What Is Gall That Jesus Drank

What is gall in the Bible?

QuestionAnswer A bitter tasting material manufactured from a plant such as wormwood or myrrh is frequently mentioned in the Bible by the wordgall (gall meaning bitter in Hebrew). The wordgallis is most famously used in the Bible in relation to a drink that was offered to Jesus when he was on the cross. According to Matthew 27:34, when Jesus was being crucified, the Roman soldiers gave him “wine to drink, laced with gall.” Jesus refused. In Mark 15:23, it is stated that the bitterness in the wine resulted from the inclusion of myrrh in the mixture.

The mixture of sour wine and gall was frequently administered to the dying in order to alleviate their anguish.

In a superhuman act of bravery, the Son of Man refused to accept anything that would make the anguish He underwent for our redemption any less painful.

On the cross, Jesus took on our sins in our place (2 Corinthians 5:21).

The notion that Jesus would be offered gall was foretold thousands of years before he was born, according to the Bible.
One of the hundreds of Messianic prophesies in the Old Testament that were fulfilled during Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection is the one that mentions gall in the prophetic sense.
This sorcerer had experienced the power of the Holy Spirit and interpreted it as a method of gaining financial gain for himself.
The Apostle Peter, in answer to Simon’s appeal for the Holy Spirit, advised him to repent before God’s punishment was brought upon him, concluding his remarks with the words, “I know that you are in the gall of bitterness and the chain of wickedness” (ESV).
Gall is also mentioned in the Law of the Old Testament, where it is associated with idolatry.
Then he urges the people to be on their watch against idolatry, “lest there should be among you a root that bearth gall and wormwood” (lest there should be among you a root that bearth gall and wormwood) (Deuteronomy 29:18, KJV).
While speaking about himself as a persecuted prophet and someone who witnessed the fall of Jerusalem, Jeremiah used the termgallin to describe his life and experiences.
When life became bitter, God’s people called out to Him for help.

While reading through the rest of chapter 3, the author reminds us that, even in times when we feel like we’ve been dealt a bad hand, there is reason to have faith in God: “Yet this I call to mindand therefore I have hope:Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.” They are as fresh as the morning dew; wonderful is your steadfastness.

As I reflect on my situation, I tell myself, “The Lord is my portion; thus, I will wait for him.” (See Lamentations 3:21–24 for further information.) Go back to the page with all of the Bible questions. What does the Bible say about gall?

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Sour Wine and Gall: Was it a Merciful Gesture or Mockery? – Literature – Resources

“They served Him sour wine laced with gall as a refreshment. However, after tasting it, he decided not to drink it ” (Matthew 27:34). Introduction The punishment of crucifixion was not appropriate nor enforceable against Roman citizens. It was intended for non-Roman violent offenders, murderers, rebellious slaves, and those guilty of high treason, as well as those convicted of lesser crimes. Our Lord Jesus Christ did not fit within any of the categories that were punishable by crucifixion, and yet he was wrongfully condemned and put to die as a result of the practice.

As Jesus Christ was being crucified on the Cross of Calvary, He was presented with a sour, less than palatable, thin wine laced with gall, which he refused.
What I’m saying is, “My God, My God, why have You left Me?”” According to Matthew 27:46, one of those standing alongside the cross dashed over and “got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, set it on a reed, and presented it to Him to drink” (Matthew 27:48).
Do you believe that even the most heinous acts were deserving of mercy, or that the act of crucifixion was made more tolerable to witness and hence more bearably executed by intoxicated the crucified?
The sour wine that was presented to the Lord Jesus Christ at His crucifixion has been referred to be vinegar on several occasions.
When it comes to poison, vinegar is related with the Old Testament’s Holy Book of Psalms, which says, “They gave me gall for my meal, and they gave me vinegar for my drink” (Psalm 68:22; LXX).
According to Job 20:14 of the Old Testament, gall is referred to as “the gall of an asp.” Gall is associated with hemlock according to the prophet Hosea (10:4).
Offering sour wine laced with gall to our martyred Lord Jesus may have been a therapeutic and charitable gesture to lessen the tremendous anguish, but St.
” The soldiers made fun of Him as well, approaching Him and offering Him sour wine” (Luke 23:36).
Mark’s gospel, it was believed that the sour wine combined with myrrh had narcotic properties.
A crucified person may have been fed sour wine and myrrh in order to make him drunk in an attempt to make his pain less severe.

Whether it was out of routine performance, an impulsive thoughtless act, or even the remote possibility of it being out of a merciful act towards the criminal during his last breathing moments, sour wine and myrrh appeared to have had the ability to make the execution of crucifixion at least a little more bearable for those who witnessed it.

It is worth emphasizing that the time of the offering of the sour wine and gall to our Lord was significant and, as a result, of the highest significance.
“Father forgive them, for they know not what they do,” our Lord Jesus said as He asked His Father for forgiveness on their behalf.
Second, the soldiers were so anxious to get their hands on His clothing that they split His belongings and distributed them by lot among themselves.
In St.
As a result, after receiving the sour wine, Jesus declared, “It is completed.”” (See also John 19:28-30.) Hyssop is a plant that has stalk-like characteristics and may grow to be three to four feet in length.
Consequently, the Lord Jesus Christ took on our human frailty and thirst in order for us to share in Eternal Salvation and experience no longer thirst.
John to note down in his Gospel.

We might imagine how the loud agonized cry of our Lord would have persuaded the person who brought Him the mixture of sour wine and gall to believe that our Lord was despaired, troubled, and in excruciating agony.

However, the majority of Biblical scholars do not think that the Lord was despondent or enraged by the unjust suffering that had been inflicted upon him.

The Romans crucified the Lord Jesus Christ, and it was Roman soldiers who drove nails into His holy arms and legs and strung Him up on the Holy Cross, where He would suffer and die in a manner dictated by the Romans.

On the other hand, the Roman officials were prepared and ready to offer freedom to a murderer by the name of Barabbas, but they were equally willing and ready to hang on a cross an innocent man who was devoid of guilt, malice, or any indication of wrongdoing on his part.

Our beloved Lord had undergone a tremendous deal of suffering after being beaten, flogged, struck, tortured, and crucified, among other things.

“This is Jesus the King of the Jews,” read the sign above His Holy Head, mockingly but prophetically designating Him as a king.

The boldness with which the Lord Jesus Christ served mankind was on a par with his humanity’s power.

Because of His unwavering confidence, the Lord was prepared to face any challenges, including death (in His human form), if necessary.

The repentant felon who was hanged on the right side of the Lord Jesus Christ was served, and he was the first person to enter Paradise after his death.

And we have every right to be so, for we have received appropriate compensation for our acts; yet, this man has done nothing wrong.

Courage in the Face of Adversity Every generation, from the beginning of human history through the execution of our Lord Jesus Christ, has demanded a great deal of a courageous servant of God.

Examples of the most devout believers who were not afraid to criticize even rulers may be seen throughout history.

This form of faith propelled Elijah into Heaven in a flaming chariot, as dogs lapped up the blood of Ahab’s enemies.

John the Baptist for failing to follow the law.

You will be living in a scorpion-infested environment.

Because they are a home of provocation, you must communicate My words to them, regardless of whether they hear you or are turned off by them ” (Ezekiel 2:6-7; LXX).

John the Baptist was executed, yet his holy voice continues to resound today with the same message: “It is not legal for you to do so” (Matthew 14:4).

Throughout the writings of the apostles and the history of the early church authors, we can see that they were courageous.

Perhaps the message conveyed by the refusal to drink the sour wine and gall is one of bravery and fortitude.

Do not deviate from your path, because I am your God, who empowers you; and I will assist and protect you with My just right hand ” (Isaiah 41:10; LXX).

Whom should I be afraid of when the Lord is my life’s defender?” (Psalm 26:1; LXX; NASB) Conclusion In other words, what was the purpose or reason for the Lord Jesus Christ’s cry, “Why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46), to be heard and understood?

The Lord Jesus Christ refused both sour wine and gall, stating that He desired to remain conscious throughout His crucifixion without the use of any painkillers.

Despite the fact that He was hanging on the cross with nails driven through His arms and legs, our Lord Jesus Christ, the most courageous of servants, acknowledged and glorified God’s power, care, and promises of eternal life with His strength in service, even as He was at the height of His suffering.

Why did Jesus refuse to drink wine mixed with gall?

In response to the question: Why did Jesus refuse to drink a combination of gall and wine soon before he was crucified? Answer:There are just two accounts in the four gospels, Matthew and Mark, in which Jesus is served anything to drink before being nailed to the cross. As mentioned in Matthew 27:33 – 34, this drink is described as wine mixed with gall, although Mark refers to it as wine mixed with myrrh (Mark 15:23). Both of the biblical texts are referring to the same concept. They arrived at a location known as Golgotha, which literally translates as “The Place of the Skull.” There, they offered Jesus wine laced with a bitter ingredient (the word ‘gall’ is used in most translations), but after tasting it, he refused to drink from it (Matthew 27:33 – 34).

on Wednesday, April 5, in the year 30 A.D., Jesus was served a wine and gall mixture to drink.
According to Strong’s ConcordanceG5521, the English term “gall” in the New Testament is derived from the Greek wordchole, which literally translates as “poison.” A consistent meaning is found in all of the Old Testament verses that make use of this term (e.g.
Traditionally, convicts were given a combination of wine and gall before being hanged in attempt to alleviate some of their misery before being executed.
Christ most likely declined this drink because he was aware that its bitter taste indicated that it was more of a poison than a painkiller.
In order for Him to be the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of all mankind, He understood that He would have to bleed His blood, and He refused to take the easy way out of the situation.
While in the throes of a torturous trial, David called out to the Eternal, complaining that his adversaries had only given him something bitter to quench his thirst (Psalm 69:16 – 21).
His thirst could be satisfied by this since, though it had a tart flavor, he was confident that the liquid was not toxic.

The soldier stabbed him in the side with a spear, causing both blood and water to spurt out of the wound.

In addition, this stab fulfilled a Bible prophesy (Zechariah 12:10).

And after screaming out with a loud voice for a second time, Jesus surrendered His spirit ” (Matthew 27:49 – 50, HBFV).

A number of modern Biblical translations, including the translations of James Moffatt in 1926 and the translation of Ferrar Fenton in 1903, as well as footnotes in the NASB and NLT Bibles, document this fact.

This was due to the fact that the piercing he received while still barely alive led him to bleed out and succumb to his injuries more quickly.

Pilate’s amazement that Christ died so quickly (Mark 15:44 – 45), despite the fact that he did not have broken legs (Pilate requested a centurion to swear to Christ’s death), lends more credence to this theory. Thank you for contacting us with your inquiry concerning wine and gall.

Why did Jesus first refuse, and then drink the vinegar offered at the cross?

The Gospel of Matthew states that when Jesus was being taken to the crucifixion, “they offered him vinegar to drink mixed with gall, and when he had tasted it, he would not drink” (Matthew 27:34). A wine infused with myrrh, according to Mark, was the drink (Mark 15:23). The drink that was served to Jesus was a poor Roman vinegar wine that had been laced with a chemical to make the senses dull. It was customary for the Romans to administer a poisoned wine to a guy who was about to be crucified in order to make him more tolerant of his fate.

As He was on the verge of death, Jesus said, “I thirst” (John 19:28).
When David predicted this Messianic occurrence, he said: They gave me likewise gall for my meat, and when I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar to drink (Psalm 69:21).
Following this, Jesus, knowing that all things have now been finished in order for the scripture to be fulfilled, declares, “I thirst” (John 19:28).
However, when Jesus fulfilled this verse, He demonstrated that He was both fully human and truly deified.
When Jesus had so taken the vinegar, he declared, “It is completed,” and he lowered his head and died as a result of the sacrificial offering (John 19:29-30).
Because his dry lips and neck were in desperate need of moisture, he took the vinegar.
It was extremely important to the Jews because it would serve as a constant reminder of the first Passover night, when each family among the Israelites in Egypt slaughtered a beautiful lamb and smeared the blood on their doorposts in order for the death angel to pass over their homes.
The blood of the Passover lamb was the only thing that kept the Israelites from perishing.
When Jesus hung on the cross, his final words were “It is finished.” Jesus came to serve and to carry out the Father’s will, and he did so willingly.

A great cry may be heard as angels before the throne of God acclaim Christ’s self-sacrificial love, proclaiming, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power, and riches, and knowledge, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing” (Revelation 5:12).

Why Jesus Refused It With Gall But Drank It Pure

THE BOOK OF JOHN 19:28-30 28 “I thirst!” Jesus said after this, knowing that all had now been completed and that the Scriptures had been fulfilled. “I thirst!” 29 Now there was a jar full of sour wine sitting nearby; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, placed it on hyssop, and placed it in His mouth. 30 As a result, after receiving the sour wine, Jesus declared, “It is completed!” Then, with a bend of his head, He surrendered His spirit. Not only that, but Jesus had refused to drink bad wine just a few hours before.

However, after tasting it, he decided not to drink it” (Matthew 27:33-34).
That sour wine was denied because it contained “gall,” which was designed to act as a crude anesthetic for the holes that were going to be driven through His wrists and feet by the Roman soldiers.
One hundred and nine of the ten references occur in the context of an innocent replacement being sacrificed and/or being cleansed of impurities, respectively.
And none of you are permitted to leave his home until the next morning.
Even in seemingly inconsequential aspects, Jesus communicated his belief that His sacrificial death on the cross cleanses us of our sins, so allowing us to be spared the wrath of God towards sinful people.
Because a hyssop is just 50 centimeters long and the outstretchedhand of a man standing on the ground may add another 2 meters, Jesus’ mouth could not have been higher than 2.5 meters (8 feet, 2 inches) above the ground.

As opposed to the towering crosses seen in Roman Catholic art, why did the Romans employ such modest crosses instead? In order to communicate with those passing by (seeGolgothaandCriminals on the Cross).

Gall Definition and Meaning – Bible Dictionary

GALLgol: (1) ro’sh, or rosh (Deuteronomy 32:32 only, “grapes of gall”): ro’sh is a Hebrew word that means “grapes of gall.” Some sort of extremely bitter plant, with the bitterness, like in (2), being related with the concept of poisonous substances. In the following passages: Deuteronomy 29:18, “rosh, a poisonpus plant”; Lamentations 3:5,19; Jeremiah 8:14; 9:15; 23:15, the “water of gall,” margin “poison”; Hosea 10:4, translated “hemlock”; Amos 6:12, “Ye have converted justice into gall”; Job 20:16, the “poison of asps”: here rosh plainly The hemlock (Conium maculatum), the colocynth (Citrullus colocynthus), and the poppy (Papaver somniferum) have all been proposed as the origin of the word rosh, with the last receiving the most support.

However, in most references, the word rosh is used to refer to any bitter, poisonous substance, including poisonous plants.

Job 16:13, and merorah (Job 20:14,25), both derived from a root meaning “to be bitter,” are used to the human gall or “bile,” but, like (1), merorah was also attributed to the venom of serpents at one point in history (Job 20:14).

(3) says (Matthew 27:34), “They gave him wine to drink mixed with gall,” which is clearly a reference to the Septuagint translation of Psalm 69:21: “They gave him wine to drink mixed with gall.” When I was hungry, they gave me gall (chole, Hebrew rosh), and when I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar to drink.

A bitter material, myrrh, was employed in this instance to lessen the agony of the condemned.
xx.18; Sen.
83).
W.
Masterman is an American author and educator.

Why did Jesus refuse to drink the wine mixed with gall?

When Jesus was crucified, we are told in Matthew’s horrifying account that “there they offered Jesus wine to drink, laced with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink” (Matthew 27:53). (27:34). A few verses later, a guy approaches with a stick of wine vinegar. The identical story is told by Mark (15:23), who claims that the wine was laced with myrrh. In the other two Gospels, Jesus is served wine, which he accepts and sips. Pexels But, in Matthew and Mark, what was it that Jesus was being provided in reality?

These acts were sometimes carried out by compassionate ladies who did so as part of their devotion to God.
Why, on the other hand, didn’t he accept it?
And that’s exactly the point — Jesus did not want the agony to be lessened in any way.
Accepting respite from the suffering of crucifixion would devalue or diminish the significance of the experience of crucifixion, according to some.
John Keble, a nineteenth-century poet and preacher, phrased it thus way: ‘Thou wilt feel everything, that thou might’st pity all.’ He claims that Jesus purposefully decided to be in pain as the price he had to pay in order to secure our salvation from sin.

He would drink wine to quench his thirst – and therefore prolong his life a bit longer – but he would do nothing to alleviate his misery and suffering. These are the details that serve as a constant reminder of the price he paid and the cost of our redemption on the cross.

Why was wine vinegar or sour wine given to Christ on the cross?

Exactly why did they offer Christ wine vinegar/sour wine when He was hanging on the cross?

Bible Answer:

On three consecutive occasions, while Jesus was hanging on the cross, he was presented with a cup of wine. According to the gospels, the first time Jesus was served sour wine, it was laced with gall. After the second time Christ was insulted for his royal authority and the third time that He received wine, it was sour wine.

Wine Mixed With Gall

The first time that Jesus was served wine while He was hanging on the cross is recorded in Matthew 27:34 and Mark 15:23, respectively. And when they arrived to a location known as Golgotha, which literally translates as “Place of the Skull,” they offered Him wine laced with gall, which He refused to drink after tasting it. Matthew 27:33-34 is a biblical passage (NASB) According to Mark 15:23, the wine had been laced with myrrh. Gall, sometimes known as myrrh, was presumably a narcotic since it was employed in perfumes and embalming fluids.

Prior to Jesus’ death on the cross, this wine was presented to Him (Matthew 27:34-35; Mark 15:23-24).

Wine Offered In Mockery

The only place in the Bible where Jesus was offered wine for the second time is in Luke 23:36. In addition, the soldiers made fun of Him by approaching Him and offering Him sour wine with the remark, “If You are the King of the Jews, rescue yourself!” In addition, there was an inscription above Him that said, “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.” Luke 23:36-38 (KJV) (NASB) The soldiers mocked Christ by presenting him with the wine as if He were their monarch (Luke 23:35-38). They made fun of Him. It is most likely that they presented the drink to Christ in jest.

Sour Wine Offered

Three times in the gospel narratives of Christ’s crucifixion, the word “wine” appears: in Matthew 27:48, Mark 15:36, and John 19:29-30, the wine is referenced. For the second time, Jesus inquired about something to drink. It is after 3:00 p.m. on a Friday afternoon in the afternoon. After drinking the wine, Jesus lowered His head and breathed His last, giving up His spirit. (See also Mark 15:36-37 and John 19:29-30.) According to Matthew 27:48, the wine was brought to Christ through a sponge that had been tied to a reed.

Matthew 27:48 (KJV) (NASB) The Greek term for “sour wine” is isoxos, which means “sour grape juice.” It appears that this Greek phrase alludes to a low-cost, sour wine that was not purchased by the rich and powerful.
It was a common wine that was consumed primarily for the purpose of quenching one’s thirst.
Seeing that a jug of sour wine was nearby, they placed a sponge full of the sour wine on a branch of hyssop and raised it up to His lips with them.
As a result, the sour wine would not have been laced with a sedative or a pain reliever, such as gall, to make it taste better.
But some believe that the sour wine was mixed with gall and that it was provided in fulfillment of Psalm 69:21, which is a biblical passage.
The dish has an allusion to gallbladder.
As a result, Psalm 69:21 does not contain a prophesy about this occurrence.
Jesus then stated, “I am thirsty,” despite the fact that everything had already been performed in order to fulfill the Scripture.

John Nolland expresses himself as follows: Antigonus Carystus, writing in the third century B.C., describes the use of sponges linked to poles to raise water from the ground. As a result, the person who serves Jesus the drink isn’t doing anything particularly novel.

Conclusion:

A guy who was thirsty, dying, and suffering was most likely offered a glass of sour wine as a simple drink.

References:

Davies and Allison, Matthew, The International Critical Commentary (Matthew, The International Critical Commentary). 1991, volume 1, page 613 of T T Clark’s book John Nolland is number two on the list. Matthew’s Gospel is a collection of stories about Jesus’ life and teachings. The New International Greek Testament Commentary is a work published by the New International Greek Testament Commentary Society. Eerdmans Publishing Company, p. 1209 (2005, 2005). Grant R. Osborne is the third author.

Zondervan Publishing Company, 2010, p.

What the Bible says about Gall

Topical StudiesWhat the Bible says about Gall (FromForerunner Commentary)Matthew 26:27-29Jesuswas certainly aware that He would spend forty days with His disciples after His resurrection, time in which He would have been well able to enjoy a glass of wine with them. But the first part of His statement seems to have been a vow, or at least a strong promise, that He would abstain from wine until after the time oftheirresurrection.It may be significant then that, just before His crucifixion, once He realized what He was being given, He refused the sour wine and gall mixture that was offered to Him: “They gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted, He would not drink” (Matthew 27:34; see alsoMark 15:23;Luke 23:36).From our human points of view, we may think that a mere taste of this foul-tasting cocktail would not have caused Jesus to break His vow—that it could hardly be construed as “drinking of the fruit of the vine” with His disciples. Jesus, however, looked at things from God’s point of view, and He knew that all that His Father had assigned for Him to do was to be carried out perfectly, and not with an “oh, that should do” attitude.The Greek verb for “taste” inMatthew 27:34isgeuomai,which can mean “to perceive the flavor of,” suggesting that perhaps Jesus did not actually taste the mixture at all. In the haze of His agony, He may not have been aware of what the Roman soldier was holding up to Him until it reached His lips, and in that split-second, He recognized it for sour wine. In any case, a taste cannot be considered a drink.Later, as His human life moved into its final moments, He was offered sour wine a second time: “Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink” (Matthew 27:48; see alsoMark 15:36;John 19:29-30).These “drink offerings” of sour wine and gall perfectly fulfilled David’s prophecy ofPsalm 69:21:”They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.”Matthew 27:34These “drink offerings” of sour wine and gall perfectly fulfilled David’s prophecy ofPsalm 69:21:”They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.”But what was this “sour wine”?Easton’s Bible Dictionarydescribes this drink in its article, “Gall”:The drink offered to our Lord was vinegar (made of light wine rendered acid, the common drink of Roman soldiers) “mingled with gall,” or, according toMark 15:23, “mingled with myrrh”; both expressions meaning the same thing, namely, that the vinegar was made bitter by the infusion of wormwood or some other bitter substance, usually given, according to amercifulcustom, as an anodyneto those who were crucified, to render them insensible to pain. Our Lord, knowing this, refuses to drink it. He would take nothing to cloud his faculties or blunt the pain of dying. He chooses to suffer every element of woe in the bitter cup of agony given him by the Father (John 18:11).Other commentators opine that the gall—being a poison as well as a desensitizing drug—was meant to speed the death of the victim before the grisly effects ofthe crucifixiondid. But surely it was not offered as, Easton suggests, for the comfort of the condemned! Rather, it was given for the soldiers’ own ease and perhaps for the benefit of the pitiless Jewish leaders who wanted the three victims dead and disposed of before the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (John 19:31-33).Luke’s account implies that the soldiers’ offers of sour wine toJesuswere part of their mockery of Him: “The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine” (Luke 23:36). It is not logical that these soldiers would mock Jesus, beat Him, spit on Him, jam a crown of thorns on His head, flog Him terribly, and then give a pain-relieving drink to Him as a “merciful custom”! Later, to speed their deaths, the soldiers would break the legs of the two men who were crucified on either side of Jesus and would cruelly stab Him with a spear. They would have broken Jesus’ legs too, but they were prevented from doing so for the prophecies to be accurately fulfilled. Not much evidence of mercy here!John 19:34The modern understanding of the English word “pierced” used in these verses (also inJob 16:13;Psalm 22:16;Lamentations 3:13; andRevelation 1:7) does not adequately describe the magnitude of Jesus’ terrible wound. When we think of “pierced,” we probably think of:» The minor puncture of the tiny needle used for the medical blood-tests we might have from time to time;» The minute holes required for earrings; or» The erroneous view of classical artists who painted depictions of the crucified Christ with small, inoffensive wounds from which drip insignificant trickles of blood.Webster’s Dictionarydefinitions, however, show that the Bible’s translators did an accurate job in translating this word:» To run into or through as a pointed weapon does;» To stab;» To enter or thrust into sharply or painfully;» To force or make a way into or through.Here is an excerpt from Albert Barnes’ commentary onJohn 19:34:The common spear which soldiers used in war. There can be no doubt that such a stroke from the strong arm of a Roman soldier would have caused death, if He had not been already dead. Let the following circumstances be remembered, showing that death must have ensued from such a wound:(1) The Saviour was elevated but a little from the ground, so as to be easily reached by the spear of a soldier.(2) The wound must have been transversely upward, so as to have penetrated into the body, as he could not have stood directly under Him.(3) It was probably made with a strong arm and with violence.(4) The spear of the Roman soldier was a lance which tapered very gently to a point, and would penetrate easily.(5) The wound was comparatively a large wound. It was so large as to admit the hand (John 20:27); but for a lance thus tapering to have made a wound so wide as to admit the hand, it must have been at least four or five inches in depth, and must have been such as to have made death certain. If it be remembered that this blow was probably in the left side, the conclusion is inevitable that death would have been the consequence of such a blow.It is clear that the spear pierced to the region of the heart.Such a flowing of blood and water makes it probable that the spear reached the heart, and if Jesus had not before been dead, this would have closed His life.Heshows that those who were sent to hasten His death believed that He had expired; that then a soldier inflicted a wound which would have terminated life if He had not been already dead; and that the infliction of this wound was followed by the fullest proof that He had truly expired.Further research informs us that some Roman spears had larger blades attached to their “business end” for the purpose of inflicting larger wounds. However, if Barnes is correct that the point of this spear tapered gently to a point, the soldier must have viciously twisted it in order to create a five-inch gash. In fact, such a twisting motion, virtually guaranteeing a mortal wound, would have been second-nature to a veteran soldier.Each year, as we reflect upon the great sufferings of our Savior, let us not be depressed by them. Although we should deeply appreciate the agonies that Jesus endured for us, we should realize that His physical suffering is now over, and has been over for nearly two thousand years. In this regard,Matthew Henry’s CommentaryonJohn 19:34is very interesting, positive, forward-looking, and worthy of some reflection. He notes that the Creator—the One who later became Jesus Christ—pierced and opened Adam’s side to create his wife, Eve. Likewise,Jesus Christ, the Second Adam, suffered His own side to be pierced and opened in order for His own Bride to be created.The members of God’strue churchconstitute the beloved Bride of Christ. Our tiny congregations have the wonderful privilege of being part of that church. As we have seen, Jesus calls on us to remember Hisaffliction, including the piercing, the cup, the sour wine, and the gall. No matter how many years we have rehearsed these events, let us remember once again what our Savior went through bodily for us. As He said to His disciples, “This is My body which is given for you” (Luke 22:19).Find more Bible verses aboutGall:Gall

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What Did Jesus Drink While Dying on the Cross?

It has always been a wonder to me how Jesus declined to drink wine before the Romans hung him to the crucifixion, as recorded in the Bible. One of the greatest mysteries of my life was attempting to decipher Jesus’ motivations when he sought for anything to quench his thirst and then proceeded to drink vinegar-laced wine while enduring the agony of the crucifixion. So, why would Jesus decline one drink but not the other, you may wonder. Jesus is adamant in his refusal to drink. “And they carried him to a spot called Golgotha,” says the gospel of Mark, describing what Jesus had to undergo (which means Place of a Skull).

And they nailed him on the cross and divided his clothing among themselves, drawing lots to determine which garments each should take” (Mark 15:22-24ESV throughout).
When they were experiencing physical anguish from the crucifixion, the women would offer them myrrh-flavored wine or gall-flavored wine (Matthew 27:33-35), which would deaden or numb their senses from the agony of the cross.
Despite their efforts, Jesus refused to drink it.
Jesus declined because he desired to be there in each and every hour allotted to him by the Father (Matthew 26:39), in order to continue to make the perfect sacrifice for sin on the cross (Ephesians 5:2).
The Old Testament (Psalms 69:21) states that he took it upon himself to guarantee that nothing would stand in the way of his capacity to fulfill the scriptures.
Jesus takes a sip.
“After everything happened, Jesus, realizing that all had been completed, stated (to fulfill the Scripture), ‘I thirst.'” When they noticed a jug of sour wine standing nearby, they placed a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and placed it near his lips.

Jesus did drink, but the substance that many people assume to be vinegar was in fact nothing more than water.

They poured him a glass of sour wine.

The inexpensive beverage was pleasant, and it included no ingredients that might interfere with Jesus’ ability to fulfill God’s plan.

Jesus is the one who has achieved the final triumph.

John 1:35-36 describes how he freely offered himself as the Lamb of God (1 Corinthians 5:7), and how he suffered the torment for our sins with a clear conscience (1 Peter 2:24).

He rose from the dead three days later (Matthew 28:5-6), and he now sits at the right side of the Father (Romans 8:34), awaiting the day when he will come in all his power and glory to conquer all nations and bring them under his control (Revelation 15:3-4).

The Wine Jesus Drank

While hanging on the cross, Jesus was served wine on two separate occasions. He turned down the first, but accepted the second. What is the reason behind this? Mark 15:23 states that “they offered him wine laced with myrrh, but he refused to accept it.” This is the first time this occurs. According to William Lane, In accordance with an ancient tradition, revered ladies of Jerusalem supplied individuals sentenced to death with a narcotic drink in order to reduce their sensitivity to the horrific agony.

Jesus was offered.

564) This first glass of wine signified an invitation to relieve the suffering, to take a modest shortcut—albeit a minor one in comparison to the horrific torture of the cross, but a shortcut nonetheless—in order to alleviate the suffering.

In response to his apparent request for Elijah, “someone rushed over and soaked a sponge with sour wine, arranged it on a stick, and handed it to him, saying, ‘Wait and see whether Elijah will come to take him down.'” (Jeremiah 1:5) Lane expresses his thoughts, A refreshing drink made from sour wine vinegar is mentioned in the Old Testament (Numbers 6:13; Ruth 2:14), and it is also mentioned in Greek and Roman literature as a common beverage enjoyed by laborers and soldiers because it relieved thirst more effectively than water and was relatively inexpensive.

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Thus, instead of a caustic vinegar presented as a cruel joke, the image is of a sour wine made by the people.
He was adamant about not drinking this wine.
This is the wine that Jesus drank on the night of his death.
Jesus, on the other hand, would not take any short cuts on the road to our salvation.

Was the act by the Roman soldier of placing a sponge on the tip of his spear, dipping it in gall and offering it to Jesus on the cross an act of mercy or mockery?

Pilgrim Church, led by the Rev. Roger Coleman: It was very uncommon for family members to administer wine as a sedative to individuals doomed to die on the cross, in order to alleviate their pain and suffering. As the writer of Matthew makes clear, the Roman soldier’s attempt to duplicate this gesture of compassion by placing a sponge soaked in wine and gall on the point of his spear and holding it up to Jesus’ lips was not an act of pity, but rather a blatant act of mocking. The word “mockery” is used previously in the chapter to characterize the soldiers’ actions prior to taking Jesus to the cross: “And they spat on him and grabbed the reed and beat him on the head.” “And then they made fun of him.” Nearly 100 years after Jesus’ execution, the Gospel of Matthew was being compiled by Matthew, who lived in Judea under the dominion of the Roman Empire at the time.

It is not the practice of oppressed people to praise the merits of those who oppress them.

As a means of holding together this tenuous connection between Jesus and Judaism, Matthew draws on the words of Psalm 69:31, which reads, “They gave me likewise gall for my meal, and when I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar to drink.” In this tale, if there is one place to go for forgiveness, it is in the words of Jesus, who asked his Father to pardon them since they did not understand what they were doing.

(Matthew 23:34) The radical essence of the crucifixion tale is that it shows mercy to the persecutor rather than the victim.

The soldier’s attempt to coerce him into drinking by drenching him in “cheap wine” is sometimes seen as an attempt to silence him for alleged blasphemy, since he has just cried out, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Matthew 27, 46).

Because the crucifixion was incredibly painful, it might be viewed as a compassionate gesture.

Nevertheless, by refusing to drink gall, an analgesic substance that would have helped to dull his anguish, Jesus decided to endure the worst of human sorrow.

If you want to get in touch with the authors for Voices of Faith, send an email to [email protected]. The original version of this story was published on May 30, 2014, at 3:22 p.m.