On the hill of Golgotha, When Jesus was stripped of His physical clothes, the execution squad of soldiers divided what little He had between them-His belt, sandals, and other things. But when it came to His beautifully woven inner garment, they decided that instead of tearing it into four pieces, they would gamble for it. So while Jesus hung slightly above them, groaning in excruciating pain, they callously ignored Him and tossed the dice. (John 19:23-24) Their ribald laughter and the clatter of the dice as they were thrown made a sharp contrast to His pain-wracked sobs so near by.
People today still toss the dice for the robe of His righteousness. While coldly ignoring His death on the Cross, they gamble for His “robe” by betting their eternal lives on the chance that they can earn acceptance with God through their religiosity, or their sincerity, or their morality, or their philanthropy. But the only way to obtain it is to exchange it for your own filthy shreds of righteousness at the Cross.
After nine hours of standing on His feet, after being scourged, slapped, and manhandled, after six hours of hanging on the Cross, the average person would have barely had enough life and breath left to even whisper. But Jesus, the Lamb of God, with life still fully flowing through His body, shouted out in a clear, ringing, triumphant voice, “It is finished.” The price for our redemption had been paid! The sacrifice for our sin had been made! Sin was forgiven! Guilt was atoned for! Eternal life was now offered! Heaven has been opened! It is finished!
You don’t have to do more good works than bad works.
You don’t have to go to church every time the door opens.
You don’t have to climb the stairs to some statue.
You don’t have to be religious.
You don’t even have to be good!
It is finished! Sin is forgivable for everyone! The price has been paid!
Because Jesus had just been executed as a criminal and an enemy of Rome, Joseph’s request was exceedingly bold. As a prominent member of the religious community, he ran the risk of provoking not only Pilate but also the other Jewish leaders who then could have excommunicated him from the Sanhedrin and the temple.
Joseph’s action was especially astounding since previously he had been so timid and fearful of the opinions of others that he had kept his belief in Jesus as the Messiah a secret. Now, however, he came out of the closet and “with Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body.” Even more astonishing, “he was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night” (John 19:38-39, NIV).
The Father’s heart must have been deeply moved and heaven’s host must have applauded with joy to see these two fearful, prideful Jewish men throw caution to the wind. They had been silent when they should have spoken. They had denied their faith when they should have asserted it. But no more! Now they were standing up for Jesus!
When Jesus finally arrived at the place of execution around nine o’clock in the morning, if His treatment followed standard procedure in those days, He was stripped of all His clothes. Possibly He was allowed to retain a loincloth.
Yet because Jesus was stripped “naked,” you and I can be clothed! The Bible tells us that all of our righteousness, including the very best things we ever do, are so permeated with sin and selfishness that they are like filthy rags in God’s sight (Isa. 64:6). But at the Cross, Jesus gave us His perfect, spotless robe of righteousness and took our filthy garments of sin in exchange (Phil. 3:9). On Judgment Day, you and I will be dressed in His righteousness before God because He wore the filthy garments of our sin. We will be clothed because He was stripped!
Imagine what it would have been like to be Simon, and to have carried the Cross of Christ while following Him up Calvary.
What would it have been like to have shared in the humiliation of rejection as He was cast out of the city?
What would it have been like to have felt the sticky warmth of His blood from the Cross on your skin?
What would it have been like to have felt the encroaching horror as the place of execution neared?
What would it have been like to have looked up through the sweat that trickled down your face, and seen the executioners who stood waiting impassively with hammers in hand?
What would it have been like to have the burden of the Cross lifted from your back as someone said, “This is His Cross; you’re free to go now,” and He was nailed to it, not you?
