The Refusal
Scripture Reading: Matthew 27:34
There is no contradiction between Jesus' refusal to drink the offered potion here and his later reception of a drink after saying, “I thirst.” This drink was offered to Jesus upon arrival to Golgotha and just before the actual crucifixion.
“They offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall…” We aren’t told who “they” are, but the assumption is it was likely the women who faithfully followed Jesus, even to be with Him at His death. If true, and I believe it is, this was an act of mercy. “Gall” was a general word for bitter things. We shouldn’t read into it our modern usage of the word, as some have done, and think it was an excretion of the liver of some animal.
This was a dulling poison that was bitter to the taste and was mixed with wine to make it bearable to drink. The intent was to give Jesus something to dull his senses to the pain He was about to endure. It was meant to give Him a way out of some of the physical suffering and mental anguish that was falling hard upon Him.
Jesus tasted it and then refused.
As to why he tasted, we can’t know for certain. Some have suggested that tasting was an act of gracious acknowledgment of the kindness that was being shown. He is, in a way, saying “thank you” to those who extended this mercy.
But Jesus would not drink this cup. You recall that not many hours before this Jesus spoke of another cup, one which He struggled to accept. In the garden, He prayed, “Father, if there is any other way, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but thy will be done.” That was the cup of the wrath of God upon sin. That was the cup of judgment. He took and drank that cup empty.
To drink the cup of wine and gall would be a betrayal of His commitment to drink the cup of wrath. He refused, not because He was being macho or a masochist, but because He was taking upon Himself all the suffering of death we deserved.
Jesus refused that cup so we wouldn’t have to drink the cup of the wrath of God.
