Why did Jesus receive vinegar from a sponge?

Answer 1

I believe the soldiers where mocking Jesus, in that time one would clean themselves after going to the bathroom with a sponge on a stick that would be sitting in a bucket of vinegar, and I believe thats why in Luke, who I would imagined gathered his information directly from Mary, and that it was the soldiers offering or mocking Jesus with the sponge soaked in vinegar and stale wine.

Insomuch as *I* understand it, Wine Vinegar, or Posca to the Romans, was the staple drink of the Roman Legions, made by mixing sour or ruined wine with water and flavouring herbs. It became the beverage d'jour of the lower classes from the 2nd century BC well into the ADs, though, curiously, we've since lost the "recipe".

All four of the gospels refer to someone ("one man", "they", "one of them", while Luke's gospel only says the soldiers earlier tried to) soaking a sponge in what was mostly likely Posca and giving it to Jesus to drink.

There's many ways of answering your question:

Why "from a sponge"? Well, Jesus wasn't in a position to use a cup, but, more likely, no one is going to have a cup lying around for a mere criminal to use.

Why "receive (or drink, horrible) vinegar"? Well, while it wasn't nice tasting (in Luke, Jesus turns his nose up at the soldiers' earlier attempts to make him drink it), particularly to those from the eastern mediterranean, it was popular amongst the Romans, the staple of the legions and thus would likely have been easily available at the site of a crucifixion run by Roman legionaires.

Why drink it at all? Well, after six hours in the warm spring sun, Jesus likely suffered dehydration and dried lips, and even Posca might have been acceptable relief.

The more important why is "Why do all four gospels (at least three) mention this so explicitly? What is the significance?"

I must leave it to future updaters of this entry to answer that question, for I have far too few Bible Commentaries that deal with the topic.

Biblegateway does have a cryptic reference in its Luke 22 commentary to the feeding of sour wine being the fulfillment of prophecy in Psalms.

This referernce can be found in Psalms 69:21.