22 November 2013 by Stewart Chew –
John 19: 23 – 24
The Roman soldiers divided his clothes … There remained his shirt, which was seamless – woven in one piece, from the top to the bottom so they said to each other, "don't let us tear it; let us draw lots to see who gets it”.
The seamless shirt that Jesus wore was the garment that was Jesus' only possession when He was crucified. This intimate item, which stayed close to His broken body, was caked with His dried blood as He was beaten and tortured for our sins on the cross on Calvary.
It was a very special shirt not like any other as it was seamless, meticulously woven in one piece from top to bottom by one of the women of his discipleship. In fact it was so special that despite the greed of the thieving Roman soldiers who gambled to own it, Jesus’ garment could not torn up to be shared. One of the soldiers who claimed it, received it whole, and in one piece, just like how it left Jesus' back.
It is the same with the Good News our Lord brought to all mankind. Like His seamless shirt, the Lord's teaching is total, whole and complete. His message of love has no hidden "seam" in its entire length or breadth or depth. It is "woven" from the top (in heaven) and it comes all the way down to us (on earth). Like the shirt that clung to the warmth of Jesus' body, the living Gospel is presented to us not by flowery words of human imagination but by ultimate sacrificial love. Jesus has shown us the perfect example of living a life in obedience and service to God.
When we receive the Lord's message, we must keep and treasure it whole, undivided and unchanged like his seamless shirt. Because of how total and complete the Lord has defeated Satan on the cross at Calvary, His Word has become our invincible breastplate of righteousness (Ephesians 6:14) against the devil at all times. When the Gospel of the Lord is applied in our lives, Satan is absolutely powerless against us.
Ephesians 6:14-15
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
Note: Stewart Chew is a retired senior lecturer in School of Medical Sciences, Curtin University in Perth, Australia
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References for pictures
http://www.todayschristianwoman.com/images/32963.jpg?w=220
http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/hem-of-garment.jpg
http://www.gci.org/files/childr2.jpeg
http://wolfspain.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/breastplate_of_righteousness.jpg
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