Wednesday of Holy Week
JESUS IS STRIPPED Read John 19:23- 24 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes. They divided them in to four parts. Each soldier got one part. All that was left was Jesus long, inner robe. It did not have any seams. It was made of one piece of cloth from top to bottom. “Let's not tear it ,”they said to one another. “Let's cast lots to see who will get it.” So that is what the soldiers did. This picture of the soldiers at the Crucifixion dividing up the spoils of their day's work - their victim’s clothes - creates a very sad image. These four soldiers are “at their work”. Their task today is to crucify a couple of thieves and that trouble causing preacher who has been causing all this fuss. As a perk they are allowed to keep and sell their victims possessions. It would give them a few coins for some wine or food on the way home. It all seems very run of the mill and ordinary. There's a job to be done. Let's do it. This bit can't be shared without splitting it so we'll draw lots. What these soldiers did not know was that this man's death was a death that would take away the sins of the whole world. It was far from “run of the mill”. This Jesus, whose clothes they gambled for, was about to rescue the whole world. The promised Messiah – the Rescuer was here. The world was about to change and that change would mean that 2000 years later we'd still be remembering it. But that's a story for another day. Iain Watkinson
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