The Day God Changed Clothes

Jesus ... laid aside His garments.    John 13:4

On Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday, the Thursday before the Resurrection, Jesus and the disciples were observing the Passover Meal.  

Jesus knew that this would be the last meal that He would have with His disciples who were His also His companions and friends.   He had every right for this evening to be about Him but He laid aside the garments of rights, of privilege, of position in order to take up the servant's towel and wash the smelly, filthy feet of these twelve men including the one who betrayed Him.  Jesus changed clothes.  

We take clothes for granted.  But clothes not only cover us they also at least outwardly tell you we are — whether we are male or female (although in our day this is being blurred).  They can also point to what our status is in society.  

This reminds me of another day in which God changed clothes.  When Jesus, the eternal Son, emptied Himself, He laid aside thee garments of glory in order to be wrapped in humanity (Philippians 2:6-7; John 1:1, 14).  He walked amongst us. He ate with us.  He laughed and cried with us.  He suffered with us.  

He changed clothes again and wore the garments of a servant (Philippians 2:7).  He told us that, "He did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).  Although He is the Eternal Sovereign, the Most High God, He chose the garments of a bondslave. He refused  to be adorned Himself with pride, power, prestige, or popularity offered to Him by the tempter.  He chose rather the adornment of the Cross.

He traded in His robe of glory to wear the servants cloak.  He yielded His cloak to take on the naked shame of our filthy sin-stained calloused hearts.  Here He chose a wooden stake reserved for vile criminals to hang His garment of humanity on.  It is here, at the Cross, declothed in exposed humanity, He hung like a worn out rag suspended between heaven and earth in our place.  He exchanged His cloak of Righteousness in order to cover our nakedness before God with His Righteous Robe and took upon Himself our filthy rags (2 Corinthians 5:21). 

The day that God changed clothes is the day that changed the course of history and has changed my life.