Hyssop and Vinegar

John 19:28-30

"Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit."

Hyssop is a plant that thrives in the middle east and southern Europe. It has been used for centuries both in cooking and medicinally. It has several chemical properties that interact with the human immune system and was a staple of life back in Christ's time.

Fields of hyssop were cultivated for harvest in the late spring and early fall. The stalks were dried and stacked on pallets to be sold. In addition, the flowers of the hyssop were highly attractive to bees, so hives were often kept adjacent to the fields. They produced an abundance of honey, long recognized as one of the most pure foods in the world.

Medicinally, teas made from hyssop were beneficial in treating cough and as an expectorant. It also affected the nervous system, but high a high dosage of it would cause epileptic seizures. The reason for this is because the plant has high concentrations of thujone and phenol. But these chemicals also giving hyssop one other useful feature: it was most commonly used because of its high antiseptic properties.

It is therefore interesting that John tells us of the soldier's choice to slake Jesus's thirst is a sponge soaked in wine vinegar, and raised on a hyssop branch (Luke 23 tells us it was a soldier). Much is made about the cruelty of giving a thirsty man vinegar to drink, but back in the day, Wine vinegar was also medicinal; bitter yet an astringent, it was regularly used to treat and heal wounds.

So here we have two purifying, healing agents given to Jesus right before he utters his last words, "It is finished." And so was; all of his earthly duties completed. Taking on the bitter sins of the world, Jesus took his last breath, and died.

Hyssop and vinegar. Purification and healing. There is no way of knowing if the soldier had any idea of the symbolic gesture. It may have been intended as a cruel joke, as you so often hear. Or perhaps the soldier, familiar with battle scars, was actually offering a gesture of kindness and understanding; a respectful offering from one soldier to another warrior.

Today is Good Friday, and the goodness comes from the gift given to all of us for the forgiveness of our sins, great and small. Jesus suffered for our redemption. Today, reflect on the final gesture of the soldier through the eyes of a repentant soldier, and prepare your heart for the purification and healing that comes through Christ's death and resurrection.