The Hands of the Lord Jesus
Considering the hands of the Lord Jesus and what they signify
- Imagine what it would be like without hands
- So many things we do with our hands
- Hands can also be used in negative ways
- Hands help to put your desires into action
- Consider the burnt hands of the mother and the love she showed to her baby
- Think of the Lord Jesus' hands and the love He showed towards us
Hands of Good
Jesus's hands:
- Metaphorically:
- Flung the stars into space
- Fashioned man
- As a baby:
- Has human hands
- As a child would have helped His mother and father
- Would have joined them in prayer
- After His baptism:
- He touched a leper
- He lifted people up
- He took the little girl by the hand
- He laid hands on many to heal them
- He fed the 5000
- He ate with tax collectors
- He instituted the Lord's Supper
- Hands of judgement:
- To make a whip
Hands of the Cross
- Evil hands against the Lord Jesus
- Herod slaughtering the young toddlers
- The people take people to the hill outside Nazareth to throw Him off
- The garden of Gethsemane coming with clubs and swords
- The trial and false accusations
- He was mocked, stripped, beaten, scourged with a crown of thorns placed on His head
- He carried His own cross
- His hands were nailed to the cross
- Why?
- Darkness cannot accept light
- The nail prints speak of the depravity of human nature and the wickedness of man
- They speak of the amazing love of God
- God would not spare His own Son
- Jesus would be the perfect atonement for our sin
- Jesus would take the eternal judgement of sin upon Himself
- That God should love us in such a way that all our rebellion was placed upon Him
- That there should be separation between the Father and the Son because of sin
- What difference does this make to your life?
- Are you cold?
- Does your heart praise Him?
- Here is love vast as the ocean - would you refuse this love?
We need to have an eye of faith to understand
- Thomas is like so many Christians
- He struggled
- He was weak in faith
- He is pessimistic - 'let us go to Bethany to die'
- He was doubting - 'Lord we don't know the way'
- He was unbelieving - "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." (v25)
- Jesus brings peace
- Jesus is gracious to Thomas and does not rebuke him
- Jesus wonderful condescension
- Jesus bore with this doubting disciple
- We should bear with those who are doubting and pessimistic
- Jesus brings a gentle rebuke - "Do not be unbelieving, but believing" (v27)
- Thomas' Response:
- "My Lord and my God"
- A clear statement of Jesus' Deity
- What is our response today?
- Is Jesus is our Lord and God?
- Will you become personally to Him?
- "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed" (v29)