Jesus fulfills all of God's plans and promises
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series V, Cycle B
Theme For The Day: Jesus fulfills all of God's plans and promises. Repent and believe in him and God will give you a new life.
BRIEF COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Acts 3:12--19 (C); Acts 3:13--15, 17--19 (RC)
In the first part of the chapter Peter heals a crippled beggar at Solomon's Colonnade in the temple. Great crowds are attracted to Peter and the other disciples and so Peter uses the opportunity to preach the gospel. Peter is brutally blunt in his preaching, accusing them of killing Jesus, even if it was in ignorance. The God of their fathers has glorified Jesus by raising him from the dead. The apostle then pleads with his hearers to repent so that their sins might be washed away and a time of spiritual refreshment might come.
Lesson 1: Acts 4:5--12 (E)
(See Easter 4)
Lesson 2: 1 John 3:1--7 (C)
The child of God is to live in holiness and obedience so that he does not sin. However, if anyone does sin, we have but to trust in Jesus, God's atoning sacrifice, and our sins will be washed away. A true child of God will not persist in unconfessed and intentional sinning because he has been transformed by the grace of God.
Lesson 2: 1 John 2:1--5 (RC)
Lesson 2: 1 John 1:1-2:2 (E)
(See Easter 2)
Gospel: Luke 24:36b--48 (C, E); Luke 24:35--48 (RC)
Two disciples encountered the risen Christ on the road to Emmaus and return to Jerusalem to share the good news with the other disciples. As they are still speaking, Jesus comes into their midst. They shirk back, thinking that he is a ghost. Jesus eats some fish to demonstrate that he is not a ghost, that he has a body. He then proceeds to explain how his death and resurrection fulfills scripture, just as he had done on the road to Emmaus. The risen Christ still takes on the role of teacher. Repentance and forgiveness is to be preached in his name to all nations. Jesus would soon send his Spirit to help them in their witnessing task.
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 4 (C, RC) - "Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself" (v. 3a).
Psalm 98 (E)
Prayer Of The Day
Lord God, we thank you for the grace and forgiveness we receive through Jesus, who came to us according to your divine plan. Make our lives a glowing witness to his resurrection power. In the precious name of Jesus. Amen.
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Acts 3:12--19
Give God the glory. After the healing of the crippled beggar, the crowds looked at Peter and John as if they were great. Peter informs the people that they are nothing special but that it was through the power of Jesus that he was healed (vv. 12--13). Peter did not hesitate to give Christ the glory.
They got the point. The worshippers at the temple who heard Peter preach got the point. It was like pounding a stake into their heart with a sledge hammer. "You handed him over to be killed!" BAM! "You disowned him before Pilate..." BAM! "You disowned the Holy and righteous One...!" BAM! "You killed the author of life!" BAM! BAM! BAM! They got the point all right and it hurt.
But! There wasn't any good news in the spiritual bludgeoning on Peter's audience. It was all law and guilt. However, once he got their attention he introduced the gospel with a but: "but God raised him from the dead" (v. 13). There was hope that the Lord could undo what they had done. He makes the further point that it was by the name of Jesus that the crippled man was healed. They had all sinned in condemning Jesus BUT God raised Jesus and offers new life to all who repent and believe in his name. When people tell you how bad things are, just interject the conjunction but; but remember, God raised Jesus and God can raise us all to newness of life. God's little three letter word gives us hope.
Lesson 2: 1 John 3:1--7
Lavish love (v. 3). The NRSV makes a verb of the word "lavish" to describe the wondrous love with which God has favored us in Christ. The word lavish connotes extravagance, profusion, unstinting in giving. It comes from an old French word laver, meaning "to wash" or "downpour." In Christ, we are awash in God's great love and grace.
What we are and what we shall be (v. 2). John states boldly that we already are (present tense) God's children but what we shall be has not yet been revealed to us. We only know that when Jesus returns we will be like him because we will see him as he really is. Though we know Jesus, our image of him is clouded by sin and mortality. In glory we will see Jesus for real and what a transforming experience that will be!
Are we living in sin or living in the Son? Christ came to take away our sin. John clearly states that any person who intentionally persists in sin is not born of God. If we are living in and through God's Son, we cannot at the same time live in sin. None of us, of course, is free of sin, but we are in the process of being liberated from its control as we walk with Christ. This process is called sanctification.
Gospel: Luke 24:36b--48
He stands among us (v. 36). As the disciples were discussing the mysterious events surrounding the first Easter, the Lord himself came and stood among them. In their confusion and their fear he came with his peace. He stands among us still, whenever we gather in his name.
How do we know he's real? When the believers saw the risen Jesus, they thought they had seen a ghost. Jesus showed them the marks of crucifixion and he ate some fish to demonstrate that he was real, body and all. There are many Jesus clones, various and sundry representations of the Christ. There's the glitzy Jesus in designer suits and ties, sitting on a couch of gold, selling his latest formula for success. There's the pinched nose Jesus, raising his eyebrows contemptuously to those who do not agree with his concept of God. There's the teddy bear Jesus; he just wants to be hugged and cuddled. He's always there for you and, this is the good part, he won't raise his hand, prophet--like, and intone "Thus, says the Lord!" or "Repent!" How do we know the real Jesus? Look at his hands and feet and observe if his wounds are there. They are the marks of love. Real love, like the real Jesus, is not afraid to get dirty or bloody or to give one's life for the world.
Look at his hands (v. 39). I bought a paperback book of sermons one time called A Cross Study Of Hands. Each week he would lift up different hands communicating various messages. For instance, there were the accusing hands of the religious authorities, the angry hands of the crowd and the praying hands of Jesus. You can tell a great deal about a person by examining his hands. Like how he earns his living or how meticulous he is. When you look at the hands of Jesus, they won't be silky white or satin smooth. They will bear the imprint of hard nails but they are strong, sensitive and loving hands.
Surprised by joy (v. 41). The disciples were surprised by joy. There is no better way to explain it. They hadn't expected it. In fact, it was the furthest thing from their mind. The resurrection of Jesus reminds us that we must always be ready to be surprised by joy. God turns our dirge into a dance.
SERMON APPROACHES WITH ILLUSTRATIONS
Lesson 1: Acts 3:12--19
Sermon Title: Guilty
Sermon Angle: Peter came out of the corner swinging, as he leveled accusations against the Jews in the temple. "You handed him over to be killed ... You disowned the Holy and Righteous One..." and much more. With no ambiguity, he charged, indicted and convicted them as being guilty of killing the Christ. Most of us would not be comfortable in being that direct. Yet the truth remains that unless we accept our guilt we cannot receive the gift of salvation. The problem with Peter's preaching for me lies in the fact that he does not lift up his own guilt. He himself, one of the inner circle of disciples, denied three times that he even knew Jesus. Who am I to advise the Rock on homiletics? Yet wouldn't his message have had greater impact if he had included himself among those who crucified Christ? After all, it wasn't just the Jews who crucified Jesus. We all warrant the sentence: "Guilty!"
Outline:
1. Peter preached a sermon that made his hearers squirm - they were guilty!
2. Underlying truth - we must admit guilt to receive grace (law and gospel).
3. The good news - though they were guilty, God had forgiven them.
4. The resurrection of Christ is good news for us all - God forgives and renews all who repent and trust in Jesus (v. 19).
Sermon Title: There's Something About That Name
Sermon Angle: The 1994 national champions of college football, the Nebraska Cornhuskers, were once dubbed the "Bugeaters." I don't think that they would ever have attained their exalted status had they retained that handle. Names have power to shape us, shame us, inspire us, or even heal us. Peter makes clear that he did not heal the crippled man in his name but through the name of Jesus (v. 16). Believers and even some skeptics have discovered that there is definitely something about the name of Jesus, that name above every name.
Lesson 2: 1 John 3:1--7
Sermon Title: Adopted Into The Family Of God
Sermon Angle: The text does not mention adoption but that is what it describes. What else would you call it when someone considers you his child? John equates the lavishness of God's love with our being taken into God's family. "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" We have a name, an identity. Not just any name. Not just any identity. We are children of God.
Outline:
1. Is anything more pathetic than to be nameless - without home or family?
2. We are children of God (v. 2).
3. This identity is a sign of God's favor.
4. To persist in a life of sin shows that we do not know God - we lose our identity (vv. 4--5).
__________
The national news on August 25, 1995 showed a mass grave in the form of a long trench. The bodies rested in plain wooden boxes, with their name, if known, affixed to the top. The boxes were so close together that you couldn't put a matchbook in between. These were not the victims of genocide in Africa or Bosnia. They were victims of a severe heat wave in the city of Chicago, mostly the aged and the infirm. No one was there to grieve their loss. Nobody claimed their bodies; their families had either lost touch with them or they had no family. In this mass grave, these poor souls lost their identity and their humanity. They were nobody's child and no one's mother or father. They had apparently lost their identity and sense of worth some time prior to their miserable death or they wouldn't have died alone and forsaken. Yet as Christians, we have the hope that the Lord knew them and claimed them as his children.
On the same newscast they featured the mass wedding of 70,000 Moonies, who were united together in a stadium in Seoul, Korea. These couples did not know one another, they did not fall in love with one another, nor did they have any role in selecting their mates. These young people of different races had forfeited their individuality and their identity. I fear that it was not a free choice. Moon views himself as a messiah who will bring to life a new and godly race of humans. How unfortunate that the church was not able to reach these young people with the good news that the King of creation desires to claim them as his own dear children.
Sermon Title: Family Likeness
Sermon Angle: People are always comparing us to other family members. "She looks just like her mother." "He has his father's eyes and his mother's bad temper." Well, you get the picture. John states that when Christ returns, we shall be like him (v. 2). Already the family resemblance should be apparent. When people view our words and deeds, wouldn't it be wonderful if they thought, "God must be like that."
Gospel: Luke 24:36b--48
Sermon Title: Stand Up On The Promises Of God
Sermon Angle: The risen Christ appeared to the disciples and after he established his identity, he explained to them how he was the fulfillment of the promises that God made through the prophets and the Psalms. We see the same process in effect in the preaching of Peter, featured in the First Lesson. This not only shows God's faithfulness in fulfilling his promises but helps us see that the life, death and resurrection of Jesus are not disconnected events but central features of a much larger picture. God's people have always found him to be faithful. We can stand up on the promises of God.
Outline:
1. The history of God's people reveals a series of God's promises made and fulfilled.
2. Jesus told his disciples he would rise from the dead but they didn't understand.
3. The disciples of Jesus were knocked off their feet by the crucifixion.
4. Jesus appeared among them and raised them up - gave them hope.
5. Jesus explained how his death and resurrection was a fulfillment to God's promises.
6. They stood up on the promises of God and so can we.
Sermon Title: Connections
Sermon Angle: The Discovery Channel developed a series called Connections to help us understand the relationship between scientific discoveries and also to comprehend how various historical events formed the foundation for other events. The crucifixion was a particularly jarring and disconnecting event. The disciples thought that Jesus was going to establish an earthly kingdom but the crucifixion smashed that idea as if it were a flower pot that had fallen from a ten--story building. The resurrected Jesus came into their company and proceeded to explain how what had happened to him was connected to what God had done and said before. Making connections is what any religion is about, helping people understand how they fit into the cosmos, how their lives connect with the past and the future and, most importantly of all, how we connect with God. The resurrection of Christ teaches us that our connection with God and others does not end when our mortal--cord is severed.
Outline:
1. The death of Jesus cut connections to the past and future for the disciples.
2. The risen Christ revealed to them how everything that happened was connected.
- The crucifixion and resurrection were part of God's plan (vv. 44--46).
- A fulfillment of the promises of God.
3. Christ also connected the church to the future - to be his witnesses (vv. 47--48).
Sermon Title: How To Recognize The Risen Christ
Sermon Angle: When Christ appeared to his disciples in the upper room, they didn't recognize him right away. They thought he was a ghost. John's account of the resurrection reveals that Mary Magdalene didn't recognize the risen Christ either. It isn't any easier in our day because there are so many descriptions of the living Lord. (Refer to the "Theological Reflection On The Lessons" section.) Jesus pointed to his hands and feet to help his disciples recognize him, they bear the marks of God's endless love.
__________
I read the story of an English girl whose parents died when she was a teenager. Being the oldest, she assumed the mother's role of caring for her siblings. After a couple of years of hard labor, she was taken ill to a hospital. The doctor discovered that she was dying. Hearing of her plight, a minister decided to visit her and prepare her for eternity. He seemed more interested in having her recite the proper doctrinal formulation than he was in sharing with her the love of Jesus. The right words weren't coming from her lips and he was becoming somewhat annoyed as he asked: "But what will you have to show the Lord when you stand before his judgment seat?" The girl quietly responded with wisdom that could only have been drawn from the well of suffering love: "I will show him my hands."
BRIEF COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Acts 3:12--19 (C); Acts 3:13--15, 17--19 (RC)
In the first part of the chapter Peter heals a crippled beggar at Solomon's Colonnade in the temple. Great crowds are attracted to Peter and the other disciples and so Peter uses the opportunity to preach the gospel. Peter is brutally blunt in his preaching, accusing them of killing Jesus, even if it was in ignorance. The God of their fathers has glorified Jesus by raising him from the dead. The apostle then pleads with his hearers to repent so that their sins might be washed away and a time of spiritual refreshment might come.
Lesson 1: Acts 4:5--12 (E)
(See Easter 4)
Lesson 2: 1 John 3:1--7 (C)
The child of God is to live in holiness and obedience so that he does not sin. However, if anyone does sin, we have but to trust in Jesus, God's atoning sacrifice, and our sins will be washed away. A true child of God will not persist in unconfessed and intentional sinning because he has been transformed by the grace of God.
Lesson 2: 1 John 2:1--5 (RC)
Lesson 2: 1 John 1:1-2:2 (E)
(See Easter 2)
Gospel: Luke 24:36b--48 (C, E); Luke 24:35--48 (RC)
Two disciples encountered the risen Christ on the road to Emmaus and return to Jerusalem to share the good news with the other disciples. As they are still speaking, Jesus comes into their midst. They shirk back, thinking that he is a ghost. Jesus eats some fish to demonstrate that he is not a ghost, that he has a body. He then proceeds to explain how his death and resurrection fulfills scripture, just as he had done on the road to Emmaus. The risen Christ still takes on the role of teacher. Repentance and forgiveness is to be preached in his name to all nations. Jesus would soon send his Spirit to help them in their witnessing task.
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 4 (C, RC) - "Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself" (v. 3a).
Psalm 98 (E)
Prayer Of The Day
Lord God, we thank you for the grace and forgiveness we receive through Jesus, who came to us according to your divine plan. Make our lives a glowing witness to his resurrection power. In the precious name of Jesus. Amen.
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Acts 3:12--19
Give God the glory. After the healing of the crippled beggar, the crowds looked at Peter and John as if they were great. Peter informs the people that they are nothing special but that it was through the power of Jesus that he was healed (vv. 12--13). Peter did not hesitate to give Christ the glory.
They got the point. The worshippers at the temple who heard Peter preach got the point. It was like pounding a stake into their heart with a sledge hammer. "You handed him over to be killed!" BAM! "You disowned him before Pilate..." BAM! "You disowned the Holy and righteous One...!" BAM! "You killed the author of life!" BAM! BAM! BAM! They got the point all right and it hurt.
But! There wasn't any good news in the spiritual bludgeoning on Peter's audience. It was all law and guilt. However, once he got their attention he introduced the gospel with a but: "but God raised him from the dead" (v. 13). There was hope that the Lord could undo what they had done. He makes the further point that it was by the name of Jesus that the crippled man was healed. They had all sinned in condemning Jesus BUT God raised Jesus and offers new life to all who repent and believe in his name. When people tell you how bad things are, just interject the conjunction but; but remember, God raised Jesus and God can raise us all to newness of life. God's little three letter word gives us hope.
Lesson 2: 1 John 3:1--7
Lavish love (v. 3). The NRSV makes a verb of the word "lavish" to describe the wondrous love with which God has favored us in Christ. The word lavish connotes extravagance, profusion, unstinting in giving. It comes from an old French word laver, meaning "to wash" or "downpour." In Christ, we are awash in God's great love and grace.
What we are and what we shall be (v. 2). John states boldly that we already are (present tense) God's children but what we shall be has not yet been revealed to us. We only know that when Jesus returns we will be like him because we will see him as he really is. Though we know Jesus, our image of him is clouded by sin and mortality. In glory we will see Jesus for real and what a transforming experience that will be!
Are we living in sin or living in the Son? Christ came to take away our sin. John clearly states that any person who intentionally persists in sin is not born of God. If we are living in and through God's Son, we cannot at the same time live in sin. None of us, of course, is free of sin, but we are in the process of being liberated from its control as we walk with Christ. This process is called sanctification.
Gospel: Luke 24:36b--48
He stands among us (v. 36). As the disciples were discussing the mysterious events surrounding the first Easter, the Lord himself came and stood among them. In their confusion and their fear he came with his peace. He stands among us still, whenever we gather in his name.
How do we know he's real? When the believers saw the risen Jesus, they thought they had seen a ghost. Jesus showed them the marks of crucifixion and he ate some fish to demonstrate that he was real, body and all. There are many Jesus clones, various and sundry representations of the Christ. There's the glitzy Jesus in designer suits and ties, sitting on a couch of gold, selling his latest formula for success. There's the pinched nose Jesus, raising his eyebrows contemptuously to those who do not agree with his concept of God. There's the teddy bear Jesus; he just wants to be hugged and cuddled. He's always there for you and, this is the good part, he won't raise his hand, prophet--like, and intone "Thus, says the Lord!" or "Repent!" How do we know the real Jesus? Look at his hands and feet and observe if his wounds are there. They are the marks of love. Real love, like the real Jesus, is not afraid to get dirty or bloody or to give one's life for the world.
Look at his hands (v. 39). I bought a paperback book of sermons one time called A Cross Study Of Hands. Each week he would lift up different hands communicating various messages. For instance, there were the accusing hands of the religious authorities, the angry hands of the crowd and the praying hands of Jesus. You can tell a great deal about a person by examining his hands. Like how he earns his living or how meticulous he is. When you look at the hands of Jesus, they won't be silky white or satin smooth. They will bear the imprint of hard nails but they are strong, sensitive and loving hands.
Surprised by joy (v. 41). The disciples were surprised by joy. There is no better way to explain it. They hadn't expected it. In fact, it was the furthest thing from their mind. The resurrection of Jesus reminds us that we must always be ready to be surprised by joy. God turns our dirge into a dance.
SERMON APPROACHES WITH ILLUSTRATIONS
Lesson 1: Acts 3:12--19
Sermon Title: Guilty
Sermon Angle: Peter came out of the corner swinging, as he leveled accusations against the Jews in the temple. "You handed him over to be killed ... You disowned the Holy and Righteous One..." and much more. With no ambiguity, he charged, indicted and convicted them as being guilty of killing the Christ. Most of us would not be comfortable in being that direct. Yet the truth remains that unless we accept our guilt we cannot receive the gift of salvation. The problem with Peter's preaching for me lies in the fact that he does not lift up his own guilt. He himself, one of the inner circle of disciples, denied three times that he even knew Jesus. Who am I to advise the Rock on homiletics? Yet wouldn't his message have had greater impact if he had included himself among those who crucified Christ? After all, it wasn't just the Jews who crucified Jesus. We all warrant the sentence: "Guilty!"
Outline:
1. Peter preached a sermon that made his hearers squirm - they were guilty!
2. Underlying truth - we must admit guilt to receive grace (law and gospel).
3. The good news - though they were guilty, God had forgiven them.
4. The resurrection of Christ is good news for us all - God forgives and renews all who repent and trust in Jesus (v. 19).
Sermon Title: There's Something About That Name
Sermon Angle: The 1994 national champions of college football, the Nebraska Cornhuskers, were once dubbed the "Bugeaters." I don't think that they would ever have attained their exalted status had they retained that handle. Names have power to shape us, shame us, inspire us, or even heal us. Peter makes clear that he did not heal the crippled man in his name but through the name of Jesus (v. 16). Believers and even some skeptics have discovered that there is definitely something about the name of Jesus, that name above every name.
Lesson 2: 1 John 3:1--7
Sermon Title: Adopted Into The Family Of God
Sermon Angle: The text does not mention adoption but that is what it describes. What else would you call it when someone considers you his child? John equates the lavishness of God's love with our being taken into God's family. "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" We have a name, an identity. Not just any name. Not just any identity. We are children of God.
Outline:
1. Is anything more pathetic than to be nameless - without home or family?
2. We are children of God (v. 2).
3. This identity is a sign of God's favor.
4. To persist in a life of sin shows that we do not know God - we lose our identity (vv. 4--5).
__________
The national news on August 25, 1995 showed a mass grave in the form of a long trench. The bodies rested in plain wooden boxes, with their name, if known, affixed to the top. The boxes were so close together that you couldn't put a matchbook in between. These were not the victims of genocide in Africa or Bosnia. They were victims of a severe heat wave in the city of Chicago, mostly the aged and the infirm. No one was there to grieve their loss. Nobody claimed their bodies; their families had either lost touch with them or they had no family. In this mass grave, these poor souls lost their identity and their humanity. They were nobody's child and no one's mother or father. They had apparently lost their identity and sense of worth some time prior to their miserable death or they wouldn't have died alone and forsaken. Yet as Christians, we have the hope that the Lord knew them and claimed them as his children.
On the same newscast they featured the mass wedding of 70,000 Moonies, who were united together in a stadium in Seoul, Korea. These couples did not know one another, they did not fall in love with one another, nor did they have any role in selecting their mates. These young people of different races had forfeited their individuality and their identity. I fear that it was not a free choice. Moon views himself as a messiah who will bring to life a new and godly race of humans. How unfortunate that the church was not able to reach these young people with the good news that the King of creation desires to claim them as his own dear children.
Sermon Title: Family Likeness
Sermon Angle: People are always comparing us to other family members. "She looks just like her mother." "He has his father's eyes and his mother's bad temper." Well, you get the picture. John states that when Christ returns, we shall be like him (v. 2). Already the family resemblance should be apparent. When people view our words and deeds, wouldn't it be wonderful if they thought, "God must be like that."
Gospel: Luke 24:36b--48
Sermon Title: Stand Up On The Promises Of God
Sermon Angle: The risen Christ appeared to the disciples and after he established his identity, he explained to them how he was the fulfillment of the promises that God made through the prophets and the Psalms. We see the same process in effect in the preaching of Peter, featured in the First Lesson. This not only shows God's faithfulness in fulfilling his promises but helps us see that the life, death and resurrection of Jesus are not disconnected events but central features of a much larger picture. God's people have always found him to be faithful. We can stand up on the promises of God.
Outline:
1. The history of God's people reveals a series of God's promises made and fulfilled.
2. Jesus told his disciples he would rise from the dead but they didn't understand.
3. The disciples of Jesus were knocked off their feet by the crucifixion.
4. Jesus appeared among them and raised them up - gave them hope.
5. Jesus explained how his death and resurrection was a fulfillment to God's promises.
6. They stood up on the promises of God and so can we.
Sermon Title: Connections
Sermon Angle: The Discovery Channel developed a series called Connections to help us understand the relationship between scientific discoveries and also to comprehend how various historical events formed the foundation for other events. The crucifixion was a particularly jarring and disconnecting event. The disciples thought that Jesus was going to establish an earthly kingdom but the crucifixion smashed that idea as if it were a flower pot that had fallen from a ten--story building. The resurrected Jesus came into their company and proceeded to explain how what had happened to him was connected to what God had done and said before. Making connections is what any religion is about, helping people understand how they fit into the cosmos, how their lives connect with the past and the future and, most importantly of all, how we connect with God. The resurrection of Christ teaches us that our connection with God and others does not end when our mortal--cord is severed.
Outline:
1. The death of Jesus cut connections to the past and future for the disciples.
2. The risen Christ revealed to them how everything that happened was connected.
- The crucifixion and resurrection were part of God's plan (vv. 44--46).
- A fulfillment of the promises of God.
3. Christ also connected the church to the future - to be his witnesses (vv. 47--48).
Sermon Title: How To Recognize The Risen Christ
Sermon Angle: When Christ appeared to his disciples in the upper room, they didn't recognize him right away. They thought he was a ghost. John's account of the resurrection reveals that Mary Magdalene didn't recognize the risen Christ either. It isn't any easier in our day because there are so many descriptions of the living Lord. (Refer to the "Theological Reflection On The Lessons" section.) Jesus pointed to his hands and feet to help his disciples recognize him, they bear the marks of God's endless love.
__________
I read the story of an English girl whose parents died when she was a teenager. Being the oldest, she assumed the mother's role of caring for her siblings. After a couple of years of hard labor, she was taken ill to a hospital. The doctor discovered that she was dying. Hearing of her plight, a minister decided to visit her and prepare her for eternity. He seemed more interested in having her recite the proper doctrinal formulation than he was in sharing with her the love of Jesus. The right words weren't coming from her lips and he was becoming somewhat annoyed as he asked: "But what will you have to show the Lord when you stand before his judgment seat?" The girl quietly responded with wisdom that could only have been drawn from the well of suffering love: "I will show him my hands."
