Title Hyssop (John 19:28-30)
Content: “After that, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, tried to fulfill the scriptures, saying, “I am thirsty.” There was a vessel full of sour wine. People tied seaweed dipped in sour wine to hyssop and put it to Jesus' mouth. After receiving the sour wine, Jesus said, "It is finished." Then he bowed his head and died." (John 19:29-30)
Hyssop is the last grass that Jesus saw on the cross just before his death. What kind of grass is hyssop? This herb appears 11 times in the Bible. In the Old Testament, it appears 9 times as 'ezov' and in the New Testament twice.
hyssop from the bible
Hyssop also appears on the Passover. Moses instructed, “Take a bundle of hyssop, dip it in the blood in a vessel, and sprinkle the blood on the lintels and the left and right posts, and let no one go out the door of his house until morning” (Exodus 12:22). Hyssop is also used in purification ceremonies. “Cleanse me with hyssop” (Psalm 51:7).
Hyssop grows on the wall (1 Kings 4:33). Solomon came wisely and discussed vegetation, from cedars in Lebanon to hyssops growing on the wall. If the cedar is a majestic and elegant tree among trees, the hyssop is a humble and insignificant grass that grows on the wall. It is a grass symbolizing humility and lowliness. It was also used in the sin offering with fire (Numbers 19:6).
Let's summarize the hyssop used in the Bible. First, it is a grass that has a lot of hair and can absorb a lot of water. Second, it is a grass that can grow on the wall. Third, it has a fragrance like mint. Fourth, hyssop is a grass used in ceremonies for sprinkling blood or purifying.
Hyssop soaked in blood
Just before Jesus died on the cross, when he cried out, “I am thirsty,” people dipped sour wine in seaweed, hung it on hyssop, and hung it on the cross to give it to the suffering Jesus. When Jesus tasted the sour wine, his soul went away.
In the Old Testament, when they exodus from Egypt, by soaking hyssop with sheep's blood and sprinkling it on the door, the plague of death was defeated and the people of Israel were saved. The Lamb of Golgotha drank hyssop with wine symbolizing blood and tasted it. We should long to purify our sinful hearts by saturating us with hyssop, which can be soaked in the blood of Christ and washed away from our sins.