Narcotic Refused

~Matthew 27.33-34 They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it.

~Mark 15,22-23 They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.

One tradition holds that "respected women of Jerusalem provided a narcotic drink to those condemned to death in order to decrease their sensitivity to the excruciating pain" (http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/the-wine-jesus-drank). This seems reasonable. But Christ refused this wine. According to Tyndale's Bible dictionary he was determined "to die with an unclouded mind."

After hours on the cross however, he's offered the more vinegar-like wine, what the dictionary calls "the ordinary drink of laborers in the field and of the lower class of soldiers." We read these verses as Jesus, near death, cries out to God.

~Mark 15.35-36 Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. NIV

"a sponge full of vinegar . . . on a reed" NASB, also KJV

"a sponge with vinegar (a mixture of sour wine and water)" Amplified Bible

"a sponge, soaked . . . in cheap wine" Good News Translation, or "sour wine" The Message

~John 19.28-30 Later, knowing that his mission had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

~also Matthew 27.48

Thank you Jesus.

It seems cold to come to this focal moment in history and consider the vinegar, not the sacrifice. But sticking to my purpose I note that apparently the line between wine and vinegar can be thin. I don't claim to know much about either.