The Last Seven Words on the Cross 5 - “I Am Thirsty”
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January 11, 2026 |
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After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, “I am thirsty.”
A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth.
(John 19:28?29)
In the Old Testament, there are prophecies that foretell Jesus’ suffering on the cross. Psalm 69:21 says, “They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” In accordance with this verse, when Jesus, hanging on the cross, said, “I am thirsty,” people put a sponge full of sour wine on a branch of hyssop and brought it to His mouth.
Long before Jesus was born, the psalmist saw a vision of Jesus being crucified through divine inspiration and recorded it in this way. Then, what is the spiritual meaning contained in the fifth word, “I am thirsty”?
When a person loses a great amount of blood, intense thirst naturally follows. Moreover, Jesus had been hanging on the cross for a long time under the scorching sun?how great His thirst must have been. Yet Jesus did not say, “I am thirsty,” merely to express physical thirst. This word carries spiritual meaning. It is a spiritual message, urging us to return the price of the Lord’s blood and quench His thirst.
How then can we return the price of Jesus’ blood? The reason Jesus shed His blood was to redeem sinful mankind. Therefore, returning the price of His blood means earnestly evangelizing souls who are on the path to hell and leading them to heaven. Besides directly sharing the Gospel with others, we can pray for the salvation of souls and provide financial support for missionary work. This way, we can help save souls indirectly.
When Jesus said, “I am thirsty,” someone took a sponge soaked with sour wine and lifted it to His mouth. At that moment, Jesus accepted the sour wine not to quench His physical thirst, but because it carries spiritual meaning (Psalm 69:21).
This reveals God’s providence: Jesus drank the sour wine so that we might drink the new wine. The old, sour wine represents the Law of the Old Testament, while the new wine signifies the New Testament’s Law of love completed by Jesus.
Under the Law of the Old Testament, sinners had to be punished for their sins, and in order to receive forgiveness, they had to slaughter animals and offer sacrifices of blood. However, Jesus Himself became the atoning sacrifice and died on the cross, redeeming us from all the curses of the Law. Namely, He accepted the sour wine for our sake. This represents the completion and fulfillment of the Old Testament sacrificial system, meaning that animal sacrifices became no longer necessary.
Therefore, by believing this and repenting sincerely from the heart, sins can be forgiven. This is what it means to drink the new wine, and Jesus accepted the sour wine to teach us this truth. From then on, anyone has been able to come boldly before God through faith in Jesus Christ. This became the great turning point from the age of the Law to the age of grace.
Having been saved by the Lord’s precious blood, we have to lead countless souls who are heading toward death onto the path of salvation and quench the Lord’s thirst.
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Manmin News 
