ヨハネによる福音書19:28-30 John 19:28-30,

Jesus was arrested by the Jewish leaders and handed over to the Roman governor. He was then taken to a place of execution called Golgotha, outside the walls of Jerusalem, along with two criminals. Jesus was crucified with two criminals, one on his right and one on his left.

When Jesus was crucified, thick nails were hammered into his hands and feet and attached to the cross, so how terrible the pain must have been. And even worse than the pain was the humiliation of having to endure being executed as a sinner, even though Jesus was innocent. Then, exhausted by the intense pain in his body and heart, the bleeding from his wounds, and the hunger and thirst, he died. How painful it must have been! According to the Gospel of Mark, Jesus on the cross cried out in a loud voice, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34)

So, did Jesus die hating the people who crucified him or God the Father who allowed them to do so? No, he did not. According to the Gospel of Luke, Jesus prayed to God the Father for the people who had crucified him, saying, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). It’s amazing that he prayed for the people who were crucifying and killing him, “Forgive them.” Then, he cried out, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” (Luke 23:46) and died.

The Bible passage we read today describes Jesus on the cross in a way that is not described in the other Gospels. First of all, it describes that Jesus said, “I thirst.” He was left hanging on the cross until he was so weak that he died, so how thirsty he must have been! I’m sure you’ve all been thirsty on a hot day and wanted to drink a glass of cold water. But Jesus, who was nailed to the cross, was not given any water. What he was given was sour wine. Sour wine was a cheap drink for the soldiers, and there was a jar filled with sour wine there. People soaked a sponge in it and offered it to Jesus. This was to fulfil the words of the Old Testament. If you read Psalm 69:22 of the Old Testament, it says that people who believe in God are persecuted by others, “They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.” The same thing happened to Jesus. That is, the suffering of Jesus on the cross was God’s plan, which had been prophesied in the Old Testament.

So, when Jesus accepted the sour wine, he said, “It is finished.” This means that God’s plan was accomplished. It also means that Jesus’ mission to die on the cross to atone for the sins of human beings was accomplished. Jesus knew that suffering on the cross was the mission given to him by God the Father. And even in his suffering, he trusted in God. Have you ever found it hard to live your life believing in God? It’s very painful when people who don’t believe in God bully or make fun of you. But in times like these, let’s remember Jesus, who fulfilled his mission for our salvation enduring his suffering.