Good Friday | April 18, 2025 | John 18:1-19:42 | Luther H. Thoresen |

John 19:23-30 (Text New Revised Standard Version copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.)

²³When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. ²⁴So they said to one another, ‘Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it.’ This was to fulfil what the scripture says,
‘They divided my clothes among themselves,
and for my clothing they cast lots.’
²⁵And that is what the soldiers did.

Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, here is your son.’ ²⁷Then he said to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

²⁸After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfil the scripture), ‘I am thirsty.’ ²⁹A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. ³⁰When Jesus had received the wine, he said, ‘It is finished.’ Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Thirst is a common human, creaturely thing. Right? Whether we are rich, poor or anything in-between, we get thirsty. Whether we are white or brown or red or yellow or whatever, we get thirsty. Whether we are from the US or China or Russia or Syria or Brazil or wherever, we get thirsty…and sometimes we get very thirsty.

I recall as a youth living on a family farm in northern Iowa. In the summer 3 or 4 times we would bale hay, and once we would bale oat straw. Those days in June, July and August could be quite hot and humid, and I often was in the barn with my dad stacking the bales. With little or no air circulation, we would get thirsty. Dad kept a jug of water with us to sip between loads of bales…and midafternoon, my mother would arrive with cookies and kool aid. That sweet drink was good…but, there was nothing like cool fresh water for a thirsty boy. Just plain well water was the best…at least in my memory banks. You might connect to a similar memory of deep thirst from your past.

We heard the reading from St. John’s Gospel. We heard Jesus say, “I am thirsty.” This is such a human thing for him to say. After washing the disciples’ feet in the upper room and probably sharing a meal…after the walk to the Garden of Gethsemane…after betrayal by Judas and arrest by the guards…after a time with Caiaphas, and Pilate…a crown of thorns and flogging by the soldiers…after the walk from Pilate’s headquarters to the hill of Golgotha…after nails pierced his hands and feet and he had hung on a cross for a time…after all of this, we have no idea when Jesus last had a drink of water or anything. “I am thirsty” on the parched lips of Jesus sounds so, normal, so utterly human. Thirsty like the poetry of the writer of Psalm 22 who said, “I am poured out like water…my mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws… (22:14a, 15a). Again, we hear in Psalm 69, “…for my thirst they give me vinegar to drink.” How ironic that for Jesus who had said, “I am thirsty,” we heard, “So they (the soldiers) put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth.” (John 19:29b)

At the same time, in the whole of John’s Gospel, the words also seem a bit out of place, even jarring. You might recall that a conversation with a woman at the well in Samaria began with Jesus, tired out by his journey and sitting by the well. When she came to draw water, what does Jesus say? “Give me a drink” it is (v 6-7). Yet, in that conversation you may know that he also said to her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, “Give me a drink”, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.’ (v. 10) A little later, Jesus adds ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.’ (v.13-14). Interesting.

Again, a couple of chapters later, in his teaching to the crowd after feeding the 5,000 from 5 loaves and 2 fish, Jesus will say, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty…’ (6:35). Then in the very next chapter, during the festival (probably Weeks), on the great day when it was likely that barrels of water were poured down the steps of the temple in anticipation of a “fulfillment” of a portion of Ezekiel, Jesus would cry out, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, ³⁸and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.”’ (7:37). All of this points to a very human Jesus who gets thirsty and offers something more…living water. Interesting.

In today’s reading from John 19, after Jesus had died, you heard the gruesome possibility that the soldiers would break the leg bones of the crucified to hasten their death. When they saw that Jesus was already dead, a spear pierced his side. What poured from his wounded side but water and blood. In legend and in theological reflection people have identified the meaning of these in various ways, including things like, this was water for the washing of baptism, and blood for the cup of communion and its forgiveness. However, for today, within John’s gospel, we will stay with a Jesus who was thirsty…and yet in death could provide water. Interesting.

In between “I am thirsty” and “…one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out.” (v. 34) what happened? You heard it, “When Jesus had received the wine, he said, ‘It is finished.’ Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” (v. 30) Finished is the beginning of the Community of Jesus as he connected his mother Mary, his friend John and the other women (v. 25-27). Finished is his life. Finished is his final act of love begun with washing the disciples’ feet. That action was introduced with the words, “Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.) (John 13:1) Finished is the work initiated ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. (John 3:16) Finished.

We are people who experience thirst. Jesus was a human who experienced thirst, and in death poured out water. At the same time we might say that his thirst and our thirst point deeply to our need, our thirst for Life, for Living Water, for Spirit, for God. The water that flowed from Jesus’ side points to the Gift of God which quenches our deepest thirst for Life, for Living Water, for Spirit, for God.

In hearing the story of Jesus’ passion and death. In drinking deeply of the Gift which quenches our thirst we are filled with this Gift we are freed, we are called to become vessels to offer the gift to others who are thirsty…for water…for Life…for Living Water…for God. Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the +Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

©Pr. Luther H. Thoresen, ELCA, STS, retired; thoresenluther54@gmail.com; Grundy Center, IA, USA