“The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.” John 20:25
Thomas, which means seeker of truth more than it means doubter, was the one who said, “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (John 11:16)concerning Jesus heading to Jerusalem, the one who demonstrated courage the others spoke of but lacked… this Thomas… wanted to see the scars.
And Jesus obliged. He showed up again, not needing a door to enter and gave Thomas his fleece.
“Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust [it] into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.” John 20:27
The scars were still there.
The Lord Jesus, in His glorified body, chose to keep His scars. He chose to keep the very thing by which so many recognize Him. He chose not to “heal” them, or to make them new, but chose to have them always as not only a reminder of His sacrifice for us, but as a testimony of His love.
Of what He endured for us.
I wonder… can our scars do the same? Can they be a testimony to what the Lord endured for us? Can they be a testimony of where we have been… of how far He has taken us?
Can they be a testimony of the death of the old man… and the resurrection of the new?
Could it be that, were it for the scars, no one would believe that we were saved from where we once were to where we are now… to where we will someday be?
I think so.
They knew Him by His scars.
Will we let them know Him by ours?
SDG
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