The Best Robe

The Best Robe

Luke 15:21 – “And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.”

This boy had so much guilt.

Luke 15:22-24 – “But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.”

Have you ever felt so much guilt you didn’t know what to do? Have you ever been forgiven even though you didn’t really deserve it?

That father put the ‘best robe’ on his filthy son.

The woman with the issue of blood for 12 years had faith that if she just touched the fringes of Jesus’ garment, she’d be healed.

In various places in Scripture, we see that God cares about outer garments. Those fringes symbolized promises. God cares about the clothing we wear. Clothing dictated your status and character in life in ancient times. The man who was a beggar threw off his beggar robe when he went to Jesus for healing.

We are clothed today differently. Yet, spiritually, we are clothed.

John saw in Revelation a man clothed in a robe of righteousness.

There is a best kind of robe.

Luke 24:49 – “And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.”

This power is the robe, the best robe.

Acts 2:4,16-18 – “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” 16 “But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:”

You can receive the best robe.

Do you believe you can receive this ‘best robe’? How will you position yourself to receive it?

Rom 13:14 – “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.”

Gal 3:27 – “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

This spiritual robe is the ‘putting on’ of the Lord Jesus Christ

In ancient times, names symbolized things according to their natures. The changing of garments is also symbolic of a changing of nature. ‘This my son is not worthy of rags, but the best robe.’

Luke 15:20 – “ And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.”

His son probably smelled bad, but that father loved him. It was important for the servants to understand that the best robe was for that son. He was not meant to be shamed because of his rags and smell. He was to be honored as the Father’s son.

1 Sam 18:4 – “And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.”

1 Chron 15:27 – “And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that bare the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers: David also had upon him an ephod of linen.”

In ancient times, colors weren’t so easy to come by.

Job 29:14 – “I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.”

Isa 22:21 – “And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.”

Isa 61:10 – “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”

Do you recognize what God is offering you? Will you receive it? What thinking and/or actions do you need to change in order to receive it?

Mat 27:28 – “And they stripped him and put on a scarlet robe. 31 And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.”

Jesus wore a robe of mockery

John 19:5, 23 – “Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!” 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.”

1 Peter 5:5 – “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.”

Be clothed with humility.

Jesus wants to give us a robe of salvation.

In order to receive this robe, there are certain things we must do. This robe of Jesus is coated in mercy and dipped in love.

Why do we want to hide in the presence of God?

There is a need for covering because of sin. Demonic people like to take their clothes off. In the Bible the demoniac was naked. The devil doesn’t like clothes.

There are clothes for you that come from the Lord. Jesus wants to cover you. In Genesis, when the first people sinned, God clothed them with animal skins.

Isaiah 64:6 – “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

Joseph had been given a coat of many colors, coat of favor. He was traded without his cloak. In Potiphar’s house, he wore a new article of clothing and that was torn from him. In prison, he was given new clothes, the rags of a prisoner. When he went to meet with Pharaoh, he was given new clothes, fine clothes to meet the leader. After that, he received robes of royalty. When he was reunited with his family, he longed for that cloak of many colors. His new clothes were nicer, but he longed for the one made by his father.

Jesus gives us a cloak that He made for us. He offers to clothe us in forgiveness and mercy and grace.

There might be things in your life you are ashamed of. In heaven, there will be two sets of books, the book of your life and the books of the Bible. Those things you are ashamed of are covered by the blood of Jesus, the robe of righteousness, turning those pages blank!

Will you hide from God or allow Him to forgive and cover those things you are ashamed of? What does that look like in your life?

There is authority in your clothes!

Zech 3:1-4 – “And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. 2 And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? 3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and stood before the angel. 4 And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.”

Rev 3:5 – “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.”

Cast off those sins, that filthy stuff that defined you and has been your character and nature so long and put on that mercy and grace and forgiveness.

Depression didn’t die on the cross for you! For a spirit of heaviness, Jesus offers a garment of praise! When God covers you, you’ll never outgrow it, it will never grow old or ratty.

Excerpted from a sermon preached by Pastor Anthony LoCascio.

For the full YouTube audio/video, click here.