After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), "I thirst." - John 19:28

Thirst. Such a human condition. After a hard day of working outside or a long jog, nothing is so sweet as an ice cold glass of water. A few days without water and we perish in a burning thirst. Corporations devote thousands of dollars every year to satisfy our thirst and mega-stars get paid absurd amounts of money to tell us what beverage we should drink. Humans are thirsty.

In the two words, "I thirst," we see the utter humanity of Jesus. We see the depths to which our Savior stooped to redeem us and the heights of His magnificent love. Within these words is the great mystery of the incarnation, the wonder of God become man. Within these words is our salvation.

As Jesus hung upon the cross hour after brutal hour, His body began to break down. He was fully God, yes, but He was also fully and completely human. His hands had been driven through with nails, His back ripped open by the lash, and His head crowned by needle sharp thorns. The pain would have been nauseating, overwhelming, unimaginable. Seeing Him would have been enough to make us vomit. And accompanying all this was the raging thirst that precedes death.

Ponder for a moment the words uttered by the Savior. "I thirst." The One who created the oceans, lakes, and rivers was thirsty. The One who brings the rain upon the fields was thirsty. The One who called Himself the fountain of living water was thirsty. God was thirsty.

Let us be freshly affected by the great humility of our Lord. Though He was God, the maker of the universe and giver of life, He became a man. The Creator stooped to save the created. Our Lord became lowly. How can we not love Him? How can we not love the One who became thirsty?