"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life-the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us-that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full." 1 John 1:1-4
John speaks here of a certain familiarity with the Son of God that comes only from communion with Him. He handled "that which was from the beginning." We are sensory creatures. When we see a painting, many of us want to let our hands trail across the canvas, feeling the ridges formed by the brush strokes, this experience somehow making the work of art more real in our minds. We are not usually content displaying our affection to those we love with a smile or a word, but we hug their necks, squeezing them to make our love felt physically.
We cannot help this peculiarity of design, and I would say even that we should embrace (=D) it. As our Creator as well as Savior, Jesus understood this. At the end of John (Chapter 20) Jesus is appearing to His disciples after being resurrected. Thomas, often called doubting, responds to the other disciples who have told him they have seen Jesus alive by saying that he will not believe until he sees the holes in Jesus' hands and feel and puts his hand into His side. Jesus knows this is what it will take for Thomas to believe, and therefore appears to him and has him put his finger in the nail-formed holes and has him put his hand in His side. The physical sensation of touching the wounds of his Savior changes Thomas forever. Of the disciples, Thomas, according to church history, journeyed the farthest in spreading the Gospel-India.
How do we translate this to our own lives? How can we effectively reach into the side of Christ and touch the holes in His hands and feet? We know that greater love has no man than this-he would lay his life down for his friends. As we lay our lives down for one another, we are expressing the love of Christ in a tangible way, allowing ourselves to become colaborers with Him, as well as crucifying our selfish flesh. As we spend our lives on behalf of others, Christ makes Himself more real to us, increasing our faith so that we too, may spread the Gospel. So find your own way to touch His side. Explore ways to feel the wounds in His hands and feet. Your faith will be strengthened. Your purpose made clear. Your life everlasting and abundant.
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1 comment:
Thanks for that message and insight into Thomas. It has helped give me the encouragement that I need to "lay down my life" for friends in Christ in ways that I really don't want to.
However, who knows? Perhaps Thomas has a fear of travelling, perhaps he was not as evangelistic as others? Whatever the case, the compelling fact that his faith was able to be met on a very real way by God inspired him to trust in God and do much more than he ever expected to by himself or that he thought was possible.
Your message was a good reminder that God just wants us to be in a place where we can have our expectations and our outcomes be magnified and our plea for faith be satisfied. God bless!
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