John 19:28-29 - The Fifth Word from the Cross

March 18, 2022

John 19:28-29 - The Fifth Word from the Cross

From the cross, Jesus had carried on some brief conversations. He had poured out His anguish at being forsaken by God.

However, the purpose of Jesus coming to earth, the goal of the crucifixion, was to suffer the consequences of sin on our behalf--including that separation from God. Being abandoned by God signaled that Jesus had reached His goal. His strength was starting to fade. There wasn't much more to be said especially when it took effort.

“28 Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, 'I am thirsty.' 29 A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips.” (John 19:28–29, New Living Translation)

Even to the last, scriptures were a spiritual tinnitus, constantly ringing in his ears. He was thinking of another prophetic psalm:

"20 Their insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair. If only one person would show some pity; if only one would turn and comfort me. 21 But instead, they give me {bitter gall} for food; they offer me sour wine for my thirst." (Psalm 69:20–21, NLT)

"Sour wine was cheap wine, called in Latin posca, and referred to a cheap vinegar wine diluted heavily with water. It was the drink of slaves and soldiers, and the soldiers who had performed the crucifixion, ... had some on hand...." NET Bible, note on Luke 23:36

They had taunted Jesus earlier with sour wine (Luke 23:36) so when He said He was thirsty, He knew full well what they would offer Him. It wasn't only for the sake of fulfilling Psalm 69. He was genuinely thirsty!

Jesus had once asked a woman for some water, but it was to get her attention so He could offer spiritual water, "a spring of water gushing up to eternal life." (John 4:10-14, NLT)

He shouted this offer to a whole crowd of people:
“Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! 38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’ ” 39 {When he said 'living water,' he was speaking of the Spirit..} (John 7:37-39, NLT)

But now, on the cross, Jesus Himself needed physical water.

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When the Trinity created the universe it included earth, "The Blue Planet." The physics of water, sunlight and atmosphere give earth it's blue color because about seventy percent of the world is covered with water. (1)

The human body is about sixty percent water.(2) People usually live only about three days without it.(3)

The God-who-became-Man, the Creator of water, the One who made bodies that need water to survive, chose to ask for sour vinegar wine.

Jesus, I never thought of drinking vinegar as an act of love, let alone as a way of submitting to the scriptures. Yet over and over, everything You did on earth was a conscious choice of love. Love for Your Father, love for me. May that love be ringing in my ears throughout this day. Amen.