“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. “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”
John 19:23-24 (NIV)
I think there may be a deeper meaning to that remaining fifth undergarment of Jesus, which was not torn and deliberately gambled for. The prophesy in Psalm 22, that men would divide up the Messiah’s garments and cast lots for His clothes is not something that could be staged just to appear to fulfill a prophetic scripture. Roman soldiers had no knowledge or interest in Hebrew messianic prophecies, and they didn’t know that they were doing what was prophesied a millennium earlier.
John’s gospel confirms that the four soldiers, who were at the foot of the cross, said to one another, regarding that fifth garment, “Let’s not tear it, but decide by lot who will get it.”
A skeptic could say that everything written in Psalm 22, might have been written from David’s own personal experiences, but some lines are too specific, especially verse 18, which says,
“They divide my clothes among them
and cast lots for my garment.”
That psalm foretold details of the crucifixion, inspired by the Holy Spirit.
There were five pieces of clothing, but only four soldiers, so they divided His clothes among them, and cast lots for the remaining fifth piece of clothing.
That fifth garment was a one piece seamless tunic, typically worn as an undergarment by temple priests since the time of Aaron, the brother of Moses. The priests who wore it, interceded for their people, as they offered a sacrificed lamb upon the altar.
Traditionally, this tunic was woven by the priest’s own mother. I can just imagine Mary watching in horror, as the soldiers gambled for the hand made priestly tunic, woven by her, as her son hung on the cross.
The Mosaic instructions for the care of this tunic undergarment was that it must never be torn. Not knowing anything about those Mosaic rules, the Roman soldiers cast lots for it, to avoid tearing it.
The fifth garment would have been worn by Jesus when He healed the sick, raised the dead, and cast out demons. He wore it at the feeding of the 5,000, while walking on the water, and on top of the mount of transfiguration. He wore it at the last supper, while telling His disciples that He is the sacrificed Passover lamb.
The day finally came when His tunic was stripped off of Him and treated as a common piece of clothing to gamble for. The soldiers cast lots to see who gets the tunic, but they were ignorant that the one who wore it, was dying for them.
Such disregard for the sacred, is no different 2,000 years later. Some of the most sacred truths of the Christian faith, are still treated irreverently by our current culture. All that is highly regarded by God, is often treated in low regard by the world’s standards.
During my college days, I went to a pub that was frequented by many college students. One night the owner was celebrating along with his patrons, and he began pouring wine in everyone’ glass, while mimicking the words used when serving communion. I was not religious back then, but I was a still shocked, knowing it was inappropriate to mock something as sacred as communion.
People often do sacrilegious things in total ignorance, just like the Roman soldiers who gambled and cast lots for that priestly tunic. They handled that fifth garment in a common and unholy way, although it was worn by the holy, incarnate Son of Almighty God.
As sacred blood flowed from the foot of the cross for them, they casually gambled, playing a game to win the fifth garment.
I know from my own experience that God has incredible mercy towards the ignorance of all people. His grace reaches far beyond the foolishness of our hearts. The fifth garment is a reminder of how grace and mercy overcomes all ignorance. “Where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” (Romans 5:20)
Sin and mockery of what is sacred, grieves God, but He has the heart of a Father, like the father of the prodigal, and He patiently waits for us to come back home to the truth. He gives people time to discover who Jesus really is, and His kindness leads all to repentance.
(Romans 2:4)
God is not like people, who are quick to judge and condemn. He has a Father’s heart and responds with mercy instead of what we may deserve.
The fifth garment reminds us of the patience, mercy and grace of God. Jesus was stripped of His priestly garment, to become our sacrificed lamb. “For by one sacrifice, He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” (Hebrews 10:14)
Lord, we have all mishandled your fifth garment at some time in our lives, but you are a loving Father, who patiently draws our childlike hearts back to you. Thank you for your mercy and grace that is greater than all of our sins. Amen
