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| Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) |
Jesus
refused the poisonous hemlock-infused drink for two primary reasons. First Jesus
did not want to be sedated - He wanted to feel all the agony of the crucifixion
which included his father (God) turning his face away from the sins of you and
me that Jesus took on the cross. Second, Jesus would die by crucifixion, not
poison - if he drank the gall, he would have died from poisoning not from the
pain of crucifixion. God’s plan wasn’t for Jesus to hang on the cross sedated -
rather, Jesus was to be alert those six hours. When Jesus agreed to his
Father’s plan to be the sacrifice for the sins of mankind, he knew that his
Father, the perfect God, couldn’t look on sin - thus, God couldn’t look on
Jesus when Jesus took on him sins of all mankind
Carolyn Roth
The
soldiers forced Simon of Cyrene to carry Jesus’s cross through to Golgotha
where the crucifixion occurred.
At
Golgotha, the soldiers offered Jesus wine mixed with gall.
After
tasting the drink, Jesus refused it.
When
Roman soldiers felt pity for a prisoner before crucifixion, they added gall to
a vinegar-wine drink and offered it to prisoners.
After
tasting the drink, Jesus refused it.
Then,
the soldiers used nails to pound Jesus’ hands and feet into the cross.
Jesus
continued to wear the crown of thorns.
By
Roman law, the soldiers were required to write the charges against the accused
at the top of the cross so that all who passed by would know the reason for the
crucifixion.
The
inscription on Jesus’ cross was, “The King of the Jews.”
The
Roman soldiers positioned the cross up-right into a hole in the ground so that
Jesus hung from the cross.
Two
thieves were being crucified at the same time as Jesus, one on each side of
Jesus.
Perhaps
pity for the crucified sufferer was not the only reason Roman soldiers offered
gall about to be crucified individuals including Jesus.
Soldiers
were required to guard the crucifixion site and men crucified there until the
men were dead. The quicker a man died, the sooner the Roman soldiers could
leave the site and return to their garrison.
Composition
of Gall?
One
proposed substance include juice from the opium poppy which caused pain relief
but also hallucination which could lessen the experience of dying by
crucifixion.
A
problem with this drug was that the opium poppy didn’t grow in Israel.
I just
can’t imagine Roman soldiers paying for an exotic drug for a condemned
prisoner.
Another
drug was from the wormwood plant. Wormwood grew in Israel and had a bitter
taste.
Wormwood
was the basis for an alcoholic drink (absinthe) which could reduce feeling and
contact with reality.
Roman
soldiers wouldn’t share alcohol with a condemned prisoner.
Perhaps,
the best source of gall added to the vinegar wine drink was from hemlock (Conium maculatum).
Poisonous
hemlock is a biennial shrub that grows in Israel.
The
poisonous hemlock is similar to wild parsley and wild carrots foliage. When
farmers see the plant, they immediately remove it.
Animals
and humans who eat the poisonous hemlock plant first become sedated then
paralyzed.
Finally,
they die from respiratory muscle paralysis.
In
first century Palestine, seeds and leaves of the poisonous hemlock plant were
distilled into liquid and added to wine vinegar drink.
The
hemlock addition made the drink tastes bitter and it became poisonous.
A
crucified individual whose breathing muscles were paralyzed died quicker than
one not given poisonous hemlock.
What’s
so important about a drink?
After a
night of torture and walking through the streets of Jerusalem to Golgotha,
Jesus was dehydrated and thirsty.
Yet,
Jesus refused the poisonous hemlock-infused drink for two primary reasons.
First
Jesus did not want to be sedated. He wanted to feel all the agony of the
crucifixion which included his father (God) turning his face away from the sins
of you and me that Jesus took on the cross.
If he
drank the gall, he would have died from poisoning not from the pain of
crucifixion.
I asked my minister, “Would it have made a difference to our
redemption, if Christ died from poison rather than crucifixion?”
In
both, scenarios, Jesus was crucified and died.
Pastor
Mark believes how Jesus died was important. God required his pure, sinless son
not to just die but to suffer.
God’s
plan wasn’t for Jesus to hang on the cross sedated; rather, Jesus was to be
alert those six hours.
When
Jesus agreed to his Father’s plan to be the sacrifice for the sins of mankind,
he knew that his Father, the perfect God, couldn’t look on sin; thus, God
couldn’t look on Jesus when Jesus took on him sins of all mankind.
What
way other than alert, could Jesus lead a thief crucified on one side of him to
believe in himself as the Son of God?
Remember,
God isn’t willing that any individual should perish.
If only
one sinful person lived on earth and were separated from God, Jesus would have suffered
and died for that one person.
What
would you have done?
From
this passage in Matthew, we know what Jesus did – he allowed himself to be
crucified without any chemical barrier between himself and his pain and
ultimate death.
Now,
after we knew what Jesus would do and did do, each of us must ask ourselves
what are we going to do in response to someone who loves us so much?
If you
want more information on Bible plants, visit my website http://www.carolynrothministry.com
Carolyn
Roth Ministry
(CarolynRothMinistry.com)
offers research,
education, and consultation to individuals and organizations who want to deepen
their understanding of the Bible.
As
the site editor, participants should know I am a spiritual woman with a deep
belief in God. Many friends would describe my Christian perspective as
orthodox. I believe in the inspired, written word of God. I live in Roanoke,
Virginia. I am a Virginia Master Gardener and a Tree Steward.
This
website/blog glorifies God within the context of earth as His garden, describes
Bible and other growing plants, and applies them to our Christian walk in
the 21st century. On Creation day 3, God created vegetation, e.g., trees,
herbs, flowers. On this site, the word plant will be used to
encompass all types of vegetation. God created plants right after He
created the heavens (Day 2) and before He created the sun, moon, and stars (Day
4). This creative order demonstrates that God valued and had a purpose for the
varied flora in our world. Our response to this creative process should first
be love for the Creator and second a reverence for this earthly garden.
If
you would like to see a full-size picture of the plant in the story, click on
it and it will expand to fill the page. The contents of this website including
pictures are copyright. You may use the materials after getting permission from
the editor. If you use the materials in your writings or presentations,
properly cite the website.
I
am looking forward to your responses to my blogs. I will try to initiate a new
discussion about every other week.
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