I was reading a book a while back called “Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross” and one of the contributors really made a connection to our Lord that I had never seen. If you remember, Jesus told a parable concerning a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus in Luke chapter 16. The rich man in torment, still unrepentant and concerned for himself begs Lazarus to give him just a single drop of cool water. The rich man being in hell is in torment and longs for just a single drop of cool water – something unavailable to him. In essence, “he thirsts”.
Now flash forward to our Lord Jesus on the cross of Calvary. Not once do we ever hear our Lord complain of physical pain. It is only in the statement, “I thirst” in John 19 that we get a glimpse of what appears to be a physical need – simple thirst. But is there more to our Lord’s request for water?
My Jesus experienced the hell I will never endure as He became my sin on my behalf so that I may obtain forgiveness and His perfect righteousness. (2 Corinthians 5:21) He experienced a level of hell I will never see and like the rich man in the parable, He thirsted and longed for the water. While Lazarus could not cross over because of the impassable gulf, our Lord Jesus Christ did what we could not do and incredibly changed places becoming the rich man for us. Oh how this should cause us to pause and reflect humbly on our Lord’s sacrifice for His elect. I deserve absolutely nothing but wrath and hell for my rebellion, sin and outright hatred for God and His children and yet while we were yet sinners our Lord humbled Himself to become a man and endured a hell that is beyond description or imagination. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16) My God suffered, thirsted and died in my place. And even more, our forgiveness and perfect righteousness in Christ is coupled with a new life, a new heart that longs to live and be like Him through the power of the Spirit of Christ by His grace. This my friends is amazing grace. As Michael Horton so eloquently wrote, “let us put amazing back into grace!”
Soli Deo Gloria!
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Great thoughts. Those who thirst for Christ and the Living Water will find all that they need in this world and in eternity with God. The rich man ended up in hell because he thirsted and sought after, the things of this world alone. His thirst now will last into eternity!