Scarred As A Reminder That You Are Victorious

I sometimes wonder why He keeps them.

He’s beaten death, He’s defeated the grave, the final opposition to life and the Kingdom has been vanquished in the death, burial and resurrection. He is triumphant over all His foes. He is now the hope of the world and those who believe in Him can live eternally.

So with such power and in such an exalted position – why does He keep the scars in his wrists?

It certainly worked as a defining mark for the episode of the men on the road to Emmaus and for the doubting Thomas scene. It was clear that in both episodes they knew who He was by the nail-prints in His hand. But was that the reason for keeping them?

One thing that we are sure of is that as we consider those marks of the cross He suffered and bled on, they are no longer painful memories. They are actually now more reminders of the victory that’s been won. They are no longer the wound of the afflicted, they are the efforts of a defeated foe.

We will not go through life unscathed. Some of the blows we will suffer will leave lasting scars. Yet because of the cross and the crown those scars are not designed to remind us of defeat. They are the motivators we are given to head to the victory of the cross in the Resurrected Lord.

For His Name’s Sake

Shalom

C. L. J Dryden