First there were the “swaddling clothes” in which Mary wrapped Him and then laid Him in a manger (Luke 2:7). Were they pieces of cloth which Mary had brought with her from Galilee? or perhaps some things given to her at the inn? or maybe just clothing items from her own body or from Joseph? Whatever the source, they were indicative of His humiliation, coming down from heaven to walk among men and experience a lowly life here below.

About thirty years later when John, the son of Zacharias, was preaching concerning the coming kingdom, and of the Lord, he plainly proclaimed that He who was to come was so much greater than he, that he was not worthy to loosen His sandal strap (John 1 :27) or to carry His sandals (Matthew 3:11). We know now that the feet that filled those sandals were later lovingly anointed with precious oil and wiped with the hair of Mary of Bethany (John 11 :2, 12:3). Reading Luke 7:38 gives us the account of a woman who kissed His feet, washed them with her tears, and wiped them with her hair. So there were those who showed Him respect and love, but there were also those who despised Him and mercilessly nailed those feet to a cross.

His clothes are mentioned in His transfiguration (Matthew 17:2, Mark 9:3). As Peter, James and John beheld His glory, His clothes became exceedingly white, shining like a light or snow. The disciples had already acknowledged Him to be the Son of God, but this event gave them further proof, as the very voice of God testified, “This is My Son”.

The garments of Jesus are mentioned when He washed the feet of the disciples the night before His crucifixion (John 13:4, 12). Just imagine: God kneeling at the feet of men! And washing their feet, to teach us how we ought to behave toward one another.

But think of the garments that were stripped from Him by the Roman soldiers (Matthew 27:28) and the purple robe that they put on Him, and the crown of thorns that they jabbed down on His head (Matthew 27:28-29, Mark 15:17, John19:2) to torture Him and mock Him a while before they led Him away to crucify Him.

And then behold, the scene at Calvary, while the Son of God hangs dying on the cross, the soldiers gamble for His garments (Matthew 27:35, Mark 15:24, John 19:23). Could these have been the same items of clothing He wore the day that the woman pressed her way through the crowd just to touch the hem of His garment? (Matthew 9:20, Mark 5:27, Luke 8:44). Or the day He was in Genesaret and as many as touched His clothing were made well? (Matthew 14:36).

Perhaps the most splendid of all the stories regarding those things that covered His body is the account which we read in John 20 when Peter and John ran to the tomb where the lifeless body of our Lord had been lain. The linen wrappings which they saw, and the folded cloth which had covered His head now lying separately by itself gave evidence that Jesus truly had risen from the dead.