THE HANDS OF JESUS

John 20: 24-25

 by Rev. Richard Jones

THE HANDS OF JESUS

John 20:24-25 (ESV)

24  Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.    25  So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

WERE SIMPLE HANDS

Luke 2:6-7 (ESV)

6  And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7  And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

WERE SHAPING HANDS

Luke 2:39-40 (ESV)

39  And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40  And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.

WERE SPECIAL HANDS

Luke 4:40 (ESV)

40  Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them.

Luke 5:12-13 (ESV)

12  While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” 13  And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him.

Luke 9:10-17 (ESV)

10  On their return the apostles told him all that they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida. 11  When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing. 12  Now the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to him, “Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place.” 13  But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” 14  For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15  And they did so, and had them all sit down. 16  And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17  And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.

WERE SERVING HANDS

John 13:1-5 (ESV)

1  Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2  During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, 3  Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4  rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5  Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

WERE SACRIFICIAL HANDS

John 19:15-19 (ESV)

15  They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” 16  So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, 17  and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 18  There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. 19  Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”

ARE SOVEREIGN HANDS

John 20:26-29 (ESV)

26  Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27  Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28  Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”     29  Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

1 Peter 1:8-9 (ESV)

8  Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9  obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.