Mark 15:23 Meaning and Explanation
“And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Jesus is offered wine drugged with myrrh to dull the pain, and he refuses it.
What Does Mark 15:23 Mean?
A small mercy was customary at crucifixions: wine mingled with myrrh, a numbing draught to blunt the agony of the nails. It is lifted to Jesus' lips, and he will not take it.
He chooses to suffer with his eyes open. In Gethsemane he had asked that the cup might pass, then took it from the Father's hand (Mark 14:36); now he will not dull what he agreed to drink. The refusal is love at full attention, a Savior who bears the entire weight, undiminished, so that nothing in our redemption was done by halves. He kept every faculty awake to the work of saving us.
Mark 15:23 in the Original Language
smyrna (σμύρνα), 'myrrh' -- a bitter resin used to dull pain and to prepare the dead for burial.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mark 15:23
What does Mark 15:23 mean?
Jesus is offered wine drugged with myrrh to dull the pain, and he refuses it.