jesustombRead Luke 24:36-44

“Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have” (v. 39).

We have all waited as the jury struggled with the evidence. I can only imagine the difficulty it would be to sweep away all bias and make a decision based entirely on evidence.

Not that Jesus was on trial, but the disciples were able to see and even handle the evidence. I can only imagine what it must have been like to see and feel those nail-scarred hands, and see the scars showing through the straps of His sandals.

Let us not miss the impact of this scenario. Here is the evidence of the most epic event in the history of the world. God dispatching Himself to earth, reaching out to humanity, and while He is reaching, they pierce those outstretched hands and those good-news traveling feet. They pierce them because of so-called evidence, and mount them on a cross thinking they have served the community by getting rid of a rabble-rousing resister. It seems unfair, and it was illegal. Actually their evidence was none at all. But they followed through on their mission, silenced the crowd, and tucked Him in the tomb.

But we know the rest of the story! He arose and shared the evidence with His disciples and the world that HE LIVES! (Rick Tallman)

Thankfully we know the rest of the story!

This devotional is the entry for Sunday, April 5, 2015, of Opening the Word.

Photo credit: "Jesus' Tomb" by upyernoz used under CC BY 2.0 / Resized, cropped.