Thousands were executed by crucifixion by the Roman Empire during its existence. Thousands upon thousands more throughout history have been scourged and beaten for unknowable reasons. Only one in all published history has had the details of His day of death preserved in such painstaking detail. Four writers whom we know about, and probably more whom we don’t know about, preserved nearly every moment of the original “Good Friday”, even noting when prophecies made centuries before were fulfilled. This note by John the Beloved caught my attention this morning: “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. They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.” — John 19:23-24 Jesus’ coat was too rare, too valuable to cut into parts. One of the soldiers, whomever won the game of chance, took it home. Jesus’…