And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.
He appeared suddenly among the eleven in the upper chamber in Jerusalem while the Emmaus disciples were telling their story, before they were to go to Galilee to see Him again. He greeted them with uplifted hands in blessing and peace, yet they were frightened as if they had seen a spirit, so He showed them His hands and feet marred by the nails and His wounded side and bade them handle Him, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as He had, eating and drinking before them as further proof. The marks proved Him to be the same Jesus who had been crucified, now risen in a real body and not a spirit, and seeing His wounds and hearing His voice turned their doubt and fear into faith and joy with no room for doubt about His identity. That showing gave certain evidence that they had seen Him alive and talked with Him, a decided triumph that made of none effect the falsehood of the priests and established the truth of His resurrection. His wounded hands and feet remain the memorial of redemption, by which He took away sin and overcame death, giving assurance of forgiveness and sanctification to all who come to Him in faith and hope of glorious immortality, while in heaven He still shows His wounds in pleading the merits of His blood for His people.
Upper Room Appearance
The showing of the hands and feet belongs to the sudden appearance in the upper chamber in Jerusalem to the eleven while those returned from Emmaus were telling their story, coming from no one could tell where or how. The disciples were to remain in Jerusalem for a time before going to Galilee where they would see him. He stood among them with hands uplifted in blessing and greeted them with Peace be unto you. The sorrowing, disappointed disciples were at first frightened and terrified that they had seen a spirit.
After thus speaking he showed them his hands and feet marred by the cruel nails, and also his wounded side. He invited them to handle him since a spirit does not have flesh and bones as he has. His familiar voice and his eating and drinking before them were further proof that he was truly present.
Seeing his wounds and hearing his voice turned their doubt, unbelief and fear into faith, joy, comfort and belief. So calm and joyful they declared Christ had risen, leaving the eleven with no room for doubt about his identity. Beyond the eleven the response was mixed, for other followers present were only partly convinced of his identity. Many who had never seen him before knew from his divine countenance and his pierced hands and feet that he was the Saviour and worshiped him, and even after this proof some still doubted because they could not believe the joyous truth.
The showing of his hands and feet gave abundant, certain evidence that they had seen him alive and talked with him and that his body had not seen corruption. It was a decided triumph and evidence that could not be controverted that made of none effect the falsehood of the priests and established Christianity.
Bodily Identity and Salvation
The nail marks in the hands and feet He held out identified Him as the same Jesus who had been crucified, now risen from the dead in a real body of flesh and bones. The display proved He was Jesus Himself and not a spirit, confirming His own words and removing doubt and fear from the frightened disciples. Together with His eating and drinking before them, this tangible evidence convinced them that He was alive and was their Saviour truly present with them. Those who saw the marks of crucifixion recognized Him as their crucified Lord, beloved Master and risen Saviour.
At gatherings in Jerusalem and in Galilee they responded by rising to worship Him. Risen, He continued His work as educator, opening to them the Scriptures concerning Himself and laying open the straight chain of prophecy about Himself. This teaching bound their hearts with holy, new and sacred hope and joy and left the eleven with no room for unbelief in His identity. The chapter stands as wonderful evidence that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son to save the sinful race.
Jesus suffered the penalty of death to make salvation possible, and everyone who repents and is converted receives the gift of salvation. All who come to the Father through faith in Christ, lay hold of the Saviour by faith and follow His example receive assurance of forgiveness of sins, and His sufferings make it possible for every soul to be sanctified through belief of the truth. His hands speak of His saving work: He alone took away sin and ransomed humanity, bringing peace with God. His resurrection means He has overcome death, and salvation rests on His work and not on human works, while a holy life and service to others follow as the fruit of being saved.
His victory over death gives hope that those who sleep in Jesus will be raised to glorious immortality. The wounded hands and feet He displayed are kept as the memorial of redemption. In heaven, unchanged in sympathy and identifying Himself with suffering humanity, He receives His people's prayers and pleads with God the merits of His own precious blood while showing His wounds as remembrance of the price He paid for His redeemed.
He appeared suddenly among the eleven in the upper chamber in Jerusalem while the Emmaus disciples were telling their story, before they were to go to Galilee to see Him again. He greeted them with uplifted hands in blessing and peace, yet they were frightened as if they had seen a spirit, so He showed them His hands and feet marred by the nails and His wounded side and bade them handle Him, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as He had, eating and drinking before them as further proof. The marks proved Him to be the same Jesus who had been crucified, now risen in a real body and not a spirit, and seeing His wounds and hearing His voice turned their doubt and fear into faith and joy with no room for doubt about His identity. That showing gave certain evidence that they had seen Him alive and talked with Him, a decided triumph that made of none effect the falsehood of the priests and established the truth of His resurrection. His wounded hands and feet remain the memorial of redemption, by which He took away sin and overcame death, giving assurance of forgiveness and sanctification to all who come to Him in faith and hope of glorious immortality, while in heaven He still shows His wounds in pleading the merits of His blood for His people.
Upper Room Appearance
The showing of the hands and feet belongs to the sudden appearance in the upper chamber in Jerusalem to the eleven while those returned from Emmaus were telling their story, coming from no one could tell where or how. The disciples were to remain in Jerusalem for a time before going to Galilee where they would see him. He stood among them with hands uplifted in blessing and greeted them with Peace be unto you. The sorrowing, disappointed disciples were at first frightened and terrified that they had seen a spirit.
After thus speaking he showed them his hands and feet marred by the cruel nails, and also his wounded side. He invited them to handle him since a spirit does not have flesh and bones as he has. His familiar voice and his eating and drinking before them were further proof that he was truly present.
Seeing his wounds and hearing his voice turned their doubt, unbelief and fear into faith, joy, comfort and belief. So calm and joyful they declared Christ had risen, leaving the eleven with no room for doubt about his identity. Beyond the eleven the response was mixed, for other followers present were only partly convinced of his identity. Many who had never seen him before knew from his divine countenance and his pierced hands and feet that he was the Saviour and worshiped him, and even after this proof some still doubted because they could not believe the joyous truth.
The showing of his hands and feet gave abundant, certain evidence that they had seen him alive and talked with him and that his body had not seen corruption. It was a decided triumph and evidence that could not be controverted that made of none effect the falsehood of the priests and established Christianity.
Bodily Identity and Salvation
The nail marks in the hands and feet He held out identified Him as the same Jesus who had been crucified, now risen from the dead in a real body of flesh and bones. The display proved He was Jesus Himself and not a spirit, confirming His own words and removing doubt and fear from the frightened disciples. Together with His eating and drinking before them, this tangible evidence convinced them that He was alive and was their Saviour truly present with them. Those who saw the marks of crucifixion recognized Him as their crucified Lord, beloved Master and risen Saviour.
At gatherings in Jerusalem and in Galilee they responded by rising to worship Him. Risen, He continued His work as educator, opening to them the Scriptures concerning Himself and laying open the straight chain of prophecy about Himself. This teaching bound their hearts with holy, new and sacred hope and joy and left the eleven with no room for unbelief in His identity. The chapter stands as wonderful evidence that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son to save the sinful race.
Jesus suffered the penalty of death to make salvation possible, and everyone who repents and is converted receives the gift of salvation. All who come to the Father through faith in Christ, lay hold of the Saviour by faith and follow His example receive assurance of forgiveness of sins, and His sufferings make it possible for every soul to be sanctified through belief of the truth. His hands speak of His saving work: He alone took away sin and ransomed humanity, bringing peace with God. His resurrection means He has overcome death, and salvation rests on His work and not on human works, while a holy life and service to others follow as the fruit of being saved.
His victory over death gives hope that those who sleep in Jesus will be raised to glorious immortality. The wounded hands and feet He displayed are kept as the memorial of redemption. In heaven, unchanged in sympathy and identifying Himself with suffering humanity, He receives His people's prayers and pleads with God the merits of His own precious blood while showing His wounds as remembrance of the price He paid for His redeemed.