I am so grateful, Lord, that when You look upon humanity, You don’t see a mass of people. You see individuals, and You know each of us by name – even me.
John 19:29, A bowl full of sour wine was placed there. So they put a sponge full of sour wine on hyssop and held it to His mouth.
At this point in the crucifixion narrative Jesus was very close to breathing His last breath. He had cried out to the Father and, as the crowds continued to mock, He said, “I thirst.” They offered Him vinegar on a sponge to quench His thirst. A minor detail, perhaps, but it is one more enlightening piece in the picture of His sacrifice.
Before Christ was actually on the cross, the gospel of Mark mentions the soldiers offering Him vinegar (15:23). It was common for those sentenced to death to be given a drug, mixed with wine vinegar, in order to dull the senses and lessen the pain. Jesus refused this first offering.
After He was on the cross and had suffered for some time, Jesus cried out to the Father. Bystanders thought He was calling out for Elijah to take Him off the cross (Mark 15:35). At this point, they offered Jesus the vinegar again, not to help Him, but in the hope of keeping Him conscious longer and prolonging His pain.
This Easter, as you gather around the table, take note of those foods that use vinegar. May these foods serve as a reminder of just how far Jesus was willing to go, and how much He was willing to suffer, so we could be at peace with the Father.
