John 19:23
When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says,
They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. So the soldiers did these things.
Now, the tunic was the undergarment, so we know that our Lord was naked upon the cross. If you can bear the thought of this treatment, think upon it. Often, when the Romans defeated an enemy army, they would strip the officers and parade them naked through the streets as a final sign of humiliation. We should remember that God had mercy on Adam and Eve in the garden after their sin and as they shivered in shame and fear. They were naked and graciously he covered them. Notice the contrast – sinful man had no such concern for the dying Christ. They stripped him and crucified him, adding one more insult to the gore, the injustice, and the savagery of murdering an innocent man.
And yet again we visit the mystery that is God’s foreknowledge and election working out in the real events of daily life and history.
The Roman soldiers fulfilled prophecy and yet they acted according to their choices. It’s a deep mystery how it is that God reconciles the two but it is exactly what Scripture says. And what it says about God’s predestination is always glorious. Nevertheless, as the great drama of redemption plays out next to them, they’re blind to it as they hurry to divide the petty spoils of earthly rags. This is a perfect picture of sinful man. Oblivious to his deep spiritual poverty, he tries to cover himself in a thousand ways. That’s the tragedy of sinful life. We struggle and toil to attain a possession here and there while Christ beckons. We move ahead on life’s path – a romance, a marriage, a home, a job, a vacation, a possession…and ignore the Lord. But it’s exactly Jesus Christ that we need and these other things all lose their flavor in time because we were made for him. We don’t need the human garments of achievement or self-righteousness. We need Christ.
We worry about our future all the time. This incessant chasing after the wind – of casting lots to get this or that earthly treasure – is all motivated by the fear of tomorrow. Well, this passage is yet another in Scripture that should, when rightly understood, put our restless hearts at ease. God is in charge of all things and whatsoever he wills comes to pass. The line “this was to fulfill the Scripture” is one of the most glorious lines a man’s eyes may ever fall upon. Without them, the whole episode of the cross may have been pertinent but certainly not transcendent. If Christ ended up there for any other reason than the predetermined will of God, if Jesus achieved a sort of victory the way politicians do – by conniving and manipulation – than we’re dead in our sin still.
Why is this particularly glorious? Well, because the passage tells us that this was no accident. Jesus was hanging on the cross next to them as they gambled for a garment and yet this was all part of God’s glorious plan for the redemption of His children. History did not thrust itself upon Jesus; God is Lord of history and Lord of our tomorrows So, when we find ourselves at our worst moments – in the hospital rooms, unemployment lines and at the funeral homes – we can look here and see God’s sovereign hand working and be sure of our salvation. Nothing will pluck us from His hand, beloved. Not danger, nakedness or sword or anything else in all creation. Literally nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Tomorrow will not surprise God.
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