SCARRED HANDS

Easter Devotional, 4/8/12

A person's hands can tell you some things about them. Some hands are quite large, others very small, which generally reflects the size of the person, with occasional exceptions. Whether they are soft and supple or scarred and calloused can reveal how much work they do with their hands. The skin of some hands may be chapped, which can indicate either that they wash their hands or have their hands in water a lot, or they have been outside in wind or cold weather without gloves.

Hands can also help determine what a person does in life. If they have large, strong hands they are more likely to be able to take a job in some type of heavy labor like construction than someone with a very weak grip. If they have exceptionally long fingers, they could play certain instruments with more ease than those with short fingers. If they have very good fine motor control and coordination they might be able to be a surgeon more than someone with clumsy hands. While there is much more that goes into what a person does, the hands do play a role.

Some people believe that you can read the palms of people's hands and tell what their future holds. As a child I remember some friends saying that one of the creases on the palms of your hands was the life line, and if it was long you would have a long life, and whether it crossed the other lines or not, etc. had different meanings. But we know that our future is literally in God's hands, not ours.

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. John 10:28 NIV

And what about God's hands? We know that Jeus our Lord and Savior, whose resurrection we celebrate today on Easter, has some special scars on his hands. Those marks helped identify him to those who saw him after he was raised from the dead and while he walked this earth before ascending into heaven.

On the evening of that first day of the week (after Jesus had risen from the dead that morning), when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord....

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” John 20:19-20, 26-27 NIV

Those marks on the hands of Jesus were evidence of his death on the cross to pay the debt that we owed for our sins. It is as if we ourselves pounded those nails. His death is on our heads, but our name is on his hands.

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands... Isaiah 49:16 NIV

What a glorious Savior we have, who died on the cross to save us from the punishment we wholly deserved, who never sinned himself, and who rose again to give us eternal life with him in heaven. The Bible says "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our sins from us". (Psalm 103:12) No matter how bad things have been in our lives, we can lay all our burdens at his feet and leave our entire future in his hands... his scarred hands!

In the arms of Your mercy I find rest, 'cause You know just how far the east is from the west, from one scarred hand to the other! (Lyrics from "East to West" by Casting Crowns)

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

written by Jan Andersen