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.”
(John 19:23-24a ESV)
According to Roman custom, a man’s executioners inherited the last effects from his body. Whatever clothing he still had at the cross was theirs to claim. And so we see the soldiers sitting below the cross, gambling for Jesus’ tunic, dividing up all He had.
I would like to draw back from that picture—to say it has nothing to do with me, that I would never behave that way. But the fact is, I am one of Jesus’ executioners, and so are you. Every human being who ever rebelled against God and needed to be rescued, forgiven, and set free from death—we are responsible for Jesus’ death. We had a hand in His execution.
And so we are inheritors—but not of clothing. No! By His own free choice, all of us who trust in Him inherit much better things. He gives us His own innocence, holiness, and purity to cover our sin. He gives us His own everlasting life in the place of death. As the Son of God, He gives us son- and daughtership in the family of God.
We Pray: Lord, You have made me Yours forever. Thank You. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
* Have you ever inherited anything?
* If so, based on what relationship?
* How has our relationship with Jesus changed as a result of our inheritance?
Lenten Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on March 27, 2024
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights