How does Mark 15:23 fulfill Old Testament prophecy about the Messiah's suffering? The Scene on Golgotha • Roman custom offered condemned men a pain-numbing drink of cheap wine laced with myrrh or gall. • Jesus arrives already scourged and bleeding; the cup is held out before the nails are driven. Mark 15:23 “And they offered Him wine mixed with myrrh, but He did not take it.” Old Testament Echoes in the Bitter Cup • Psalm 69:21 — “They poisoned my food with gall and gave me vinegar to drink.” – “Gall” is a bitter substance; in practice it was stirred into soured wine. – The psalm is an overtly messianic lament that anticipates the righteous sufferer’s rejection. • Psalm 22:15 — “My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.” – Foretells intense thirst and dehydration, matching the scene where wine is offered. • Isaiah 53:4-5 — speaks broadly of the Servant bearing griefs and sorrows, framing the cup of suffering as God’s will. • By matching the precise detail of a bitter, vinegary drink, Mark presents Jesus as the direct fulfillment of David’s Spirit-inspired prophecy. Why Jesus Refused the Drink • He embraces the full, undiluted agony foretold for the Messiah (Isaiah 53:10). • The refusal preserves clear consciousness so that every prophecy—down to His final cry and voluntary death—can be carried out deliberately (John 19:28-30). • It showcases perfect obedience: He “learned obedience through what He suffered” (Hebrews 5:8). Layers of Fulfillment – Literal: the exact action of offering bitter wine matches Psalm 69:21. – Experiential: the extreme thirst of Psalm 22 and the suffering of Isaiah 53 unfold in real time. – Typological: as the Passover lamb could have no blemish or defect, the Messiah’s sacrifice must be conscious and complete; anesthetic would blur the image. Takeaway for Today The seemingly small note in Mark 15:23 ties Jesus unmistakably to centuries-old prophecy and highlights His willing, clear-eyed submission to the Father’s redemptive plan. The bitter cup He refused ensures the sweet cup of salvation we now receive. |
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