Have you ever felt instantly elevated through an outfit, or a part of an outfit – a nice purse, good shoes or well-tailored pants? I’m sure most of us know the feeling of also being somewhat embarrassed by wearing a not-so-great outfit in public. Maybe we ran to the store in sweats or (heaven forbid) pajama pants and ran into someone we knew? It’s interesting how clothing and accessories can instantly elevate or deflate our self-esteem.
Throughout the Bible, we see clothing (or a lack of) take humans from humiliation to elevation, and everywhere in between. Oftentimes, to show mourning or contrition, people would tear their garments. In Genesis 37: 34, Jacob mourns for Joseph who he believes to be dead, and shows his sorrow by tearing his clothes and wearing sackcloth (sackcloth is a rough fabric that would be uncomfortable to wear, which could serve to match the wearer’s inner turmoil). Clothing can also signal how well one is doing in life: King Solomon had such great wealth and splendor that the Queen of Sheba was impressed with everything from the food on the table to his servants’ attire. Imagine how well-dressed and fashion-elevated Solomon must have appeared if even his servants were impeccably dressed. While Joseph initially faced various trials, he continued to be faithful in his service to Pharaoh and in his trust in God. Thus, Joseph was promoted to a higher status: “Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck” (Gen. 41:42, NIV). The clothing and jewelry signaled a change in Joseph’s status.
While humans fluctuate in degrees of status, God is the ultimate Being perpetually clothed in splendor and majesty: The “Lord is robed in majesty” (Psalm 93:1, NIV) and “clothed with splendor and majesty” (Psalm 104:1, NIV). The prophet Isaiah wrote: “I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple” (Isaiah 6:1, NIV). The train of an earthly king or queen’s robe trails behind them, but here the train of God’s robe is long and wide enough to fill the heavenly temple. Psalm 104:2 continues, “The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment.” In Revelation, we read that God is not only wrapped in light, He is the source of light!: “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp” (Rev. 21:23, NIV). This magnificent imagery describes a God who is eternally styled in splendor.
There is therefore a dichotomy between God and earthly beings; human beings are not continually glamorous or filled with light. On the contrary, humans contain sin and no matter how dressed up we get, the sparkle is temporary. Underneath the external appearance is a temporal, material human body originally composed out of the earth. Scriptures lay out the serious condition: “All of us have become like one who is unclean,and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6, NIV). Because of his great love, God nevertheless deals with humanity and finds ways to interact with them without compromising who He is–the way that ultimately saved us was through His son, Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ himself went through humiliation and elevation (and more) through clothes. Born in a manger, Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes. Due to his earthly descent as a human being, it was necessary that He arrive in a lowly state. He lived a rather humble life while still retaining his divinity. The shepherds knew that He was the chosen one, so they came to adore him in his humble state. Jesus remained mostly hidden, wearing civilian clothing. But the clothing was not able to fully contain his divinity, for even the hem from his tunic oozed power: “And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped” (Luke 8:43-44, NIV). In Mark, we read that the woman initially had faith upon touching Jesus’ hem: “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed” (5:28, NIV). In this case, her faith activated the power that was contained in Jesus’ garment.
Before making it to calvary, Jesus underwent mocking: the soldiers made him wear a crown of thorns and put on him a purple robe (John 19:2-3; Matthew 27: 28-31, Mark 15:17-20). To add salt to the wound, the soldiers took off Jesus’ clothes and divided them amongst them, except a seamless tunic for which they cast lots (John 19:23-24). Stripping away Jesus’ outerwear, they left him exposed and vulnerable–utterly humiliated.
After His resurrection, the disciples discovered strips of linen lying in the tomb (John 20:5-7). Since Jesus had resurrected (gone from humiliated state to elevated state) he left his earthly clothing behind. Furthermore, the beings that lingered around the tomb were dressed in white (Mark 16:5), signaling divine visitors (“angels” John 20:12, “gleamed like lightning” Luke 24:4). In Matthew, it describes the angel with an “appearance…like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow” (Matt. 28:3).
After the resurrection, Jesus reached the highest level of elevation: EXALTATION, which is reserved only for the Godhead. The risen king has taken his rightful place in the heavenly realms:
“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.”1
John witnesses Jesus in his full glory:
“and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance” (Revelation 1:13-16, NIV).
For Christians, the ultimate humiliation we face as humans is sin. We are all born sinners and arrive from the womb naked. We are vulnerable at birth and remain vulnerable in our humanity, but we have hope through Jesus Christ. Jesus humbled himself to save us from our sinful state. Now, let us give him the glory in his exalted state and thank Him for what only his humble state could accomplish. Having finished the work on the cross, He is now able to elevate us with Him, far above what any earthly thing or article of clothing could do.
- Phillippians 2:9 (NIV)