Holy Week Meditation

“After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scriptures), `I am thirsty.’” (John 19:28)

By becoming thirsty, Jesus became the source of the water of life for us. His thirst is our life. His emptying is our abundance.

“I am thirsty,” Jesus says. We gave him vinegar. But after he had finished his work, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear and at once blood and water came out. The blood is the blood of the true Passover lamb, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He dies, and the angel of death passes over us. Our sin is taken away. We are released from bondage. We are free. The water is the water Jesus spoke of with the woman at the well. He said, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” He is thirsty, and from him, the thirsty one, we get the water that vanquishes thirst forever. “I am thirsty,” Jesus says. He got vinegar, but we get the living water that becomes in us a spring of water gushing up to eternal life--the Comforter, the Spirit, the Life-giver.

Death for Jesus is life for us. His thirst is the final and full quenching of our thirst. Because he thirsted on Golgotha, we will never thirst again.

Blessings to you as you drink deeply of the water of life this Holy Week and Easter season!