One ran ahead, soaked a sponge in vinegar, and putting it on a reed, gave it to Jesus to drink. And he was saying, “Leave Him alone, let us see whether Elijah will come to take Him down from the cross.”
Bringing a sponge soaked with vinegar close to Jesus recalls the psalmic word about the suffering Messiah: “In my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink” (Psalm 69:21). Yet here even that action is mixed with indifference, mockery, and curiosity. Those standing around wanted to see whether Elijah would come to bring Him down from the cross. They were standing before the great mystery of divine salvation, but they did not recognize its depth and had no fear. People were waiting for a miracle that would bring Christ down from the cross, whereas God’s plan was far greater: He was to complete the work of salvation on the cross and then rise from the dead. Christ continued to drink the cup of bitterness to the end, in obedience.