And they divided His garments and cast lots. (Luke 23:34b)
The Gospel of John provides more details.
When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.” This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said, “They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.” (John 19:23-24)
When my oldest daughter was a very little girl, she cried because the seams at the toes of her socks bothered her. Since we cherished her, we gave her the socks she needed.
Seamless socks are knitted like a cocoon is spun. Working from the beginning point they are knitted in a circle. It’s a more difficult and expensive process than knitting two sides of a sock and sewing them together. Today we have Bombas seamless socks, significant because when you buy a pair, they give a free pair to a homeless person.
Jesus’ garments were also significant. David prophesied in Psalm 22:18. “They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.” Therefore, God was in control when Pilate’s soldiers stripped Jesus. Famous paintings showed Jesus wearing a loin cloth as he hung on the cross, so most don’t realize he hung naked. According to the prophecy and John’s observance, Jesus’ undergarment was awarded to a Roman soldier by lot, leaving Jesus naked with shame as He took the sin of humans.
Similarly, Adam and Eve stood naked and shameful in the Garden of Eden after they sinned. Adam and Eve covered themselves with fig leaves, but “The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.” (Genesis 3:21) I have no doubt God also made the seamless undergarment for Jesus. Undoubtedly white, it represented purity and unity.
As sinners, like the Roman soldier, Adam, and Eve, we also stand naked at the cross with Jesus. By lot, God gives us Jesus’ seamless cloak to cover our flesh of sin as he did the Roman soldier. Undoubtedly white, it represents unity and purity. We will choose to cover our flesh of sin with Jesus’ cloak when we see the value in the used, seamless tunic likely covered with His blood?
Right now, I’m snuggling in the cocoon God provided for me. It’s the refuge from sin that gives me freedom. I want you to have one too; it’s free.
Dearest Father in Heaven, thank you for Your cloak of freedom that covers my sin. As I stand at the cross with sin, ready to give up ____________, I am offered Jesus’ seamless cloak of purity and unity. Wearing it, I become more like Jesus and crave God, not __________. Thank you. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
I did not realize that Jesus hung naked on the cross. Again, I learn something new in another history lesson.
There is so much to learn from the Bible. I find it exciting to learn more about Jesus and God, not just the history but that so much is written between the lines with a lot of symbolism.