Fully Human

Jesus made seven statements from the Cross which give us a greater understanding of the very heart of our Savior. The gospel of John records the fifth word from the Cross when Jesus declared, “I thirst.” It is not surprising that He was thirsty after enduring several hours of beating, after carrying the cross and being nailed to it, and after losing a great deal of blood. Jesus was fully God and fully man, and here we see His humanity. We see someone whose suffering was real and intense.

This word reminds us that we can never say that God doesn’t understand us. He experienced thirst, He suffered, He was tempted, and He identifies totally with us. I am so thankful that Almighty God loved us in this fashion. Jesus accepted the sour wine offered to him, so that He – with a swollen tongue and bleeding lips – could speak that victorious next word – “It is finished.” The bridge between God and man is complete, and that bridge is available for all of us today.