Gambling Jesus Away

John 19:23–24: 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. “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 which said, “They divided my garments among them

and cast lots for my clothing.” So this is what the soldiers did.

My question this morning is what in the world made these soldiers do what they did at the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ?

At the time when Jesus was giving up his life so that normal people like you and I can have a way for the forgiveness of our sins and eventually spend eternity in heaven, these men were gambling to see who would walk away with a prize: The seamless garment that Jesus was wearing.

BEING TO FAMILIAR?

Perhaps these soldiers were so familiar with crucifixions that it no longer moved them. They certainly saw and participated in their share of deaths by crucifixions. 

Could this be why so many in our world turn away from Jesus even today? We are so familiar with the religious lingo, the holidays, the songs and prayers that we no longer pay enough attention to what really went on when Jesus died?

BEING TOO PREJUDICED? 

The Jewish people and the Roman people hated each other. They couldn't stand to see the other prosper. As a matter of fact, they would plan and plot for each others destruction.

The Romans were turned off by God's people. 

I have known many over the years that do not attend worship, claim Christianity as their faith because of someone that turned them off because of some words or actions that may have even been taken the wrong way.

Prejudice can make us do some strange and even awful things. Do you know someone who is prejudiced against the church, Christians or even God Himself?

FOCUS? 

Obviously, these soldiers were focused on the seamless garment. They were oblivious to the cross because of their focus.

What is your seamless garment? Is it your career, your investments, your family or current situation? People, places and things can take our focus off of Jesus Christ, who died on Calvary so that we might have a blessed life here and an awesome eternity!

I heard this story recently: A number of years ago I heard the testimony of a missionary named Glenn. He and his family were in China for a number of years. In their last years there they had been

put under house arrest by the Chinese government and were waiting to hear when they

could go back to America.

One day a Chinese soldier came and knocked on the door and told them they could

go back to America and that he would be back later to pick them up and take them to

the airport. They could only take two hundred pounds with them. Well, think about this.

If it was your family, a wife, a husband, and two kids—two hundred pounds isn’t much.

They decided to try the best they could to decide what was most important and what

really needed to go.

The wife thought vases and the sewing machine were most important, Glenn

thought his computer and books were most important, and the children were concerned

about their toys, games, and clothes. They had much more than two hundred pounds.

They got out the scales and the family arguments began. They argued a little while

and took something off, argued some more and took something else off and finally,

though they didn’t agree that they had what was most important, they did have two

hundred pounds on the dot.

Later that day the Chinese soldier came and said, “Are you ready to go?”

Glenn said, “We are ready.”

“Did you weigh everything?”

“We weighed everything.”

“Did you weigh the kids?”

“We didn’t weigh the kids.”

“Weigh the kids.”

In a moment everyone agreed. The sewing machine, vases, computer, books, toys,

games, and clothes weren’t even worth discussing. 

***The value of putting our attention on what is of first importance is that it focuses us on what really matters and keeps us from being distracted or preoccupied with what does not.

Be blessed today! God is on your side...