Matthew 27:48

But mark herein also their wantonness, and intemperance, and folly. They thought (it is said) that it was Elias whom He called, and straightway they gave Him vinegar to drink. But another came unto Him, and "pierced His side with a spear." What could be more lawless, what more brutal, than these men; who carried their madness to so great a length, offering insult at last even to a dead body? But mark thou, I pray thee, how He made use of their wickednesses for our salvation. For after the blow the fountains of our salvation gushed forth from thence.

(Verse 48.) And immediately one of them, running, filled a sponge with vinegar and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. And these things were done so that the prophecy would be fulfilled: They gave me vinegar for my thirst (Psalm 68:22). Even to this day, the Jews and all the unbelievers give Jesus vinegar and gall to drink on the Sunday of his resurrection; and they give him wine mixed with myrrh to make him sleepy, so that he does not see their evil.

Then the effect in one person is shown: and first, what he himself did; second, what the others did. He says therefore "and one of them, taking a sponge, filled it with vinegar." Why he did this is not said here, but in John 19:28, …

And straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave Him to drink. The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him. The multitude did not …

One taking a sponge, filled it with vinegar - Vinegar and water was the usual drink of the Roman soldiers. It does not appear, that this was given him in derision, but rather with a friendly design, that he might not die before Elijah came.

Took a sponge - This being the most convenient way to reach a liquid to his mouth; tied it on a reed, that they might be able to reach his lips with it. This reed, as we learn from St. John, was a stalk of hyssop, which, in that country, must have grown to a considerable magnitude. This appears also to have been done in mercy, to alleviate his sufferings. See Mat 27:34.

In these verses we read the conclusion of our Lord Jesus Christ’s passion. After six hours of agonizing suffering, he became obedient even unto death, and “yielded up the ghost.” Three points in the narrative demand a special notice: to them let us confine our attention. Let us observe in the first place the remarkable words which Jesus uttered shortly before his death: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” There is a deep mystery in these words, which no mortal man can fathom.

In these verses we read the conclusion of our Lord Jesus Christ’s passion. After six hours of agonizing suffering, he became obedient even unto death, and “yielded up the ghost.” Three points in the narrative demand a special notice: to them let us confine our attention. Let us observe in the first place the remarkable words which Jesus uttered shortly before his death: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” There is a deep mystery in these words, which no mortal man can fathom. No doubt they were not wrung from our Lord by mere bodily pain: such an explanation is utterly unsatisfactory, and dishonorable to our blessed Saviour. They were meant to express the real pressure on his soul of the enormous burden of a world’s sins; they were meant to show how truly and literally he was our substitute—was made sin, and a curse for us, and endured God’s righteous anger against a world’s sin in his own person. At that awful moment the iniquity of us all was laid on him to the uttermast. It pleased the Lord to bruise him and put him to grief ( Isaiah 53:10 ). He bore our sins: he carried our transgressions. Heavy must have been that burden, real and literal must have been our Lord’s substitution for us when he, the eternal Son of God, could speak of himself as for a time “forsaken.” Let the expression sink down into our hearts, and not be forgotten. We can have no stronger proof of the sinfulness of sin, or of the vicarious nature of Christ’s sufferings, than his cry, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” It is a cry that should stir us up to hate sin, and encourage us to trust in Christ. Let us observe in the second place how much is contained in the words which describe our Lord’s end. We are simply told, “he yielded up the ghost.” There never was a last breath drawn of such deep import as this. There never was an event on which so much depended.

One of them ran - John Joh 19:28 says that this was in consequence of Jesus’ saying “I thirst.” One of the effects of crucifixion was excessive thirst. Took a sponge - A sponge is a well-known porous substance that easily absorbs water. It was used in this case because, Jesus being elevated, it was difficult to convey a cup to his lips. Filled it with vinegar - This was the common drink of Roman soldiers. It was a light wine, turned sour and mixed with water. John says Joh 19:29 there was a vessel set full of vinegar, probably for the use of the soldiers who watched his crucifixion. And put it on a reed - John says it was put upon “hyssop.” The “hyssop” was a “shrub,” growing so large sometimes as to be called a “tree,” 1Ki 4:33. The stalk of this was what Matthew calls a “reed.” The sponge fastened to this could easily be extended to reach the mouth of “Jesus.” This vinegar Jesus drank, for it was not intended to “stupefy” him or blunt his sense of pain, like the “wine” and myrrh.