The Fifth Phrase: "I am thirsty" (John 19:28)

In the Gospel of John, the Savior declared: "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink... Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again" (John 4:14, 7:37). In the same Gospel, and in no other, do we read this expression: "I am thirsty."

The fountain of living waters, seen only in this phrase, reveals his physical suffering. His tongue stuck to his roof, and his thirst was quenched. Oh, the horror!

It was a true, human thirst for the suffering Son of Man, hanging for hours on the cross. He shared in our humanity in everything except sin. He suffered and became tired, hungry, and thirsty.

On the one hand, He fulfilled the last prophecy before His death.

"And when I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar to drink" (Psalm 69:21).

But on the other hand, we see His heart thirsting for human salvation.

Are you still postponing your repentance, dear friend? There is a place for you now, but tomorrow is not guaranteed. Do you want to be quenched in Christ today, or do you postpone it, perhaps your heart will harden or you will die and go to a miserable eternity of eternal thirst?

The Sixth Phrase: The Anchor of Security

"It is finished" (John 19:30)

A short, clear, and unambiguous statement spoken by Christ after He had completed the work of redemption and paid the full and sufficient price.

Our Lord completed the journey of humility and a life of suffering, and here we see Him, through faith, having completed our salvation, so that we may have lasting security.

The amazing thing is that this expression consists of a single word in all the languages ​​used at that time. Whether our blessed Lord said "mushlam" in Aramaic, "nishlam" in Hebrew, or "titelestai" in Greek, it would always be a single word. What's even more amazing is that it's not just a word; it's an anchor of safety, cast into the harbor of forgiveness and offered freely to every human being.

Christ completed our salvation through suffering, but He still hopes that you, who are far from Him, will come to Him and surrender your heart to Him, believing in Him and trusting in His atonement for you.

By Brother /Makram Mashreqi