The scars of Christ

I have engraved you on the palms of my hands (Isaiah 49:16).

When Jesus rose from the dead, it was a miracle hard to believe.  The disciple Thomas went so far as to say, Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it (John 20:25). So in order to put all doubt to rest, Jesus appeared to Thomas and said, Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe (John 20:27). 

Although He was returned to life, Jesus had some disfiguring scars.  There were scars in His hands and feet where rough iron nails—spikes really—had been pounded through His flesh to fasten Him to the cross.  Jesus’ side had been punctured by a spear in order to pierce His heart and make sure that He was truly dead before the authorities released His body for internment. 

Jesus has cured all sorts of ailments.  A woman plagued with incurable hemorrhage was healed at His touch.  Many people suffering from untreatable leprosy were made well by Jesus’ power. Christ made the lame walk, the blind see, and the deaf start hearing again.  The Son of God raised several people from the dead, including Himself.  Had He wanted to, Jesus could have easily removed the scars of Calvary that now marked His body.

But Jesus chose not to.  He chose to keep those scars forever, fulfilling the prophecy spoken by Isaiah 600 years earlier: I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.  But why would Christ leave those scars alone?

Have you ever injured your hand?  You notice that injury every time you go to do something.  The scar on my left hand always reminds me of the circumstances which caused that injury. 

Jesus has scars on His hands from the day when He suffered and died to forgive your sins and welcome you into God’s treasured family.  Every time the Son of God does anything, those scars remind Him of you.  The Lord will never forget how important you are to Him—your worth is engraved forever in the palms of His mighty hands.