Matthew 27:48
And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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While it might seem like a simple act of cruelty, the detail of the vinegar-filled sponge being offered to Jesus on a reed is actually quite significant. It wasn't just to mock him; it fulfilled a prophecy and highlights the soldiers' ordinary drink, called "sour wine," which they themselves consumed.
Jesus has just cried out, quoting Psalm 22, and a darkness has fallen over the land. Now, one of the soldiers, hearing Jesus' cry and perhaps his earlier expression of thirst, acts quickly to offer him a drink. This moment is immediately contrasted by the others who mock Jesus, urging the soldier to wait and see if Elijah will rescue him.
Amidst the darkness and the mockery, a small, unexpected gesture offers a moment of human connection.
This scene, though brief, reveals a complex moment on the cross. While Jesus endured unimaginable suffering and scorn, one of the soldiers acted. The text describes a soldier running, taking a sponge, filling it with sour wine, and offering it to Jesus. Some scholars suggest this wasn't pure malice, but perhaps a rough, albeit misguided, attempt to quench Jesus' evident thirst. It’s a stark contrast to the other soldiers’ continued taunts, showing that even in the darkest moments, human responses can be varied and surprising. This action, though debated in its intent, highlights Jesus' physical suffering – his intense thirst – which was a real, human aspect of his sacrifice.
What was this 'sour wine,' and why was it offered to Jesus?
The substance offered was 'sour wine,' known to the Romans as posca. This wasn't a fine vintage but a common, cheap drink for Roman soldiers, often described as wine mixed with water and vinegar. It was refreshing and served to quench thirst during long days of labor or watch. While the soldiers routinely drank this, offering it to Jesus now carried a different weight. It was given in response to His expressed thirst, but some commentators note that the sourness could also be seen as a bitter echo of the spiritual bitterness Jesus was experiencing. It was a tangible, earthly substance offered to the One who was suffering an infinite, divine agony.
This act, while seemingly small, underscores the profound reality of Jesus' mission.
The offering of the sponge filled with sour wine is more than just a historical detail; it’s deeply symbolic. Jesus had declared, 'I thirst,' not just physically, but in a profound sense, for the fulfillment of His Father’s will and the salvation of humanity. The sour wine represents the bitterness of the cup He was sent to drink – the suffering, the rejection, the curse of sin. While one soldier offered it, perhaps with mixed motives, Jesus’ acceptance of it signifies His willing submission to the Father’s plan. He tasted the full measure of human sin and suffering, not to be destroyed by it, but to conquer it. This moment reinforces that Jesus’ death was not an accident, but a purposeful, sacrificial act.
Understand the original words
oxos · Greek Noun
A cheap, sour wine or vinegar drink (posca) consumed by Roman soldiers and the common people. Its presence at the crucifixion represents the physical suffering and the mockery or mercy offered to the condemned.
The offering of sour wine to Jesus, a common soldier's drink, highlights the brutal reality of Roman occupation and the extreme suffering Jesus endured, fulfilling prophecy even in his final moments.
c. 30 AD— this verse
Jesus' Crucifixion and Death
Jesus is crucified by Roman soldiers on Golgotha. He endures immense suffering and ultimately dies.
c. 30 AD
Soldiers Offer Sour Wine
Roman soldiers, accustomed to drinking sour wine (posca) as their common beverage, offer it to Jesus during his crucifixion.
c. 30 AD
Darkness Over the Land
A supernatural darkness covers the land from the sixth hour until the ninth hour during Jesus' crucifixion.
c. 30 AD
Jesus' Final Words
Jesus utters several final statements from the cross, including quoting Psalm 22 and declaring 'It is finished.'
c. 30 AD
Jesus' Death
This passage from the Psalms prophesied about the Messiah's suffering, directly foretelling that His enemies would offer Him vinegar to drink when He was thirsty, which is exactly what happened here.
John 19:28-30John’s Gospel provides the crucial detail that Jesus first said, 'I thirst,' prompting this act, and also clarifies that the sour wine was not given to numb His pain but rather as a final act of fulfilling Scripture.
Luke 23:36Luke mentions that the soldiers, along with the crowd, offered Jesus sour wine earlier in His crucifixion, showing a pattern of mockery and contempt that continued even in this final moment.
Matthew 27:34Earlier in the crucifixion narrative, Matthew records that Jesus was offered wine mixed with gall, which He refused; this refusal highlights His desire to remain fully aware and present during His suffering, making His eventual acceptance of vinegar even more significant.
henryMatthew 27:45-50: "Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour."
27:45-50 During the three hours which the darkness continued, Jesus was in agony, wrestling with the powers of darkness, and suffering his Father's displeasure against the sin of man, for which he was now making his soul an offering. Never were there three such hours since the day God created man upon the earth, never such a dark and awful scene; it was the turning point of that great affair, m…
gillMatthew 27:48: "And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink."
And straightway one of them ran and took a sponge,.... Which was not far from the cross, where a vessel full of vinegar was set, John 19:29 , and filled it with vinegar; dipping it into it, it sucked it up. Some of these sponges had leathern handles to them. (r). And put it on a reed; a stalk of hyssop; See Gill on John 19:29, and gave him to drink; not t…
While it might seem like a simple act of cruelty, the detail of the vinegar-filled sponge being offered to Jesus on a reed is actually quite significant. It wasn't just to mock him; it fulfilled a prophecy and highlights the soldiers' ordinary drink, called "sour wine," which they themselves consumed.
Jesus has just cried out, quoting Psalm 22, and a darkness has fallen over the land. Now, one of the soldiers, hearing Jesus' cry and perhaps his earlier expression of thirst, acts quickly to offer him a drink. This moment is immediately contrasted by the others who mock Jesus, urging the soldier to wait and see if Elijah will rescue him.
Jesus has just cried out, quoting Psalm 22, and a darkness has fallen over the land. Now, one of the soldiers, hearing Jesus' cry and perhaps his earlier expression of thirst, acts quickly to offer him a drink. This moment is immediately contrasted by the others who mock Jesus, urging the soldier to wait and see if Elijah will rescue him.
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Jesus cries out with a loud voice and yields up his spirit, confirming his death.
"And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink." — While it might seem like a simple act of cruelty, the detail of the vinegar-filled sponge being offered to Jesus on a reed is actually quite significant. It wasn't just to mock him; it fulfilled a pr…
