John 20:19-22

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.

21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 

 

Jesus Appears to Thomas

John 20:24-29

24 Now Thomas 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.”

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!”

29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

 

WHAT IS THE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF SCARS ?

Instead of being wiped away by divine power, those scars became the evidence of his risen life. The wounds left by his suffering and death on the cross become the identifying marks of God's goodness and love. It is the same for us as we wrestle with the dark times of our lives.

 

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT BATTLE SCARS?

We have been redeemed by His blood, and those scars will forever be a reminder of what Jesus did for us.

Isaiah 53

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed” 

 

When soldiers came back from war , some come back with wounds, lost limbs. None of them regret having gone into combat, they knew the consequences they would face.

These are the scars they received for the freedom of their people.

 

A fighter never gives up. His scars are his ornaments. He may never be whole, yet he's bigger than all his battles and beautiful, even in his brokenness.

 

This is a lesson for us believers 

Apostle Paul says in 

Galatians 6:17, NKJ

I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus

We all know the story , he was beaten, imprisoned and he bore the scars in his body but never given up .

As believers some of us have external scars , some internal (emotional)scars 

We have overcome the challenges/storms through faith, belief and hope in our Lord and savior Jesus, for he had bore those scare for us at the cross 

Let us use those scars to bring hope to those around us for we stand by his word 

HE IS THE WAY AND THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE

 

 

Prayer is not preparation for the battle

Prayer is the battle