Good Shepherd Church : SEVEN WORDS ON THE CROSS: THE FIFTH WORD: JESUS, KNOWING THAT ALL HAD NOW BEEN ACCOMPLISHED, SAID, "I THIRST"

“I Thirst” – The Cry of Divine Love

Scripture Reading: John 19:28

“After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now accomplished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), ‘I thirst.’”

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

As we journey through the seven last words of Our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, we now pause before a short but deeply stirring cry: "I thirst."

At first glance, these two words seem so simple, so human. And indeed, they are. Jesus is physically parched—bleeding, suffering, hanging between heaven and earth. The sun scorches His bruised body. His mouth is dry, His throat burning. In this moment, He reveals to us His true humanity. He is not a distant God, but one who feels pain as we do. He thirsts—just as we thirst.

But dear friends, let us not stop at the surface. This thirst is not only of the body—it is of the soul. Jesus is thirsting not only for water, but for souls. He thirsts for you. He thirsts for me. This is the thirst of Divine Love that will not rest until all are gathered into the Father’s arms. In this holy hour of His passion, Jesus is expressing the deepest longing of the heart of God—for communion with His children.

The Psalmist had foretold this moment: “They gave me vinegar for my thirst” (Psalm 69:21). Even in His suffering, Jesus fulfils every prophecy. But the greater thirst remains: not quenched by posca*, not satisfied by any earthly drink, but only by the salvation of the world.

“I thirst,” He says—and Heaven weeps. The angels hear the Creator’s cry. The One Who made the oceans, Who gave rivers their course, now speaks these words—not from power, but from utter love and total surrender.

And what does this word invite from us?

A response of love: Jesus thirsts for us—do we thirst for Him? Do our hearts long for Him in prayer, in worship, in acts of mercy? Or have we grown spiritually dry, offering Him vinegar instead of the water of love and obedience?
A call to compassion: Our Lord identified Himself with the least among us: “I was thirsty and you gave me drink…” (Matthew 25:35). When we serve the poor, the sick, the lonely—we are offering drink to Christ Himself. His thirst is echoed in every cry for help we hear.
A surrender to grace: “I thirst” reminds us that Jesus’ passion was not only about suffering—it was about fulfilling love’s mission. He held nothing back. Will we hold anything back from Him?

Saint Mother Teresa wrote, “Jesus is God, therefore His love and His thirst are infinite. . . He has thirst for our love.” Let these words awaken your soul. Jesus is not ashamed to cry out for you. He thirsts—for your love, your heart, your yes to His call.

As we reflect on this fifth word, may we remember: it is not only a word of pain, but a word of purpose. It is a love so Divine that even in agony, Jesus reaches out to us.

Let us then offer Him our lives, our hearts, and our love. Let us go to Him with open hands and say, “Lord, I thirst for You too.”

Amen.