“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)
You might think the fate of Jesus’ clothing didn’t matter. What need does a dead man have for clothes? And yet, I can’t help wondering what Jesus thought, watching from the cross.
They would have been the ordinary clothes of any man from Galilee or Judea: a tunic, a mantle, sandals, a belt, perhaps a cloth to cover the head. They would have been made by His family, or possibly given as a gift. Making them took days of hard work. It would hurt to see them treated this way.
To Jesus, they were gifts of love. To the soldiers, what? Something to sell or to give to a servant. A rag, maybe. Not something to cherish.
For our sake, Jesus let them go—so He could provide a greater gift of love for us, the people God loves. Because of Jesus, none of us ever needs to be ashamed to stand before God. Through His suffering, death, and resurrection, Jesus has covered our sin and shame. Indeed, Paul says that Jesus Himself has become our clothing: “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27 ESV).
We Pray: Lord, thank You for covering me with Yourself. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
* When have you worked hard on a gift for someone you love?
* Why do we use white robes to symbolize forgiveness in Baptism?
* Now that Jesus has made Himself your clothing, what party are you ready to attend? (See Matthew 22:1-14; Revelation 19:6-9.)
Lenten Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on April 11, 2025
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights