The Lord Jesus Thirsted for Water - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2026

I thirst!
John 19:28

The Lord Jesus Thirsted for Water
These two words spoken by the Lord as He was on the cross tell us of His manhood which was capable of the same physical suffering as any man. He thirsted immensely as He hung on the cross. Psalm 22:15 says, "My tongue clings to My jaws," expressing the deep thirst He suffered.

A soldier of the Vietnam War told me that he and his company were surrounded by the enemy in the jungle. They dug deep in their fox holes, unable to move. As time passed they ran out of water but could do nothing until the enemy moved on. Finally they were able to exit their places, and the first thing they did was run to some water and, without much consideration of its quality, drank as much as they could since their suffering from thirst was so great. How much more it must have been for the Lord.

Yes, He had a physical thirst but did He not also have a greater spiritual thirst? His thirst was that His Father might be glorified. His thirst was that He would have many with Him in glory, who would see Him in His glory and even share His glory. His thirst was for the salvation of lost souls, and this thirst was so great that He was willing to suffer the physical abuse of man and also, far greater, the weight of sin and the indignation, fury, and fierce anger of a Holy God. And for what do we thirst? Are we like Israel who committed two evils, forsaking the fountain of living waters and making broken cisterns that hold no water (Jer. 2:13)? May we rather be like the sons of Korah, who wrote, "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God" (Ps. 42:1).

May we be occupied with Him in His Word, as we gather to Him on Lord's Days and throughout the week, and as we spend quiet times with Him.

Albert Blok