When the Lord Jesus Christ was hung on the cross, hatred and mockery toward Him never ceased. His enemies were not satisfied spiting and smiting Him while He was in their hands, they continued expressing their hatred even when He was on the cross.
For six hours Christ was hanging on the cross with His wounded body facing the heart of the sun. How terrible the pain that He bore must have been to pay the penalty for our sins! It was at this time that He spoke His last words in a loud voice saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani” (Mark 15:35), as an expression of the great pain He experienced. When the soldiers heard Him crying, one of them gave Him a sponge full of vinegar to drink (Mark 15:36; Matt 27:34). How painful it must have been when the vinegar flowed from His mouth onto His wounded body for He could not drink. Nonetheless soon after this event, Jesus “cried with the loud voice and gave up the ghost” (v.37). He died a very terrible death.
Again, nothing is accidental in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Psalmist records this terrible real event saying, “They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink” (Ps. 69:21). Based on this study, it is important to take note what John the apostle said concerning the prophecy about this event. Calvin put it in another way, "But still the Apostle John justly declares that this Scripture was fulfilled when the soldiers gave Christ vinegar to drink upon the cross (John xix:28-30;) for it was requisite that whatever cruelty the reprobate exercise towards the members of Christ, should by a visible sign be represented in Christ himself."
1 comment:
fluoratiIs this gall mentioned in the Bible the same gall that comes from the bitter liquid made from the cynipid wasp tumors found on oak and other trees? And Why would they even drink it since it was used for making ink? They should have given our suffering Lord the best wine available!!!!
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