Matthew 27v33-37
They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Jesus refuses a drink offered to numb the pain. He suffered fully conscious, with a clear mind while his executors gambled for his clothes. They joked at the title ‘King of the Jews’ because they thought no king could be hung on a cross. In fact, Jesus was exactly that - Israel’s saviour, the Messiah, who was being sacrificed for the sins of the world.
Here at the foot of the cross I stand. Ashamed and broken. It was me who deserved punishment, not you, Lord. But you bore our sins in your body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness. By your wounds we are healed. Thank you Jesus.
