Him, through His wounds.

Psalm 69 speaks about this when it describes His (Christ’s) Suffering: “Reproach hath broken My heart; I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none” (Psalm 69:20). “My throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for My God” (Psalm 69:3). Psalm 69 sketches the portrait of our Suffering Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.  This simple Statement “I thirst” (John 19:28), reveals to us the heart of the Lord Jesus, and see His love in deeper way, due to His mental, physical, and spiritual sufferings showing forth the three Portraits of Christ:

1. The Obedience Son of God. Jesus submitted Himself, completely to His Father’s Will – Hebrew 5:8 “Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.” (Philippians 2:6-8).
2. The Suffering Son of Man – His physical torture, under the Romans; His rejection by the Nation of Israel; His torments under the Roman Soldiers, the Jewish Religious Leaders, and the People (Luke 23:35-39; Psalm 22:7-8); abandonment by His Father (Matthew 27:46; Psalm 22:1). When Jesus was on the Cross, He was offered the same narcotic (anaesthesia) that the two thieves were offered. Jesus refused to drink the wine that was mingled with myrrh because He did not want His senses to be stupefied; thus, He experienced the full-level-of-pains – Matthew 27:34 “They gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He has tasted it, He would not drink.” (Mark 15:23).   
3. The Loving Saviour of Sinners (Luke 23:42-43; 2Corinthians 5:21). When Jesus completed that Great Transaction for our Salvation, in the three hours of “Deep-Darkness,” when He cried out: “My God, My God, why has You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46; Psalm 22:1). There were several Cups of Calvary:
   • Cup of Charity – they offered Him wine mingled with myrrh, an opiate to deaden His (Christ’s) pain, but He rejected it (Matthew 27:34; Mark 15:23).
   • The Cup of Mockery – the Soldiers offered Him sour wine, in mockery – Luke 23:36-37 “The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, and saying, ‘If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.”
   • Cup of Sympathy – somebody put some vinegar on a sponge and lifted it to His (Christ’s) dry lips (John 19:29).
   • Cup of Iniquity (Sin), on our behalf – Jesus said in the Garden, “The Cup which My Father hath given Me, shall I not drink of it?” (John 18:11b).
4. Jesus is the “Living-Water,” of God, when we received Him as our Lord and Saviour, our spiritual thirst is fully quenched – John 7:37b-39 “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me (Jesus) and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow Rivers of Living Water. But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”