He Took It All

“They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.” (Mt 27:34 AV)

When offered relief, the LORD would not take it.  He refused the vinegar for two reasons.  The Hebrews were not permitted by Old Testament law to partake of the vine of the Gentiles, especially if it was alcoholic.  Secondly, vinegar with bitter herbs was a pain killer.  The Roman soldiers carried this drink with them.  It was part of their compensation and equipment allotment.  If they were wounded in battle, they had this drink to ease their suffering.  It was bitter lest they drank it recreationally.  The herbs also helped with inflammation.  Jesus was offered this battle-proven drink by the Roman soldiers as a natural act of compassion.  Some writers suggest they offered this drink to Jesus to prolong His life and thus add to His suffering.  Not so.  They had compassion and offered Jesus a bit of a respite from the pain that He was suffering.  That pain was the object of the wrath of God on His Son for the sins of mankind.  In other words, even in dying, Jesus would have no part in easing that suffering for to do so would be to ease the wrath from the Father which we deserved.  In short, even in dying, the love of Christ welcomed the full wrath of the Father while refusing any and all relief.

Back in the old days, an orphaned boy was caught stealing several apples from the grocer’s front display.  In those days, the punishment for theft was rather severe.  Back in those days, there was no consideration for a person’s age or constitution.  The punishment for theft was the stocks for three days without food or water, and flogging for thirty minutes each day.  This young boy was not even in his teens.  The law did not bend.  The judge, no matter his feelings, was forced by law to sentence this very young boy to a lashing that even some adults would not survive.  This young boy’s brother stepped in.  He stood before the judge and townsfolk and pleaded for his brother’s life.  They agreed the law could not be broken.  No matter how much he begged, they would not bend.  Then, he offered himself as the object of their justice.  The shop owner was consulted.  He agreed.  His only stipulation is the full sentence be carried out and his younger brother be required to witness such justice.  The sentence commenced.  The first day went by and this boy took the sentence like a strong adult man would do.  The second day came and it was much harder.  But, he was able to endure.  When the third day came, he was barely conscious.  At the conclusion of the sentence, they readied the lashes.  As the executioner raised the lash, the shop owner cried out, “It is enough!  It is enough!”  The judge asked if he was sure.  He confirmed he was.  But then the boy spoke up. “No!  Please take the thirty minutes lashing the law demands.  I will not accept anything else.”  They pleaded with the boy.  He refused.  So, within an inch of his life, he received the full sentence.  They asked him why he did not take the relief offered.  To which he said, “I didn’t want anyone to come back and say we went too easy on him.  I needed the shop owner, the judge, and all the people to be satisfied the full extent of the law was fulfilled.”

This is what Jesus did for us.  He was offered a pain reliever.  He was offered respite.  He was offered a drop of comfort amid a cruel death.  But He refused.  Why?  Because the full wrath of the Father had to rest upon Him.  If it had not, there would still remain wrath for the sinner.  Not even a droplet of wrath exists for the sinner who repents because Jesus took it all!  Every last bit of it.  There is no more eternal wrath stored up to any degree for the child of God.  When offered a small breather, Jesus said no.  He did this because He loves those who love Him.  He did this in His infinite compassion for all those who deserve to suffer at the hand of a righteous judge.  Praise be to our Savior who took it all that we might have eternal peace with the Father.