The point of Lent is to draw us into the demeanor of Jesus on his road to Calvary. It is to enable us to identify more closely with the suffering of Jesus so that we can better grasp the glory of his resurrection. The despair of the former is only exceeded by the rapture of the latter--and we can only appreciate the one with the other; they are inseparable. The texts that I want to reflect on this week are from John. John 4 records the woman at the well who, in her shame, has come to the well in isolation to draw water. To her, Jesus offers living water--fresh water. In verses 13-14, Jesus says, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." With this in mind it becomes remarkably surprising that John 19:28 records Jesus, from the cross, saying, "Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, 'I am thirsty.'"
How could the one who offers living water that will quench all thirst himself be thirsty? I believe this shows the inseparable nature of God's glory from his crucifixion; of Jesus' death and his resurrection. Jesus has said words recorded of those in exile from God. On the cross Jesus experiences the broken relationship of the Christ being forsaken by his God--the very broken relationship of Israel and her God when she is in exile. Thirst is the description of being away from God. By thirsting Jesus is saying more than his tongue is dry; he is saying he is away from God and identifies with humanity. But never forget that he offers living water--water that shows the restoration of relationship. This is somewhat paradoxical, of course, but John never shies away from paradox. That is why he records Jesus' words: "When I am lifted up (on the cross), I will draw all people to myself." The thirsty God is the one who knows how meaningful living water becomes.
Lent shows us the paradox of a Thirsty God. Only in remembering the thirst of Christ from his position on the cross can we again taste the freshness of the living water he offers. Lent invites us into the thirst.
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I remember a sermon under the alliteration of "drink and desire" where the focus was on the Thirst of Christ on the Cross (how about that, more alliteration). The primary desire was always for something obtainable but somehow out of reach. I have come to understand the real sermon was the obstacles. Christ was unable to drink water because he had to suffer. He was also - as you suggested - unable to be in union with the Father as he bore our sins. In a sense our sins are/were the obstacle for Christ.
Mankind displays desire for many things but can only be quenched by the Living Water. There are many obstacles for us but God is obtainable.
Desire is not wrong nor is gratification instantaneous. In our story here eventually Christ is reunited with the Father and likewise He drinks again (later in the story though).
By exercising our desire for the Living Water and waiting at the same time we bring ourselves to the activity of Lent.
In Lent we exercise our desire for tangible items and our patience to wait an appropriate time for them. In this we suffer in the principle of the Living Water.
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