Saint Louis, Missouri, United States - 2014 Daily Lenten Devotion "THE PROOF IS IN THE CLOTHES" by Reverend Wayne Palmer Friday, 4 April 2014 - Read John 19:23-24

Saint Louis, Missouri, United States - 2014 Daily Lenten Devotion "THE PROOF IS IN THE CLOTHES" by Reverend Wayne Palmer Friday, 4 April 2014 - Read John 19:23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also the coat. Now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. 24 Then they said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it to decide whose it will be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled, which says,
“They parted my garments among them.
    For my cloak they cast lots.”[a]
Therefore the soldiers did these things.
Footnotes:
a. John 19:24 Psalm 22:18
TEXT: They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots (Psalm 22:18).
Now David takes us to the moment when Jesus was stripped naked and hung on the cross. It is a small detail that takes on prophetic proportions when the Roman soldiers use two different methods to divide His clothes among them.
Four soldiers were assigned to guard each crucified criminal. They divided between themselves the condemned man's earthly possessions at the time of his crucifixion. In Jesus' case it simply involved His clothing and His seamless tunic. The clothing was easily divided into four piles, but the tunic was a different matter. They could have ripped it into four equal pieces of cloth, but all agreed it was more valuable left in one piece. It would be better to cast lots to see who would get the whole tunic rather than lose its value by ripping it into four parts.
When you look at the specific details predicted in this psalm it is nothing short of remarkable. Jesus writhed like an injured worm on the cross (verse 6); He was mocked with virtually the same words as the psalm quotes (verse 8); Jesus' lifeblood poured out of His wounds like water pouring out of a broken clay pot (verse 14); His hands and feet were pierced with nails (verse 16); and finally His clothes were divided and gambled over.
When you add to that the knowledge King David had never seen a crucifixion before, it is a marvel. The fulfillment of these details in Jesus' passion and death proves without a doubt the Holy Spirit was guiding David through these predictions. And these prophecies prove without a doubt that Jesus of Nazareth was the long-promised Savior, David's Son and David's Lord.
THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, the Old Testament prophecies prove without a doubt You are the Son of God, our Savior, God's own Messiah. Make my faith firm until I see You face to face. Amen.
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