Jn 18:1—19:42
25Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. 26When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” 27Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
28After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I thirst.” 29There was a vessel filled with common wine. So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth. 30When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, “It is finished.” And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.
p31Now since it was preparation day, in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath, for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one, the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken and they be taken down. 32So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus. 33But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, 34but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out.
I Thirst: The “seven last words” of Jesus are the evangelists’ interpretation of the “loud cries” of a dying man. They are interpretations of the death of Jesus who reveals who he is and what he accomplishes on the cross. The words of Jesus as recorded by John are to be seen in the light of the entire Gospel. In the case of “I thirst” (Greek dipso), we have to see it in episodes where Jesus speaks of water. In his encounter with the Samaritan woman by Jacob’s well, Jesus asks for a drink; obviously he is thirsty from his journey (Jn 4:7). But he ends up not receiving a drink but offering “living water” to the woman. He thirsts, therefore, for the woman’s faith, whereby he can give the “rivers of living water” flowing from within him. This is the gift of the Spirit which can be given only when Jesus is glorified (Jn 7:39). Hence we understand Jesus’ thirst not only in the physical sense; on the deeper level, it is thirst to bring his mission to fulfillment so he can offer the Spirit who alone can satisfy the human thirst for the divine.