Scars

I played football for about ten years in my younger days...and I have the scars to prove it!

I also have a scar on my left knee from an accident I had when taking out the trash. 

I have several scars on my face (go figure), from flag football in college and getting hit by the door of an industrial dishwasher during a summer job in high school.

If I were bald, you could even see a scar on the top of my head from the time I hit myself with the sharp side of an axe when I was a kid.

Basically, you can tell my life's story from tracking my scars, because they all say something about me.

Something that is unique to me.

Something that identifies me as me.

Maybe that is why Jesus used His scars to identify Himself to His disciples after His resurrection.

When they wondered who He was, He showed them His scars.

He said, "I am who I am, and I have the scars to prove it!"

On the evening of that first Easter day, the disciples were huddled together in a locked room, hiding from the Jewish religious leaders and the Roman guards and fearing for their lives.

Suddenly Jesus appeared to them out of nowhere...

"They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.  He said to them...'Look at my hands and my feet.  It is I myself!'...When He had said this, He showed them His hands and feet..."  (Luke 24:37-40, excerpts, NIV)

How did Jesus finally prove to them who He was?  He showed them His hands and feet.  In other words, He showed them His scars.

How did He finally prove to "doubting Thomas" who He was?  He showed him His scars.

There, in the palm of His hands, they saw scars from the nails that had held Him on the cross.

There, on His feet, they saw scars from the nails that had caused Him so much pain.

The scars of a sinner, even though He had never sinned.

So, why was He scarred?

He was scarred because His scars were really their scars...and our scars.

When you look at the palms of your hands, are there nail scars there?  There should be.

When you take off your Easter shoes and socks, will you see nail scars on your feet?  You should.

But you don't see them because Jesus is scarred with your scars instead of you.

What if Jesus received a new scar every time you sinned?

What if He felt the same pain, all over again, in His hands and His feet every time you sinned?

If that were the case, when you get to heaven, would you recognize Him because you recognize YOUR scars on Him?

Would you recognize Him because you recognize the pain which YOUR sins caused Him?

The good news is that He has forgiven you if you have accepted Him as your Savior.  Through His love for you, He has forgotten your transgressions.

So, there are no more scars because of you.  No more pain because you fall short.

When you do see His scars some day, they won't condemn you...they will comfort you.

The One whose hands holds those scars will hold you like He held the disciples, and give you what He gave them...joy and amazement.