How does Luke 23:36 illustrate the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies about Jesus? Setting the Scene Luke 23:36 — “The soldiers also mocked Him and came up to offer Him sour wine.” At the cross, Roman soldiers ridicule Jesus and press cheap, sour wine to His lips. That simple action may feel like a passing detail, yet it drips with prophetic significance. Mockery Foretold • Psalm 22:7-8: “All who see me mock me; they sneer and shake their heads: ‘He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD deliver him.’” • Isaiah 50:6: “I gave My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who tore out My beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting.” • Isaiah 53:3: “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” Luke records the soldiers’ taunts, perfectly mirroring the ridicule and contempt the psalmist and Isaiah predicted. Jesus endures open humiliation exactly as spoken centuries earlier. Sour Wine in Psalm 69 • Psalm 69:21: “They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” The “sour wine” (cheap vinegar-wine soldiers kept on hand) is the very drink Psalm 69 anticipates. Luke’s single verse ties Jesus’ thirst on the cross to David’s prophetic lament, affirming God’s foreknowledge down to minor details. The Suffering Servant Theme • Mockery, rejection, physical abuse, and the offering of vinegar all converge to display Isaiah’s Servant (Isaiah 52:13–53:12). • Luke 23:36 is one thread woven into a larger tapestry of prophecies portraying Messiah’s suffering on behalf of sinners. Implications for Faith Today • Prophecy fulfilled in precise detail underlines the reliability of Scripture; God’s Word does not fail. • Jesus’ willingness to embrace ridicule and sour wine showcases His complete obedience and love for us. • Believers can trust that every promise yet future will be kept just as surely as these ancient words were. |
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