After the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, He came and stood before the Disciples ,yet in their fear they were uncertain as to what was transpiring.
They had received word that the tomb of Jesus was empty .His body gone, some claimed to have seen and spoken with Him.
That the very One in whom they vested so much time and followed about learning.
That very One whom they believed was the awaited Messiah, this one they witness go to the cross and knew for certain was dead, He was now before them and alive beyond any doubt.
Peace
Those disciples were amazed and stunned to see Jesus, who they knew had died, and now, here He was, uncertainty filled them. Jesus then assures them that it is He, the very ,one whom they walked and talked with.
As evidence that it is Jesus there now in their midst, Jesus shows them His wounds to assuage their concerns. Jesus invites them to see and touch His wounds, to inspect them and so by doing they come to be at peace. It is Jesus, that was wounded and died and now He is here alive among them!
While they were still talking about this,Jesus Himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you" . They were startled and frightened, thinking that they had seen a ghost. He said to them,"Why are troubled,and why do doubts rises in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." When He said this, He showed them His hands and feet." John:24:36-40a
Wounds Identify Jesus
When those gathered there on that resurrection day, touched and handled the raised Jesus , they knew that He had been dead and now lives, all the fears and uncertainties faded into the joy of knowing that Jesus lives. They could be at Peace, just as He encouraged them to be. His wounds identified Him to them........and , to us and all Christians down through the ages.
When we handle those wounded hands and feet and see the gaping wound in Jesus' priced side , that is, we see that He was dead but now is alive for evermore. That He died upon the cross for us and now stands among us, we can be at real peace.
Our Messiah was dead,in the grave. Knowing and believing that Jesus was dead is every bit as important as knowing and believing that He lives. Both were need to accomplish our salvation, death and resurrection, and the wounds that we touch are verification that He was dead and now lives.
When we handle those wounded hands and feet and see the gaping wound in Jesus' priced side , that is, we see that He was dead but now is alive for evermore. That He died upon the cross for us and now stands among us, we can be at real peace.
Our Messiah was dead,in the grave. Knowing and believing that Jesus was dead is every bit as important as knowing and believing that He lives. Both were need to accomplish our salvation, death and resurrection, and the wounds that we touch are verification that He was dead and now lives.
Jesus Stands in Our Midst
See
when we gather in worship , with other Christians it is the wounded Jesus who is in our midst ,the One who went
to the cross, even though He has ascended into the very Heavens, He is still among us, still speaking peace to His people holding His hands and feet open for our inspection, so we can be at peace with God and others and even with our selves, we needn't fear, He is here.
It is when Christians come and assemble as a communty of believers that Jesus shows us His presences in a unique way, still even now. Here within the gathering of disciples He is still speaking peace.
"I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for He will speak peace to His people ,and to His saints:but let them not turn again to folly" Psalms:85:8
The whole Gospel message is that ,humanity each and all, could have peace because Jesus has gone to the cross and the grave and now lives. He and He alone has accomplished what none other could, He died for all. Sin has been atoned for, redemption is come. We no longer have to fear death or judgement, we can be at peace. Forgiveness is here. He is our peace and has made peace for us.Ephesians 2:14 ,Ephesians 6:15
The Gosple is the means that tells any who will here that Jesus has died and for us and now lives, they can eneter that forgiveness and experience it, that can touch His wounds so to speak and know that the price has been paid.
"That which was from the beginning,which we have heard,which we have seen with our eyes,which we have looked at and our hands have touched, this we proclaim concerning the Word of Life" 1 John:1:1
John may have written this ,recalling that resurrection day when they gathered around Jesus and touched those wounds. He then tells us that this is what he was proclaiming to any and to all.
"The life appeared;we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life,which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard,so that you also may have fellowship with us.And our fellowship is with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ"1John:1:2-3
The Gospel message is the same invitation that Jesus offered to the disciples, to know that He died and now lives, sin is dealt with by His cross, that is His death of which the wounds demonstrate.
"we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son,purifies us from all sin" 1John:1:7b
It is when Christians come and assemble as a communty of believers that Jesus shows us His presences in a unique way, still even now. Here within the gathering of disciples He is still speaking peace.
"I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for He will speak peace to His people ,and to His saints:but let them not turn again to folly" Psalms:85:8
Gospel of Peace
The Gosple is the means that tells any who will here that Jesus has died and for us and now lives, they can eneter that forgiveness and experience it, that can touch His wounds so to speak and know that the price has been paid.
Which We Have Handled
"That which was from the beginning,which we have heard,which we have seen with our eyes,which we have looked at and our hands have touched, this we proclaim concerning the Word of Life" 1 John:1:1
John may have written this ,recalling that resurrection day when they gathered around Jesus and touched those wounds. He then tells us that this is what he was proclaiming to any and to all.
"The life appeared;we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life,which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard,so that you also may have fellowship with us.And our fellowship is with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ"1John:1:2-3
The Gospel message is the same invitation that Jesus offered to the disciples, to know that He died and now lives, sin is dealt with by His cross, that is His death of which the wounds demonstrate.
"we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son,purifies us from all sin" 1John:1:7b
Wounds
Attest to Crucifixion
This was the message of the church , Paul took this message of the wounded Messiah forth through preaching that invited all to touch the wounds of Jesus, that is , to believe that he has been crucified for human sin and come again from the dead.
"But we preach Christ crucified"1Corinthian:1:23a
"For I determined not to know anything among you,but Jesus Christ, and Him crucified"
1 Corinthians:2:2
Paul preached Christ Crucified. If the one
we that we call Jesus does not bear the wounds of crucifixion it is not Jesus, that is He can not be the Messiah.
The
wounds reflect the fact of His death, and that He lives, witlessness that He is actually resurrected.
He
Was Dead, Now Alive
"It is just as important to believe in His Death as it is to believe,
in His resurrection.Jesus' death should not be be over looked"
Jesus' wounds show that our sin has been dealt
with. We can read of the work of our Lord in the Book of Isaiah chapter 53 . So much of the work of Jesus is revealed in Isaiah , that somethimes this book is called the fifth Gospel.
Didn’t Believe
When Jesus came and showed Himself to his disciples the first time, Thomas was not there. Thomas finds it hard to believe and declares that he would need to see and touch the very wounds of Jesus to believe.
It then one week later as they are aging assembled that Jesus comes and shows and i the doubting Thomas His wounded hand hands and feet and invited him to reach out and touch them, that is to know that it is really Jesus Who stands before him.
When the astonished Thomas see the living Lord and his own eyes behind the wounds he falls before Jesus in an cat worship and accepts that any who come to grasp the full meaning of the wounds of Jesus should have, he declares Jesus to be his "Savoir and my God" John:20:24-29
It then one week later as they are aging assembled that Jesus comes and shows and i the doubting Thomas His wounded hand hands and feet and invited him to reach out and touch them, that is to know that it is really Jesus Who stands before him.
When the astonished Thomas see the living Lord and his own eyes behind the wounds he falls before Jesus in an cat worship and accepts that any who come to grasp the full meaning of the wounds of Jesus should have, he declares Jesus to be his "Savoir and my God" John:20:24-29
Thomas did not believe that is until
Jesus showed him His wounds, it takes Jesus Himself to reveal this truth, we can tell
someone about Jesus but only our Lord can reveal it in away that one can fall as did Thomas and worship at His feet. When Thomas sees the wounds he came to believe. When any come to see and touch the wounds, there is no other conclusion we can come to other then Jesus our Savior and our God.
Always In View
Even in worship these wounds are seen in plane view, even now in the Heavenly worship of our Lord even the host of Heaven look upon them. In the Book of Revelation John speaks of the Wounded Lord as Lamb that looks as if slain standing between the
Throne and Alter. Stand before a throne is a place of high honor , that is Jesus is there being given the highest honor that can be given , and here He is still wounded for us and standing there for us with an exalted place. This shows us the Highest place given to our Lord Who is wound eternally for us showing for eternity that He was dead but now is alive for ever ....and He invites any and all to Touch His Wounds.
"Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had
been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living
creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the
seven spirit of God
sent out into all the earth. He came and took the scroll from the right hand of
him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it,
the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb.
Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which
are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song:"
“You are worthy to take
the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you
purchased men for God
from every tribe and
language and people and nation.
You have made them to be a
kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the
earth.” Revelation:5:6-10..........Amen
The Fountain of Life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion
Washington, Pennsylvania
Fountain of Life Broadcast heard on RKP
Radio 1710 & 1670 AM in Washington, Pa.and 1710 AM in Bentleyville ,
Pa. And online around the world at www.rkpradio.com
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