Station 4: Jesus is stripped of his clothes | Reflection by Paul Stebner

John 19:23-24 (NIV)

²³ When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

²⁴ “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”

This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said,

“They divided my clothes among them

     and cast lots for my garment.”

So this is what the soldiers did.

The irony of human existence...We apply our forces to build skyscrapers, fly into space and cure diseases, yet in a moment's time we can be outlived by the mere clothes on our backs.

My wife's grandmother, who is affectionately known as “Grandma Brockie,” used to enjoy making quilts. We have a leopard printed quilt that she made which we cherish. It’s super cozy and has many holes in it. Now Grandma Brockie was one of the sweetest, most encouraging Jesus-lovers you could ever meet. She loved music, children, family, people...and all of these loves flowed from her deep friendship with Jesus Christ.

About a decade ago, she passed away very unexpectedly from pneumonia, and I honestly felt like she was snatched from us. What just happened? Where did she go? We didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye! Sometimes I look at the quilt she made, and I'm perplexed that she is gone and we are left with the quilt.

How do these things outlive us?

There are many temporary, temporal, and circumstantial components to human life:

This earth, life, the old nature, seasons, passions, possessions, pain, happiness.

The Bible states many things that are permanent per God’s design!*

Isaiah 40:8    “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” 

Matthew 24:35    “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” 

1 Peter 1:3-4    “In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.” 

1 Corinthians 13:8    “Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.” 

1 John 2:17    “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” 

1 Peter 5:4    “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.”

Back to our Scripture in the book of John...In the case with Jesus Christ, we are left with much more than his garments.

We are left with him because he came back.

We were blessed and left with his Holy Spirit when he went to be by his Father’s side.

We are also left with the Word of God, which will never pass away.

Personally, I’m comforted by the words of Jesus in Matthew 28:20 (ASV):

“I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Amen!

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* All verses in this section are taken from the NIV, emphasis added.