The Open Wounds Of Jesus Christ
by J. W. Jepson, D.Min.
Copyright (c) 2011 by J. W. Jepson
All rights reserved, including the right to grant the following permission and to prohibit the misuse thereof: The Author hereby grants permission to reproduce the text of this article, without changes or alterations*, as a ministry, but not for commercial or non-ministry purposes. *Permission is given for publication of excerpts and condensed versions.
The apostle John records that on Sunday evening, one week after His resurrection, Jesus appeared again to His disciples. This time Thomas was present. Even though the doors were shut, Jesus came suddenly and stood among them.
"Peace be to you," He greeted them.
Then the Lord addressed Thomas directly and personally. "Reach your finger here and look at My hands; and reach your hand here and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing" (John 20:27).
Thomas had refused to believe the eye-witness testimony of those who had seen Jesus after His resurrection, insisting that he would not believe unless he personally saw the print of the nails in Jesus' hands and pushed his hand into His side.
The other disciples saw Jesus' hands and side the previous Sunday (verse 20). Now Jesus gave Thomas his opportunity to see and feel the evidence for himself. The effect on Thomas was immediate and dramatic. "My Lord and my God!" he addressed Jesus (verse 28). The nominative case is used here for the vocative (direct address), not uncommon in Koine Greek.
Our attention is focused here on the fact that, even though our Lord Jesus Christ was risen from the dead with a glorified body, the wounds in His hands and side were still open.
Why?
At His resurrection, Jesus' body was completely transformed forever to its glorified state--whole, flawless, transcendent, immortal. Why then the open wounds? Why were they not removed in the transformation and glorification of His resurrection?
There can be only one plausible answer. Those open wounds will forever stand as a graphic reminder of everything the cross stands for, every truth that is embodied in it, and every lesson we learn or should learn from it.
The vicarious death of Jesus Christ on the cross is the only way, morally and governmentally, that God can be just in forgiving and justifying us. Jesus Christ died for us so that God "might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus" (Romans 3:26).
In the open wounds of our Lord Jesus Christ we will forever have before us the visible reminder of how much God loves us, the value He places on us, how precious we are to Him, how much it cost God to save us and the ultimate sacrifice that He willingly made.
Those open wounds will never let us forget the horrible destructiveness of sin, its total wickedness, its full guilt. As the cross is the only effective cure and preventive for sin now, so in those open wounds that once-for-all sacrifice of our Savior will sustain our eternal abhorrence of sin and prevent anyone from ever being tempted by it even in the slightest.
Seeing those open wounds in our Lord's glorified body will continuously renew our love for Him; our devotion to Him; our willing obedience; our gratitude to the Father for sending the Son and to the Son for His willingness to fulfill the will of the Father for our eternal salvation.