There are seven recorded utterances that Jesus made while hanging on that cruel cross. Each was short – no more than a few words, and each one showed complete devotion to mankind and to God. Except for one. One was a simple two word utterance, one that gives us a tiny hint of the torment Jesus was going through.
He said, “I’m thirsty.” (John 19:28b Msg)
History tells us that crucifixion was the worst kind of death known to man. We are told that it is a slow suffocation and that in order to have enough air to continue living, it is necessary for victims to rise up by putting the weight on their feet. Eventually they became so weak that this was no longer possible, and then death by asphyxiation was eminent.
Because our vocal folds require air in order to be set into motion, it would be virtually impossible for anyone being crucified to speak unless they were putting their weight onto their feet. In the case of Jesus, He had a spike piercing His two feet together, holding them fast to the wooden cross. So the mere act of breathing meant that Jesus had to take the weight of His body through His nail-pierced feet.
Despite this, Jesus raised Himself seven times to speak. Is it any wonder that His utterances were short?
There are many causes of death listed under the term “crucifixion”, but somewhere on every list is the word dehydration. In Jesus’ case, He had been severely beaten. He had been forced to carry the crossbeam of His cross, a piece of wood weighing between 75 and 125 pounds (35-60 kg) all the way from Pilate’s judgment hall to Calvary. His blood loss must have been tremendous, to say nothing of the moisture lost through perspiration. He was more than likely severely dehydrated before being nailed to the cross, let alone after hanging there for three hours! His two word utterance of “I’m thirsty” was likely a major understatement!
But what did they give the King of the universe to drink? “And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull. Then they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it.” (Mark 15:22-24 NKJV);
Some translations call it “wine”, some call it “sour wine”, and some of the gospels call it “vinegar”. Some of the gospels record that it was mixed with “gall” and others with “myrrh”, and still others don’t mention it being mixed with anything. According to Bible commentaries, vinegar was made of light wine rendered acid. It was the common drink of the Roman soldiers and was called either vinegar or wine in common language. “Myrrh” was a word was often used to denote anything bitter, and “gall” was the word often used to express excessive bitterness. So the drink was vinegar, or sour wine, made bitter by the infusion of some very bitter substance.
Imagine being deathly thirsty, and all you are given to drink is something horribly bitter!
This interesting mixture was often given to those who were crucified to dull their senses to the pains of death. Jesus, in the height of His suffering, had the opportunity to take something to dull his pain, but He refused: “But when He had tasted it, He would not drink.” (Matt 27:34 NKJV)
Why would Jesus refuse something that would help Him through the most painful moments any human has ever experienced?
Simply this: He didn’t want anything to come between Him and His father. The drink this mixture that would dull His senses to the pains of death would also dull Him to His Father’s voice! Our sins were already separating Him from God, He didn’t want to artificially add any more separation!
How often don’t we also turn to earthly things to dull our pain? For some it is alcohol or drugs. For others it is the television or the Internet. For still others it is relationships, food, vacations, pets, or a myriad of other things.
Now I’m not saying that all of these things are bad. We need food to survive, and our pets and children bring us joy and comfort. And those suffering from intense, chronic pain need something to ease their suffering. But whether our pain is emotional, physical, mental or spiritual, any time we rely on these things instead of on God, anytime we lean on something besides Jesus, and we are blocking our ability to hear God’s voice and accept His help!
I’ve often heard people say, “I want to quit smoking pot, but I’m so depressed, I need it to get me through the evening!” Why not take a walk and talk with God instead? I know of no better relief for depression!
And then there are those who say, “I need chocolate! It’s medicine!” Why not try spending time in prayer instead? Tell God about your pain! Let Him heal you at the source!
For those who turn to movies or the Internet to forget their pain, tell God about it instead? He won’t just distract you from it, He’ll help you get through!
Friends, we will never, ever find ourselves in a position of worst suffering than Jesus did when He hung on that cross. Instead of turning to earthly things to dull the pain, let’s follow Jesus’ example! Let’s say “no”, and turn to God instead!
Please join us next week for the final edition of THE SUFFERINGS OF JESUS: Part 8 – The Darkness and the Separation.
In His love,
Lyn
Lyn Chaffart, Speech-Language Pathologist, mother of two teens, Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, www.scripturalnuggets.org, with Answers2Prayer Ministries, www.Answers2Prayer.org.
[1] http://www.apologeticspress.com/articles/2223
(To access the entire “The Sufferings of Jesus: A Lenten Series” mini-series, please click here.)