To the fearful disciples, gathered in the upper room, having the doors “fastened,” as the word means, Jesus showed His hands and His side. Luke notices that our Lord showed His hands and feet; John, His hands and side. His hands of power, His side of pity.
The hands and the heart of Christ are for His own fearful ones. His hands to provide, His heart to care. The rich of earth have hands that could provide for our need, but they have no heart to do so. Our well-meaning friends have hearts to sympathize, but not the means to supply our need. In the resurrection, blessed be His Name, our Lord has both.
Are we afraid? Do our sins like a mountain tower above us, or like a heavy burden, are they too heavy for us? Then let His pierced hands and side speak peace to us. He was wounded for our transgressions, He was
bruised for our iniquities. De we have no fear for eternal issues, but strangely enough, harbor fears about present possible eventualities? Fear of ill health, unemployment, bereavement, loneliness? These specters haunt us and disturb our rest.
The risen Christ is the cure. He would show us afresh His hands and side. None shall pluck us out of His hands. These powerful hands can hold and help and heal. His heart is touched with the feeling of our infirmities.
“We have not an high priest who cannot sympathize” (Heb. 4:14, RV). “The heart of the Eternal is most wonderfully kind.” “Is not the life more than meat and the body than raiment?” (Mt. 6:25) Will He who has given the life—the eternal things—not see to the food and the raiment? We betray the anomalous position of a people who, having no fear of our future transportation to heaven and of an amazing transformation even while we journey there, yet have fears of our daily sustenance while we wait for this glorious redemption.
To read more about Christ’s Death, you can find a list of books featured here.
Excerpt from The Glory of His Rising