Matthew 27:35

“When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.”

The last thing, probably the only thing, that Jesus owned was the peasant robe he wore. That was stripped from him as he was nailed to the Roman executioner’s cross.  He was left naked – with nothing at all. Can we imagine a more heart-rending desolation?  He with the Father created the world, now he stands without one physical thing that he can call his own.

And he is bleeding.  Unless the bleeding is staunched he will bleed to death.

What is the meaning of all this tragedy? As I see him, he becomes weak so that I can be strong.  He died that I might live. He went naked so that I can be robed in white linen of righteousness, his righteousness. He bore my sin in his body and died to all of it, so that I might live the resurrected life in perpetual gratitude to him.

No religion, no philosophy, no view of the world could have predicted, less understood, that the wounded, dying Galilean named Jesus was on the threshold of establishing on earth a new Kingdom, the reign of God, that begins in ignominy and culminates in waves of hymns in heaven, echoed on earth, “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”  Rev. 5:12

This is not a story, it is the only story, the truth laid bare. Jesus Christ died and rose from the dead that I might be included in his kingdom of love – to reign with him forever and ever – even after there is no longer a heaven or earth.

How can we keep from singing?