Day 28
John 19: 23-24
23When 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, 24so 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."
Jesus' Garments (John 19: 23-24)
One of the perks for the escorting squad of soldiers was the prisoner's clothes. A Jewish man would have five pieces of clothing. His shoes, a belt, a tunic (NIV 'undergarment'), a robe and a turban. The four soldiers have the problem of deciding who would get the fifth piece, the seamless tunic (verse 23). They don't want to tear it so they gamble for it, fulfilling a prophecy from the Old Testament (Psalm 22:18). The seamless robe was unusual. One Jewish historian tells us that the high priest wore such a garment. The slit for the neck was not across the shoulders, but from the middle of the chest to the middle of the back, an unusual design.
Think: The other gospel writers record the soldiers also mocking Jesus. Do you think that there are ever times when we find ourselves treating Jesus with just as much disrespect?
