The Wounds that Tell the Greatest Story

Let us go to the darkest moment in human history. When God Himself had stepped down from heaven into the humanity’s decadence and depravity. To shine His glorious light of life and reveal His love everlasting. As you listen be blessed, empowered and transformed in Jesus name.

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Transcript

00:00 Intro music and voice over.

Welcome to jesus loves the world podcast. For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Be blessed empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name! 

00:21 Speaker

As we journey through this life there are the scars that tell a story. Whether physical, emotional or mental scars, each one has a connection to a significant event in our lives. A connection that is usually associated with suffering. Yet the wounds that tell the greatest story are an expression of a love so deep and a heart so pure. A love and purity that is not only destiny changing, but is life transforming. 

For this is a true story, of love divine. 

The heart of the Eternal, Self-Exisiting One who called light into the darkness and cast the sun, moon and stars into the cosmos. In the purest of love, the Eternal, Self-Exisiting One - the Father, Son and Spirit - gave their honour to humanity. Together they said, let us make humanity in our own image. As the Eternal, Self-Exisiting One is all knowing, He saw into time itself. Knowing that humanity would choose their own pathway of destruction, in the deepest of love and purest of heart, the Eternal, Self-Exisiting One still chose to create. 

As the empires of humanity came and went, the corruption caused by humanity’s lusts continued. The darkness of humanity is a darkness that is so dark it can be felt. Yet from the darkest hour of humanity became the greatest light.

So let us go to that moment in human history. When the wounds that express the greatest love and purest heart are revealed as the wounds of the Eternal, Self-Existing One. 

Picture this. It is festival time. Everyone is gathering to the holy city for the celebrations. The political and religious environment is volatile. 

A trial is about to take place. The injustices of humanity were on full display. A man had been declared innocent, yet He was sentenced to death.

But He was no ordinary man. For this man was and is the Son of God. He willingly subjected Himself to the full human condition. To push back the darkness and shine the Eternal One’s glorious light. He humbly came to defeat death, evil and humanity’s selfish desires.  

His name is Jesus.

The choice was clear. The governor said to the people, choose between Jesus whom I find no fault, or choose this murderer. Whoever you choose will be released to you. As voices cried out, they chose the murderer.

Again humanity chose to reject the Eternal, Self-Exisiting One. As a result chose the darkness of humanity’s selfish desires and evil over the Eternal Self-Existing One’s glorious light. Yet in His great love, the Eternal One chose to experience the full human condition and sacrifice His human life, to set humanity free. 

Yet the governor asked again and again, what am I to do with Jesus? The voice of the religious and the people cried out, crucify Him, crucify Him! 

It was indeed the darkest hour of humanity, yet the greatest expression of love divine.

Those in power tortured and mocked Jesus. They publicly shamed Him and executed Him, knowing He was an innocent man. People passed by, beholding His mutilated body, that was evidence of humanity’s need for a saviour. 

From the wounds that tell the greatest story, His blood dripped down into the dirt and darkness of humanity’s shame. The wounds that testify of humanity’s darkness, testify of the Eternal, Self-Exisiting one’s endless love.

Jesus at anytime could of seized back the power from humanity. Yet the Eternal, Self-Exisiting One never takes back what He gives. For in the beginning He gave humanity, both male and female, the equal right to rule and reign in His once perfect world. 

Jesus identified with the darkness of humanity’s shame, without ever partaking of it. Out of His great love and pure heart, subjected Himself into the hands of humanity, to set humanity free. Feeling the torment of humanity’s emotional, mental and physical distance from their creator, the Eternal, Self-Exisiting One chose to remain nailed to the rugged cross. Then He took His final breath. A soldier pierced His side with a spear. Immediately blood and water came out. It is finished.

Yet the wounds that tell the greatest story live on! Jesus rose from the grave. He appeared to many of His disciples. Into their doubts and fear, pain and loss, the resurrected Jesus walks into the room and everything changes. 

John 20:19-31 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 

So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained. Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” 

And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” Then He said to Thomas “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.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

The Eternal, Self-Exisiting One one who called light into the darkness, and cast the sun, moon and stars into the cosmos, said peace be with you. Peace to you. When Jesus speaks, it is so. 

Jesus brought revelation into doubts, peace into fear, healing into pain and gain into loss.

Jesus was there with His disciples. He showed them His hands and side. They were glad that they had seen the Lord. It must of been an incredibly special and intimate moment. For they had seen the wounds that tell the greatest story. A true story of love divine. 

Yet there was one disciple who was missing. When He heard the news, He declared that he not only needed to see the wounds, but needed to touch and experience Jesus intimately and personally. His name was Thomas.

Knowing all things the resurrected Jesus appeared again to His disciples. This time when Thomas was there. Jesus said to Thomas intimately and personally, Reach your finger here, and look at My hands.

So the hands that bear the wounds that tell of the greatest story were held out to Thomas. The scars were visible. Jesus’ nail-pierced hands remained the evidence of humanity’s need for a kinsman redeemer. They were there right before Thomas’ very eyes. The scars that testify that humanity demands that someone has to pay. Jesus shows Thomas and us today, our demand for the cost to be paid has been satisfied. Jesus has paid the cost and placed the highest value on our salvation. The cost of all humanity’s offences ever said, thought or done throughout the ages. In the wounds that tell the greatest story are the testimony that we are the pearl of great price. Testifying that the Eternal, Self-Exisiting One sacrificed everything for us all because He so loves. 

Yes the wounds of Jesus tell the greatest story. A true story of love divine. 

It is for our benefit that in the hands of the all powerful, the almighty, the scars of humanity remain. 

Thomas looked into the wounds that evidenced the darkness of humanity and saw the glorious light of the divine. In Jesus’ scars, Thomas could see the greatest love and purest heart of the Eternal, Self-Exisiting One.

So for us today, we can spiritually look into the wounds of humanity’s heartache and pain and be reminded of the Eternal, Self-Exisiting One, that he did it all for us. He did it all so that each individual and people group throughout the ages can believe and receive Him. Receive His love and healing, victory and honour.

Jesus intimately and personally paid the cost. He is humanity’s kinsman redeemer and in receiving His sacrifice and right to rule and reign, we too receive His eternal life. 

The Eternal, Self-Exisiting One who called light into the darkness and the cast the sun, moon and stars into the cosmos, said to Thomas, reach your hand here, and put it into My side. 

The same side that just days before, testified that Jesus was dead. They had seen the blood and the water ooze out as the soldier pierced His skin. They heard His words, it is finished, as He breathed His last breath. Yet here He was before them, showing the wounds that tell the greatest story.

The resurrected Jesus said to Thomas, Do not be unbelieving, but believing. As Jesus speaks it is so. 

Immediately Thomas responded and made a powerful statement. He said, My Lord and my God. It was a destiny defining moment, filled with intimacy, awe and wonder. 

Just as Jesus had identified and connected with humanity, Thomas now identified and connected with the divine. Thomas not only testified of their relationship as Lord and disciple, but also that Jesus is indeed the Son of God. The Son who together with the Father and Spirit are the Eternal, Self-Exisiting one, who called light into the darkness and the cast the sun, moon and stars into the cosmos. 

God the Son, sent from the Father, born of God’s Spirit became human. Still fully divine, the resurrected Jesus bears the wounds that tell the greatest story. 

The wounds that testify how He stepped down from eternity into our finite world. Testify of how He brought divine honour into humanity’s shame. 

Jesus honours the Father and the Father honours the Son. The Holy Spirit testifies of how the Eternal, Self-Exisiting one brings life into death and healing into brokenness. Together the Father, Son and Spirit honour us. Knowing that we need someone to pay the cost, the Eternal, Self-Exisiting One willingly became that someone. 

From out of Jesus’ side came the evidence of death and the testimony of His eternal life. For all who receive Him and believe in His name, are blessed. As Jesus declared to Thomas and all His disciples, Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. 

As we behold His scars, we can remember the wounds that He sustained. Knowing that we are forgiven and are the recipients of the purest of love. A love divine. 

For we have His life everlasting, His love unconditional and His forgiveness unending. Together with His Spirit that dwells within, we testify of the wounds that tell the greatest story.  

Jesus is our kinsman redeemer, Lord and King. He is the Son of God who became the son of man. The Eternal, Self-Exisiting One who spoke light into the darkness and cast the sun, moon and stars into the cosmos. 

Jesus came in grace and truth, from the bosom of the Father. He is the very essence of God and the only way to Him. Jesus is the true vine who grafts us into His relationship with God the Father.

Jesus is the eternal truth and giver of life everlasting. He is the bread of life who came down from heaven. The divine light of the world who pushes back the darkness and became one of us. Jesus is both the good shepherd and the lamb that was slain. He is our saviour, High Priest, mediator, prophet and King. 

Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God, the bright morning star and prince of peace. The alpha and omega and the author and finisher of our faith in Him. 

Yes the testimony is true. Jesus is the one who bears the wounds that tell of the greatest story. A true story of love divine.  

19:40 Outro music and voice over. 

For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Be blessed empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name!