Like me, you may know exactly when you received certain wounds that left scars. A small scar on my wrist is the result of a fellow middle-school band member plowing me over in his haste. Another on my elbow is from the time a driver mistook the gas pedal for the brakes and slammed into our van. And a third comes from a surgery.
Perhaps you also have mental and emotional scars from the pain of sickness, loss, or death. The wonderful, healing news is that, as the song “The Only Scars in Heaven” by Casting Crowns affirms, the only scars in heaven will belong to Jesus. In that place, we won’t be broken or wounded. We have the hope of a life without doubts, fears, mental anguish, or physical pain. We’ll be with Jesus, made new (Revelation 21:4).
After Jesus’ death and resurrection, He appeared to His disciples and showed them the scars in His hands and side (John 20:20). Thomas wasn’t there, so he doubted the news (v. 25). Jesus returned and told him to touch His scars and not “be faithless any longer” (v. 27). His doubts gone, Thomas responded, “My Lord and my God!” (v. 28).
Jesus died to take our sins away. His scars identify Him as the Lamb who was slain for us! (Revelation 5:6). We can believe and rejoice and be filled with hope, for one day He’ll hold us in His nail-scarred hands.
-Alyson Kieda
What emotional or mental wounds do you still bear? How have you experienced healing through Jesus?
Dear Jesus, thank You for being scarred for me. Help me to rejoice in You.
19 That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors
because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders.
Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them!
“Peace be with you,” he said.
20 As he spoke, he showed them the wounds
in his hands and his side. They were filled
with joy when they saw the Lord!
21 Again he said, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”
22 Then he breathed on them and said,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven.
If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
24 One of the twelve disciples, Thomas
(nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others
when Jesus came.
25 They told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless
I see the nail wounds in his hands, put
my fingers into them, and place my hand into
the wound in his side.”
26 Eight days later the disciples were together
again, and this time Thomas was with them.
The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before,
Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with
you,” he said.
27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here,
and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound
in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”
28 “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.
29 Then Jesus told him, “You believe because
you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe
without seeing me.”
Put your finger here, and look at my hands. . . . Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!
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