I thirst

 

Ever been thirsty – you know – really really thirsty?

In 1996, a young marine corporal called Joey Mora was standing on an aircraft carrier patrolling the Iranian sea.

He fell overboard – but his absence was not known for 36 hours.

A search and rescue mission began but was given up after 24 hours.

No one could survive the sea for that amount of time.

His parents were notified that their son was ‘missing and presumed dead’.

The rest of the story is one of those that scriptwriters for movies would reject as completely unbelievable.

Four Pakistani fisherman found Joey Mora about 72 hours after he had fallen into the sea.

He was treading water in his sleep, clinging to a makeshift flotation device made from his trousers – a skill learned at military survival training.

He was completely delirious when they pulled him into the fishing boat.

His tongue dry, cracked and his throat parched.

Fast forward 2 year and Joey is being interviewed on a US chat show, where he recounted the unbelievable story of will to live and survive.

He shared that it was God who kept him alive.

His discovery was akin to finding a needle in the largest of haystacks.

He was asked, ‘what was the most excruciating thing’?

Joey said that the thought that took over his body, and pounded in his brain was one thing… water… water… water…

I thirst!

Have you ever been thirsty?

 

Jesus has claimed to be the quencher of thirsts in scripture.

‘Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty’

‘If anyone is thirsty, come to me’.

Jesus offered living water – and an abundant of supply.

Jesus promised to satisfy thirst for ever for those who believe in him.

And this Jesus is now saying his 5^th word from the cross ‘I thirst’.

The thirst quencher is now thirsty.

 

Had the water of life failed?

Had the water run out for good?

‘He thinks he can save others – but look – he can’t even save himself.

 

‘I thirst’

 

Thirst always means so much more in the bible than ‘I need a drink’.

To thirst is to yearn, to long for, to be desperate with desire.

And Jesus says, ‘I thirst’.

 

In the sermon on the mount, Jesus blessed those who ‘thirst for righteousness’.

Meaning, blessed are those who are desperate for God’s kingdom to come on earth – as much as Joey Mora thirsted for water.

The Psalmist prays ‘My soul thirst for God, the living God’.

Each and every one of us is made to be in relationship with God.

Made to join in the enlarging of shalom

Made to be bringers of healing and peace

Made to see justice.

Each and every one of us made for community.

Every single one of us, thirsting for God, and only when we are with Him, and we join in with what he is doing, does that thirst disappear.

We are so thirsty.

We try to hide it… cover it up with the next best thing… the new hobby, plaything, drug or indulgence but… when we allow ourselves to feel…

We are so thirsty.

 

And for the first time in Jesus’ life – as the greatest transfer took place – all our sin, and death, and darkness and separateness from God was placed squarely on the shoulders of Jesus…  He now thirsts like us…

He is thirsty… longing after God… longing after the presence of the father. 

Thirsting for intimacy…

I thirst. 

 

Jesus at the cross reminding us that he is fully human – thirst…

Jesus at the cross – experiencing every human emotion – every human desire –

So that as the writer to the Hebrews says – we can come to him – a high priest who empathises with all our struggles.

He knows what its like to be in pain, to not know the father’s presence, to live in brokenness and despair…

He understands

And he welcomes us to hear all of that summed up with ‘I thirst’.

 

But there was another thirst that kept Jesus going…

A thirst that helped him endure the whip, the beatings, the disdain, and the abuse. 

A thirst that helped him get up as he collapsed under the weight of the cross.

A thirst that got him to the cross when everything within him was terrified.

And what was that thirst? 

A thirst Us.

You and me.

 

God thirsts for us.

Gods got this thing for us!

God is determined – through creation, the words of the prophets, the teaching in the law, the birth of Christ and now on the cross – to get close to us.

God has an unquenchable thirst to have us.

Yes – even us!

 

In the beautiful 23^rd Psalm it says ‘surely goodness and mercy shall follow me for ever’

But a better translation is ‘surely goodness and mercy will pursue me forever’. 

God is so thirsty to know you and me – he is pursuing us with goodness and mercy. 

He will never stop chasing – never stop trying to win our hearts.

The prize that got Jesus through this dreadful week – us!

A right relationship with the triune God.

Eternity with us.

 

Too often we see the way of satisfying our thirst is to get to God..

But the only solution was God thirsting for us to such an extent that he sent his one and only Son down to meet us.

Here on the cross – he thirsts – so that we do not have too.

Leading us to thirst in a different way.

To thirst to know him and his presence.

To thirst to worship and praise

To thirst for Christian community that shows Gods love to the broken world.

To thirst for more of Gods kingdom to come.

We praise God because he said, ‘I thirst’.