Show them Your Wounds

Scripture Reference: Luke 24:38-39 “And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts?  
Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”

Here we find Jesus coming to the disciples after He had risen again and made atonement for our sins.  One interesting thing here to note is they were scared and feared greatly what was going to happen to them, and had locked their selves into a room.  They were hurt by the recent events in their lives, and opted to secluded themselves from “more potential pain” rather than trust in the Jesus whom had told them many times, “Fear not for I am with thee”.  What “room” of seclusion have you locked yourself into, because of past hurts in your life?

But the beauty of the Gospel is that in the problem, there is already the solution.  As the Disciples anchored down in their fear, Jesus came to them, and having compassion for them begins to ask them, “Why are you troubled?  And why do doubts arise in your hearts?” In other words, “Why do you fear your hurts and pains, not realizing that I brought them about so that I could get the glory out of your life?”  What hurts are keeping you from seeing the glorious work He is and wants to do in your life?

And then He displayed the ultimate showing of love and security.  He said, “Behold, My hands and My feet, that it is Myself.”  What Jesus did here is show them “His wounds”.  He opened Himself up to His deepest pain, the agony of the Cross, in which He was separated from God and paid the full price for me on Calvary.  The place of His greatest pain was also the place of His greatest ministry.

Today, I challenge myself, to be more open with my pain and past hurts, trusting that Jesus allowed them so that He can get the ultimate glory out of them.  And my desire is that by revealing myself, openly as Jesus did, that you too, will come to know Him as the True, Living, and Matchless Savior He is, that not only orchestrates our pains, but also has an ultimate plan to draw us infinitely closer to Him, if we will only trust in Him with ALL of our heart; Even through the pain!