Bitter Wine: Luke 23:36-38
“36) The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him, offering Him sour wine, 37) and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!” 38) Now there was also an inscription above Him, “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”” Luke 23:36-38
The wine the soldiers offered Jesus was mingled with gull. It was a bitter substance. Some claim it may have had a narcotic effect to lesson the pain. That is totally contrary to everything associated with crucifixion.
I see a very different story line behind the bitter wine. It is notorious and aligns with the mocking of Jesus. Note the sign above Him; “This is the King of the Jews.”
Kings and royalty were served the best of the wine. Like in the story of Joseph in prison, most kings had chief bakers and cup bearers. (Genesis 40) They would serve the best of the bread and of the wine. It was food and drink worthy of a King.
I see the wine mingled with gull and bitter herbs as a cruel insult. It was undrinkable. The soldiers were mocking Jesus and His claim of being a king. They were serving Him bitter wine! They were making sport of Him.
The wine offered by the soldiers was a mockery. It was saying; “we reject you.” “You are a worthless King.” “ You have no kingdom.” “This is what Rome thinks of you.” “You have failed.” “We have defeated you!”
Here is the catch, defeated kings would drink bitter wine in the presence of the victor king. It was an act of surrender. It was an acknowledgement of defeat and servitude.
No wonder Jesus refused to drink it! He was also making a statement to Satan! “You have not defeated Me!” “My kingdom is yet to come!” “I would rather die than yield to you.”
As He promised His disciples at the Passover meal, He was not going to drink of the fruit of the vine again until He received His Kingdom from the Father. (See Matthew 26:26-29; Luke 22:28-39)
Even in His death, Jesus refused to bend His will to Satan. (See Luke 4:5-8) This was Satan’s final attempt to break Him. (Luke 4:13)
To the contrary, Jesus as the King of Kings is mixing bitter wine for Satan and his ungodly followers. (See Revelation 14:14-20) It is called “the great wine press of the wrath of God.” Satan and all of his followers will bow their knees before Jesus and drink from it! (Philippians 2:9-11) The final saga of Luke 23:36-38 is yet to come!
But there is another application here for us. The wine of the world is bitter. It bites like a viper. It is mixed with gull. It is associated with misery and death.
By contrast, the new wine of the Kingdom comes from the vine of Jesus. This new wine of His Spirit brings forgiveness, healing, life and fruitfulness. (See John 15:1-17) From which wine cup are you drinking?
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
Sent from my iPhone
“36) The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him, offering Him sour wine, 37) and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!” 38) Now there was also an inscription above Him, “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”” Luke 23:36-38
The wine the soldiers offered Jesus was mingled with gull. It was a bitter substance. Some claim it may have had a narcotic effect to lesson the pain. That is totally contrary to everything associated with crucifixion.
I see a very different story line behind the bitter wine. It is notorious and aligns with the mocking of Jesus. Note the sign above Him; “This is the King of the Jews.”
Kings and royalty were served the best of the wine. Like in the story of Joseph in prison, most kings had chief bakers and cup bearers. (Genesis 40) They would serve the best of the bread and of the wine. It was food and drink worthy of a King.
I see the wine mingled with gull and bitter herbs as a cruel insult. It was undrinkable. The soldiers were mocking Jesus and His claim of being a king. They were serving Him bitter wine! They were making sport of Him.
The wine offered by the soldiers was a mockery. It was saying; “we reject you.” “You are a worthless King.” “ You have no kingdom.” “This is what Rome thinks of you.” “You have failed.” “We have defeated you!”
Here is the catch, defeated kings would drink bitter wine in the presence of the victor king. It was an act of surrender. It was an acknowledgement of defeat and servitude.
No wonder Jesus refused to drink it! He was also making a statement to Satan! “You have not defeated Me!” “My kingdom is yet to come!” “I would rather die than yield to you.”
As He promised His disciples at the Passover meal, He was not going to drink of the fruit of the vine again until He received His Kingdom from the Father. (See Matthew 26:26-29; Luke 22:28-39)
Even in His death, Jesus refused to bend His will to Satan. (See Luke 4:5-8) This was Satan’s final attempt to break Him. (Luke 4:13)
To the contrary, Jesus as the King of Kings is mixing bitter wine for Satan and his ungodly followers. (See Revelation 14:14-20) It is called “the great wine press of the wrath of God.” Satan and all of his followers will bow their knees before Jesus and drink from it! (Philippians 2:9-11) The final saga of Luke 23:36-38 is yet to come!
But there is another application here for us. The wine of the world is bitter. It bites like a viper. It is mixed with gull. It is associated with misery and death.
By contrast, the new wine of the Kingdom comes from the vine of Jesus. This new wine of His Spirit brings forgiveness, healing, life and fruitfulness. (See John 15:1-17) From which wine cup are you drinking?
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
Sent from my iPhone
