Today's Reading: "I thirst." (John 19:28b)
Jesus Christ being fully God and fully man, thirst!
Death by crucifixion was designed to inflict the most horrendous and brutal punishment upon the physical body. Its torturous design had to also have a spiritual impact upon the human soul, though I'm not sure the Romans had this in mind when the devised such a diabolical punishment. By its very nature crucifixion was humiliating--the judged lying naked, bared before all the peoples. Its intent was to bring shame and it did so in the most graphic of ways! For this reason crucifixion was reserved for the vilest of criminals. I'm sure crucifixion was a great crime deterrent! Wondrously, our God and Savior suffered the shame of that terrible death sentence.
Hanging on that cross and enduring such agony--not to mention being the heat of the day, I have no doubt that Jesus did physically thirst, but for the past few days (following Resurrection Day), I have been reflecting on the passage of scripture found in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:6, " Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." We know that no man (or woman) has any righteousness of their own. We are all sinful by our very nature. God's desire has always been that we would always thirst after righteousness. Righteousness that can only be found in Him! He is the Source!
On Good Friday as Jesus hung on that cross, He physically and spiritually became our sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). Sin brings physical death, but it also brings spiritual death! When that occurred--for whatever period of time--God turned His back on His own Son because scripture tells us that God cannot look upon evil (Habakkuk 1:13)! Imagine! Jesus, the sinless One, evil? Never, ever had Jesus been separated from the Father. He, the Father and the Holy Spirit experienced the most joy-filled communion. One that our souls long after--thirst for!
Indeed, Jesus did physically thirst! But, more, Christ thirst spiritually. His heart, mind, soul and strength thirst after the Living God and did not find Him.
Praise God! We do not have to endure that awful separation from our God! Oh, we should all humbly bow our heads and give thanks for what Christ willing endured for each and everyone of us. By His sacrificial act of taking on and becoming our sin; we now have the great privilege and joy of taking on His righteousness! Glory! More, we have been given the honor of being fully welcomed as sons and daughters into that wonderful and glorious communion with the Holy Trinity--the Great Three-in-One! Glory to God in the Highest!
Oh, He has risen! He has risen, indeed!
Daily Truths from God's Word
