Why did soldiers cast lots over Jesus's clothes?

Question

It seems to me that Jesus was probably rich and had nice garments if they were wanting them.

Answer 1

Many of the references were created by the writers to fulfill what they saw as 'prophecy', which is ridiculous.

They read though the available Old Testament books until they found a line they could use, and then invented a corresponding line in the Gospel.

Answer 2

John 19:23 "Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also His coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.

This coat was very valuable, and to expensive to tare into pieces. This is why they will cast lots to see who will get the coat. There was a reason why the "coat was without seam", it was because it was a "high priest garment". The high priest garment had no seams because seams collect dust and foreign matter that would make the garment unfit to enter the "holy of Holies". The casting of lots, the seamless garment, even the parting of the under garment, all are the fulfilling of God detailed plan of the ages.

Answer 3

We have already seen that a criminal was escorted to the place of execution by a quaternion of four soldiers. One of the perquisites of these soldiers was the clothes of the victim. Every Jew wore five articles of apparel--his shoes, his turban, his girdle, his tunic, and his outer robe. There were four soldiers, and there were five articles. They diced for them, each had his pick and the inner tunic was left. It was seamless, woven all in one piece. To have cut it into four pieces would have been to render it useless, and so they diced again to see who would possess it. There are many things in this vivid picture.

(ii) No picture so shows the indifference of the world to Christ. There on the Cross Jesus was dying in agony; and there at the foot of the Cross the soldiers threw their dice as if it did not matter. An artist painted Christ standing with nail-pierced hands outstretched in a modern city, while the crowds surge by. Not one of them is even sparing him a look, except only a young hospital nurse; and beneath the picture there is the question: "Is it nothing to you all you who pass by?" (Lam 1:12). The tragedy is not the hostility of the world to Christ; the tragedy is the world's indifference which treats the love of God as if it did not matter.

(iii) There are two further points which we must note in this picture. There is a legend that Mary herself had woven the seamless tunic and given it as a last gift to her son when he went out into the world. If that be true--and it may well be, for it was a custom of Jewish mothers to do just that--there is a double poignancy in the picture of these insensitive soldiers gambling for the tunic of Jesus which was his mother's gift.

(iv) But there is something half-hidden here. Jesus' tunic is described as being without seam, woven in one piece from top to bottom. That is the precise description of the linen tunic which the High Priest wore. Let us remember that the function of the priest was to be the liaison between God and man. The Latin for priest is pontifex, which means bridge-builder, and the priest was to build a bridge between God and man. No one ever did that as Jesus did. He is the perfect High Priest through whom men come to God. Again and again we have seen that there are two meanings in so many of John's statements, a meaning which lies on the surface, and a deeper inner meaning. When John tells us of the seamless tunic of Jesus it is not just a description of the kind of clothes that Jesus wore; it is something which tells us that Jesus is the perfect priest, opening the perfect way for all men to the presence of God.

(v) Lastly we note that in this incident John finds a fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy. He reads back into it the saying of the Psalmist: "They divide my garments among them, and for my raiment they cast lots" (Ps 22:18).

Answer 4

The prophesy:

Psalms 22:18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

The fullfillment:

John 19:24 They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.

In the Bible -all scripture is truth and all prophesy has or will be fullfilled .

Answer 5

It was to fulfill scripture

Psalm 22:18
They divide my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.

Answer 6

a million) i haven't considered the place it says the form of squaddies, yet i could wager 4 or 5 2) It replaced into purple in accordance to Mark (purple being the colour of royalty), and how it replaced into made 3) It replaced into seemless

Answer 7

they cast lots only to fulfill scripture. Everything Jesus did was a fulfillment of scripture.

Answer 8

who knows what Jesus had? I wasn't there. However, it was commonplace (according to history) that if someone died...or was killed...others would claim their belongings.