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APRIL 27, 2023

19 On the evening of that first day of the week, 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!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

 

Now, this is an interesting passage, if you look at verse 20, they saw his wounds and were comforted. He showed them his hands and his side then the disciples were glad, the disciples were overjoyed, their gladness boiled over says one translation, their joy went to a different level when they saw his wounds.

Why would his wounds comfort them? For one thing, it gave them confidence that it really was Him, that He was the person who they saw die on the cross. They were convinced.

In Luke 24:39, it says, Jesus said “behold my hands and feet. It is I, myself.” I am the same Jesus you saw die. See my wounds, same wounds you saw on that cross. Then he says, handle me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have. Look at my wounds. Check them out if you need to.

They were comforted and calmed by his wounds. It occurred to me in reading this story that the last time they saw those wounds; they represented the worst thing that had ever happened to them. I mean think what they have witnessed and the blinding grief they were dealing with. Jesus’ wounds must have replayed in their minds over and over.

Now Jesus brings those same wounds to them and says, you thought life was over because of these wounds. I'm telling you, God has a plan. Frederick Buechner wrote that “Resurrection means the worst thing is never the last thing.”

Whatever we take to be the worst thing imaginable, God has a plan to reconcile all things, even to Himself. He has a plan to redeem it. He has a plan to restore it, and not even death can stop that from happening.

Calmed by his wounds. I believe Jesus was reminding his followers then, and you and me right now, that his focus was/is always on what He has done for us and not on what we need to do for Him. He didn't show up in that room and go, hey, you keeping any of the Ten Commandments lately? No, he said Peace be with you. Showed them his wounds, saying, it's about what I have done for you. Take confidence. Be comforted. My Easter People.

Isaiah 53:5 says

“he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.”
Amen