He Showed Them His Hands

“Jesus…showed them his hands.” Jn 20:19-20 NCV

Dr. Paul Brand, a brilliant surgeon who worked at the Christian Medical College in Vellore, India, writes: “I work with the marvels of the hand nearly every day…But one time of the year holds special meaning for me…When the world observes Passion Week…I reflect on the hands of Jesus…those hands that had done so much good were taken, one at a time, and pierced through with a thick spike…Roman executioners drove their spikes through the wrist, through the carpal tunnel that houses finger-controlling tendons and the median nerve…maiming the hand into a claw shape, and Jesus had no anesthetic … Later his weight hung from them, tearing more tissue, releasing more blood. Has there ever been a more helpless image? The disciples, who’d hoped he was the Messiah, cowered in the darkness or drifted away.” But that’s not the last time we see Jesus’ hands. The Bible says: “When it was evening on the first day of the week, Jesus’ followers were together. The doors were locked, because they were afraid of the elders. Then Jesus came and stood … in the middle of them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After … this, he showed them his hands…His followers were thrilled when they saw the Lord.” Dr. Brand adds: “For the remainder of his time here, Jesus chose [to minister through] scars in each hand. That’s why I believe God hears and understands our pain … he kept those scars as a lasting image of wounded humanity. He knows what life on earth is like because he has been there. His hands prove it.” So bring your wounds to Jesus today and let Him make you whole—body, mind and soul.

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