While on the cross, the fifth saying of Jesus was, “I thirst” (John 19:28). What significance does this statement have? A couple points can be considered.
First, Jesus was undeniably human in his material makeup. Becoming thirsty was nothing new to the Lord. “Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey” (John 4:6) stopped at Jacob’s well. When a Samaritan woman arrived, He requested: “Give me to drink” (John 4:7). At the beginning of His ministry, after a long period of fasting, He “hungered” (Matthew 4:2). As a man, Jesus experienced all the usual things like hunger, thirst and tiredness.
Toward the end of the first century, a theory began to gain popularity that claimed Jesus never actually had a physical body. This stemmed from the misconception that the flesh was intrinsically evil. One test to expose those bringing this false teaching was to ask if they believed Jesus Christ came in the flesh (1 John 4:2; 2 John 7). The Divine spirit of Christ (called the “Word,” John 1:1) actually took up residence in a physical body (John 1:14; Philippians 2:5-8).
At His resurrection, that Divine spirit returned from the Hadean realm and reentered the physical body. The one now often called “doubting Thomas” was invited by the risen Lord to “Reach hither thy finger, and see my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and put it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing” (John 20:27). Jesus rose bodily from the grave.
Second, Jesus, the true Messiah, would fulfill every prediction about Himself. Jesus said, “I thirst” in order “that the scripture might be accomplished” (John 19:28). Jesus had known thirst before, yet after more than three hours upon the cross, He was suffering from dehydration. About a thousand years in advance this thirst was predicted. “My strength is dried up like a potsherd; And my tongue cleaveth to my jaws” (Psalm 22:15). Hear the words of Psalm 69:21, “They gave me also gall for my food; And in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.”
In response to Jesus’ statement of thirst, “they put a sponge full of the vinegar upon hyssop, and brought it to his mouth” (John 19:29). It was God’s plan for His Son to suffer and “taste of death for every man” (Hebrews 2:9).
