Matthew 27:48 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

NIV: Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink.

NASB: And immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, he filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink.

CSB: Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and offered him a drink.

NLT: One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: 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.

Three hours of unexplained darkness have passed (Matthew 27:45–47). Jesus has cried out with a loud voice to God the Father. He cited the words of Psalm 22:1, seemingly mourning the feeling that God had abandoned Him. Some nearby misunderstood and thought Jesus was calling for the prophet Elijah to save Him.

Now someone fills a sponge with sour wine and puts it on a reed to hold it up to Jesus to drink. It's not completely clear from the context why they do this. It may have been given in mockery to torment the prisoner more (Luke 23:36). In the immediate context, it's possible that this is offered to try to revive Jesus or help dull His pain. Jesus refused a mixture of wine and gall earlier after tasting it (Matthew 27:34). His initial refusal was likely a deliberate choice to keep His senses, despite the pain. This offering might also be another attempt at ridicule.

There is no explicit indication from Matthew that Jesus drinks the sour wine this time. John, however, indicates that Jesus "receives" it, partly in fulfillment of more prophecies (John 19:28–30; Psalm 69:21). As this happened in the moments prior to His death, Jesus would have had been at no risk of becoming intoxicated.

Matthew 27:45–56 describes the climactic moment when Jesus dies on the cross. Darkness falls over Israel as Jesus hangs near death. Jesus cries out the words of Psalm 22:1, which mean "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Some nearby think He is calling for Elijah the prophet to come and save Him. Jesus dies. Immediately, the massive temple curtain is torn in two, top to bottom. Earthquakes open the tombs of some of the saints of Israel, who are later resurrected. A Roman centurion is shocked enough to declare that Jesus was the Son of God. Three women, Jesus' friends, watch from a distance.

When Judas learns Jesus has been condemned, he regrets betraying the Lord. He throws down his ill-gotten money and hangs himself. Jesus is taken to Pilate, who finds nothing to charge Him with. Given the choice, the people shout for the release of a convicted murderer and insist on Jesus' death. Jesus is mocked by a battalion of soldiers and then taken to be crucified. On the cross, He is mocked for not being able to save Himself. After three hours of darkness, Jesus dies. He is buried by a rich follower in a new tomb. This location is tightly guarded to prevent anyone from stealing the body.

Matthew 27 begins with an official meeting of the Jewish ruling council. They affirm Jesus' condemnation from the previous night, described in chapter 26. Judas confesses his betrayal and hangs himself. Pilate tries to release Jesus, but the mob shouts for Jesus to be crucified. Jesus is humiliated by Roman soldiers and marched to be executed. On the cross, He is mocked by Jewish religious leaders and others. He dies and is buried in a never-used tomb. Extensive efforts to secure His body from being stolen only serve to prove the miraculous nature of His resurrection, which is detailed in chapter 28.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.