Mark 15:36
And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This moment isn't just about a soldier offering Jesus a drink; it's a cruel taunt that hinges on a misunderstanding of Jesus' cry. When Jesus cried, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" (My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?), some bystanders misheard it as a call for Elijah. This soldier, catching onto their mockery, offers the sour wine with the sarcastic challenge, "Let us see if Elijah will come to take him down," twisting Jesus' profound spiritual anguish into a pathetic spectacle.
As Jesus hangs on the cross, enduring immense suffering and darkness falls over the land, some onlookers mock Him. When Jesus cries out, "I thirst," one soldier offers Him a sponge soaked in sour wine, not out of compassion, but to prolong His torment and in a cruel jest, to see if Elijah will rescue Him. This act of derision immediately precedes Jesus’ final cry and the rending of the temple veil, marking the climax of His earthly ordeal.
Amidst Jesus' suffering, a soldier offered a drink, but with a cruel twist. This wasn't just a gesture of kindness; it was an act of deep contempt.
The sour wine, or 'posca,' was the common drink of Roman soldiers. When Jesus cried out 'I thirst,' one soldier ran to get some. However, instead of offering relief, the soldier and others used it as an opportunity to mock Jesus.
The Insulting Offer
They put a sponge soaked in this sour wine on a reed, a plant likely an 'hyssop stalk,' and held it to His lips. Their words, 'Let us see if Elijah will come to take him down,' were not a genuine question but a taunt. They were deriding His claims and His suffering, implying He was abandoned and powerless, not the Messiah.
A Cruel Contrast
This act stands in stark contrast to the divine love and sacrifice Jesus was making. It highlights the hardness of human hearts, choosing to inflict pain and scorn when compassion was needed.
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The drink offered to Jesus was sour wine, the common beverage of Roman soldiers. This detail paints a vivid picture of His humiliation and suffering.
The offering of 'sour wine' (often translated as vinegar) was not a special, bitter potion for torture, but rather 'posca,' the everyday drink of Roman legionaries. It was a mixture of sour wine and water, cheap and refreshing, especially in the heat.
A Symbol of Humiliation
By offering this common soldier's drink to Jesus, the soldiers were degrading Him. It stripped away any notion of honor or dignity, reducing Him to the level of a common criminal and a mere object of their scorn. It was a public act of debasement.
Fulfilling Prophecy and Despising Grace
This act, though rooted in the soldiers' cruelty, also fulfilled ancient prophecy. Yet, the way it was administered—on a reed and with mocking words—shows how grace can be despised and twisted into an instrument of pain.
Understand the original words
oxos · Greek Noun
Common, inexpensive, and typically fermented wine consumed by the working class or soldiers. In the context of the crucifixion, it was offered as a mockery or, at times, a gesture of meager mercy to prolong life.
The offer of sour wine and the mocking question about Elijah reveal the soldiers' crude ignorance and disbelief amidst the profound, supernatural events surrounding Jesus' death, highlighting the stark contrast between human mockery and divine power.
c. AD 30— this verse
Crucifixion of Jesus
Jesus is arrested, tried, and condemned to crucifixion under the Roman governor Pontius Pilate. This event is the central point of Christian belief.
c. AD 30
Darkness and Earthquake
The Gospel accounts describe supernatural darkness over the land during Jesus' crucifixion and a violent earthquake, signifying cosmic distress.
c. AD 30
Jesus' Last Words and Death
Jesus cries out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" and then, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit," before breathing his last.
c. AD 30
Temple Veil Torn
The veil in the Jerusalem Temple, separating the Holy of Holies from the people, is torn in two from top to bottom, symbolizing a new, direct access to God.
c. AD 30
Centurion's Confession
The Roman centurion in charge of the crucifixion witnesses these events and declares, "Truly this man was the Son of God."
c. AD 30
Burial of Jesus
Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy follower, asks Pilate for Jesus' body and lays it in his own new tomb, with women witnessing the burial.
This passage directly foreshadows the offering of sour wine to Jesus on the cross, highlighting the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy in His suffering.
Matthew 27:48-49These verses offer a complementary account, showing how both individual soldiers and the crowd participated in the mockery, emphasizing the collective scorn Jesus endured.
John 19:28-29This passage links the offer of sour wine directly to Jesus' own cry of 'I thirst,' providing a crucial detail that explains the timing and context of the soldiers' actions.
Isaiah 53:3This prophetic passage describes the Messiah as 'despised and rejected by men,' a theme powerfully illustrated by the soldiers' taunts and the disregard for Jesus' suffering.
cambridgeMark 15:36: "And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down."
36 . full of vinegar ] Burning thirst is the most painful aggravation of death by crucifixion, and it was as He uttered the words, “ I thirst ,” that the soldier ran and filled a sponge with vinegar, or the sour wine-and-water called posca , the ordinary drink of the Roman soldiers. and put it on a reed ] i. e. on the…
pulpitMark 15:36: "And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down."
Verse 36. - There is a slight difference here in the narratives. St. Matthew (Matthew 27:49) says, "And the rest said, Let be; let us see whether Elijah cometh to save him." Here in St. Mark the words are recorded as having been spoken by him alone who offered our Lord the vinegar. According to St. John (John 21:28),…
This moment isn't just about a soldier offering Jesus a drink; it's a cruel taunt that hinges on a misunderstanding of Jesus' cry. When Jesus cried, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" (My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?), some bystanders misheard it as a call for Elijah. This soldier, catching onto their mockery, offers the sour wine with the sarcastic challenge, "Let us see if Elijah will come to take him down," twisting Jesus' profound spiritual anguish into a pathetic spectacle.
As Jesus hangs on the cross, enduring immense suffering and darkness falls over the land, some onlookers mock Him. When Jesus cries out, "I thirst," one soldier offers Him a sponge soaked in sour wine, not out of compassion, but to prolong His torment and in a cruel jest, to see if Elijah will rescue Him. This act of derision immediately precedes Jesus’ final cry and the rending of the temple veil, marking the climax of His earthly ordeal.
As Jesus hangs on the cross, enduring immense suffering and darkness falls over the land, some onlookers mock Him. When Jesus cries out, "I thirst," one soldier offers Him a sponge soaked in sour wine, not out of compassion, but to prolong His torment and in a cruel jest, to see if Elijah will rescue Him. This act of derision immediately precedes Jesus’ final cry and the rending of the temple veil, marking the climax of His earthly ordeal.
"And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.”" — This moment isn't just about a soldier offering Jesus a drink; it's a cruel taunt that hinges on a misunderstanding of Jesus' cry. When Jesus cried, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" (My God, my God, w…
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