City Life Starter

The Word

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.

¹⁸ They divide my clothes among them

    and cast lots for my garment.

Psalm 22:18

Exegesis

There are certain scriptures that Jesus would have no control over fulfilling, if he was a mere human, and this would be one of them. Here He is, nailed to the cross, full of agony and pain. Desperate for air, there could be no defense that Jesus could muster to have His clothes kept and safely returned.

Then one could make the argument that this simple verse in Psalm 22 could be explained away as a simple reference that was later made a prophetic verse. So, what makes this verse in Psalm 22 a reference to Jesus and what makes it so that John would assume that this was a prophecy to be fulfilled? This is a good question, and we know from scripture and historical context that there are some factors to help us solve this.

1. The Jews would have a good understanding of Psalm 22, the allusion to a future prophecy, not only in this Psalm, but in others, would have given John and others the ability to make the necessary connection when the time came. The Holy Spirit would have also brought everything with Him the revelation as well.
2. Jesus makes a strong connection between the first verse in Psalm 22 and to his exact words on the cross. “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” These words could have meant to give people the connection between the pain and sorrow that Jesus felt and to that of David’s writing and prophecies of Him.
3. We have many other prophecies being fulfilled at the same time within Psalm 22 that makes this connection more than just a one verse fufillment. Especially verses 9, 16-17, 24, and 29-31.
4. We know that John was there to see the clothes being ripped and the garment being gambled for.

There are many more prophecies during the last week of Jesus’ life that is fulfilled through scripture and Psalm 22 is just part of this. We know this through Jesus, being on the Road to Emmaus, explaining to the two men and went through scripture to show how everything is connected.

Application

You may doubt that Jesus died for your sins or that He was God, but you will have a hard time to explain away all the references and prophecies from the Old Testament that Jesus fulfilled during His life on earth. There is only one Messiah who came to die for our sins and to be put to shame and killed in place of us. How amazing is that? Hallelujah!