MEDITATIONS
FROM THE GOSPELS
April 18,
2007
Reading
"And they stripped Him and put a scarlet
robe on Him” Matthew 27:28
The various vestures of
Jesus are carefully detailed in the scriptures and are there for your learning.
When reading God’s Word it is easy, my soul, for you to pass
over the references without stopping and examining other similar passages.
You must begin by referring
to a garment that initially does not belong to Christ; the filthy, putrid
garment of self righteousness with which every man and woman are clothed.
“But we are all like an unclean thing,
and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, and
our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” Isaiah 64:6.
Zechariah analogizes these very same rags when he writes
“Now Joshua was clothed with filthy
garments, and was standing before the Angel. Then He answered and spoke to
those who stood before Him, saying, ‘Take away the filthy garments from him.’
And to him He said, ‘See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will
clothe you with rich robes’" Zechariah 3:3-4.
That rich robe is none other than Christ’s robe of righteousness. He has
exchanged garments with us.
“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD,
my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of
salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness” Isaiah 61:10.
Just the Father placed a clean robe on the prodigal’s shoulders, so has
Christ Jesus place His own, personal robe on ours. On the cross Jesus took upon
Himself our putrid garment of unrighteousness.
“Who his own self bare our sins in his
own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto
righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed” 1 Peter 2:24 (KJV)
In mockery they placed a scarlet (Royal) robe on his shoulders, but when
He returns in glorious victory He will be wearing another scarlet robe, but
this time declaring His victory over all sin and unrighteousness.
“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold,
a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True,
and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of
fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew
except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood” Revelation 19:11-13,
and His people in garments of white depicting the
righteousness of Jesus Christ with which His people have been clothed:
“Then one of the elders answered,
saying to me, "Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they
come from?" And I said to him, "Sir, you know." So he said to
me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed
their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are
before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who
sits on the throne will dwell among them” Revelation
From mockery to victory. From
putrid to pure. From death to life.
Oh, what a salvation!