These wounds in thine hands

Zechariah 13:6

And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.

There is one thing that Christ will bear during His coming reign on earth, and even in the eternal city, and that is the wounds in His hands. The Lord Jesus received the scars from His death on the cross, when they drove the nails through His hands. And those are permanent wounds. He even showed them to His disciples after His resurrection. The Lord Jesus will come in like manner as they saw Him go into Heaven. He will come as He left—glorified and perfect as He was when He walked forth out of the tomb. And I believe that the wounds shall still be there, especially as Zechariah has prophesied this to be so during Christ’s reign on the earth.

How did He get those wounds? There were given to Him in the house of His friends. The man who betrayed Him was one of His disciples, His confidants, His companions. They went to the house of God in sweet company, but he lifted up his heel against the Lord. Christ came to the Jews, but they also rejected Him. They crucified Him! They sought to destroy Him, and desired to silence Him. They would not receive Him, and the wounds of that are not only on Christ’s hands, but borne in His heart. The rejection of His own people! Christ will always bear these wounds to remind us all of His sacrifice. Although we will never forget the suffering of our Savior for all of eternity, and although forgetfulness and amnesia will not be a problem in our eternal home, we will continually see the beauty of the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world. The evidence of His indefatigable love will ever be present. It shall be among us always, and we shall rejoice in our Savior, and He shall rejoice in us.

Dear friends, be not surprised if the greatest wounds are acquired in the house of your friends. Remember that the servant is not greater than His Lord. The worst wounds are the ones given by those we love most. It is closer to our heart. But dear one, always know that Christ understands. He was made like unto His brethren. He was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, if you have or do receive such wounds, remember the Savior! His presence, and the fellowship of His sufferings shall be your greatest joy and consolation. For He endured this for us. What have we endured for Him?

“Dear Lord Jesus, we thank you that you were willing to be a suffering Savior. You obtained wounds that shall never be erased. It shall be an eternal reminder of the beauty of your love, death, and glorious resurrection, when you defeated death, Hell, and the grave. We praise you for this. And when we receive wounds, help us to count it an honor to suffer just a little with our Savior. Thank you for your wounds, and what they mean to us. May we be willing to partake of your suffering, and always rejoice, when such a privilege is afforded us. And these things we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.”