Touch My Scars

Have you ever had to bury one of your children, been addicted to drugs, battled cancer, spent time in jail, gone through a messy divorce or had to deal with a loved one's suicide? There's a job waiting for you if you want it. And only you can do it.

After Jesus died, he re-appeared in front of His disciples. Not as a ghost, but as actual flesh and bone. Jesus taught Thomas something and He taught US something well. Keep your attention on His scars and what they did to those He showed them to.

^"19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” ²⁰ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord." - John 20:19-20

Jesus showed them His scars. His disciples were overjoyed. Now watch what happened when His disciples tried telling Thomas that they had seen The Lord.

^"24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” - John 20:24-25

Thomas didn't believe them. Even though they had seen Jesus and were excited about it. Thomas hadn't seen the physical evidence for himself. He refused to believe. But then . . .

^"26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”

"²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

²⁸ Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” - John 20:26:28

Thomas saw the scars and he believed. You and I can tell people about Jesus but they won't believe us unless they encounter Him for themselves. Another thing they need to see in the scars. OUR scars.

We NEED those scars. If we try telling someone what it's like to battle cancer but haven't gone through the chemo and radiation ourselves, it's hard for someone to believe us when we tell them they can do it. But if a cancer survivor speaks to a cancer patient in the hospital, suddenly there is hope in the new patient for getting through the trial because he or she is listening to someone tell them it IS possible. They see "the scars."

We can tell people about Jesus but unless people see evidence of Him in our lives they won't believe. People need to see our scars. And to really have a lasting, permanent effect on someone, let them "touch" your scars. Let them feel the pain you went through. Let them see your tears, your emotions.

I got saved when a friend showed me HER scars. She was crying as she told me how her husband didn't go with her to church. I felt convicted as I saw her weeping over it because not going to church with MY wife was something I was guilty of too. I went to church with my wife the very next Sunday and met Jesus there while sitting with her in a pew.


People seek honesty and truth. We can tell people something honestly yet they still won't believe us. We can give them books to read. We can give them a Bible, but unless they see the truth lived out in our lives . . . until they touch the scars . . . they simply will not believe.

Do we have what it takes to let a stranger touch us in such a way? We have the scars. Let us use them for God's glory. Doing so will help US heal at the same time.


Why Jesus Kept His Scars