Let Me Touch Your Hand
John 20:19-29
Hands are just another
wonderful creation of God. This morning we are looking to the hands of Jesus.
What kind of hands did Jesus have?
1- The hands of Jesus tell us of his suffering for us.
Have you seen the hands of
Jesus?
Have you been touched by his
love?
Have you seen the hands of a
car mechanic? They are rough.
Have you touched the hands of
a tailor? It has marks of a needle.
How about hands of a shoemaker?
We live in the
Do you remember your mother’s
hands and her soft touch?
How about fathers?
I was a little boy when my
grandfather Balaban Khoja died.
They tell me about his hands.
One of them had missing fingers. Why? When he was 5- 6 years old, the Turks
tried to kill him. The vicious sword did a terrible thing to my grandfather’s
hand. He was rescued by a miracle. Then he learned to use his wounded hand. If
you touched his hands, you would feel history written on those hands. How can
we forget the stories of our grandfathers?
As Armenians, many of us
today have similar stories to tell this new generation. Our hands are books
of history.
The best story is in the
hands of Jesus. His hands have a
special place in our lives.
Thomas had a doubt. He wanted to see those hands, see his wounds.
He wanted to put his fingers in those marks. He knew Jesus. He
had spent years with Jesus. He had been touched by hands of Jesus before. Now
He knows that these hands were nailed when at the crucifixion- the worst punishment
that Romans gave to humans.
It is strange that many today
try to live a life as if they have not seen his hands. We try to ignore hands of Jesus.
A man was in a plane ready
for take off on the runway. Suddenly the plane started taxiing and went back to
where it was. He asked why. They said the pilot felt that something was wrong
with the plane.
After a while, they went to
the runway again. Again the plane was returned to where it was. Once again they
were notified that the pilot heard something from the plane engine.
At the third attempt, this
man was happy that they were going to fly; he told the flight attendant that he
is glad that they fixed the problem. She said: “Oh Yes, You know, they changed
the pilot.”
How long we can ignore Jesus?
How long we can think we can “fly” safely by changing the “pilot?” How long can
one say ‘I have not touched by HANDS OF JESUS?’
Unfortunately, we live in a
deceitful world. And our lives are self-deceit.
(inknakhapyoutioun.)
2 Thomas was a realistic man. He wanted to touch to
believe.
Let’s face it. Thomas wants
to touch Jesus. We want to do like Thomas, too.
Have you realized that
instead of Thomas touching Jesus first, Jesus touched Thomas?
What do I mean?
We read in Verse 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 it."
This was week ago. Then Jesus
appeared at a gathering when Thomas was there.
Jesus took the initiative and
said to Thomas: Verse 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."
We do
not know whether Thomas did touch Jesus after this sentence. We know definitely
that Jesus touched Thomas in many ways. You have to see that Jesus’ love to us
is so enormous; He does not wait for THOMAS TO TAKE ACTION. Jesus takes the
initiative to touch us. In fact, his cross and resurrection is an initiative to
justify and redeem us. How can we be silent? How can we be so
ignorant and not responsive towards such a LOVE?
Let me tell you real life story.
A house catches fire. Unfortunately, the parents
of the child die while rescuing their only son. The son is on the roof. The
fire fighters are late. Neighbors were around. The son is on the roof. No one
wants to go to the roof. One man takes action. He touches the hot metal of
rainwater pipes, climbs to the roof, and he rescues the child.
Everyone was happy. Some weeks later, the
city court wanted to give this child for adoption. The decision was left to the
judge. He wanted to give him to the best family who could raise him.
A couple approached. The man was the banker
of the town. He said he could give the best comfortable house to this child. He
could secure his future.
The school teacher asked the judge to give
him the child. He believed he could provide the best education.
The judge was thinking about these two
choices, when suddenly a man approached. He was not wearing very good clothes.
He was not very popular. He was not a banker, nor a teacher. Then he took his
hand out of his pocket and showing his burned hands said: “I can give
my love to this child.” Hands… Once the child saw the hands, he jumped
toward this man.
Jesus said: "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out
your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Put your finger in the hands of Jesus. What do we see?
I see my sins. I see the scars of nails. Whose nails? My nails.
My SINS. He was crucified for my and your sins. Therefore, he is asking me: “Come,
touch me because first I touched you.”
3. What was the reaction of Thomas?
He came to his knees. “My Lord and My
God”.
It reminds me of Peter when he was in the fishing
boat. He did have a bad night of fishing. When Jesus took him to another place
for fishing, the result was enormous. Many saw the fish and were amazed. Peter
saw something different. Peter, instead of saying “wow I will have good business
today”, fell on his knees and said: “Go
away from me, I am a sinful man” (Luke 5:8).
You have doubts. Fine, come to Jesus, he is
there to help you. You have many questions. Fine, come to Jesus, he is there to
answer you.
Now we live in a different age. We do not see
Jesus face to face. Jesus knew that many will not have the same encounter like Thomas.
Therefore, he said:
"Because
you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and
yet have believed."
We do not see, but we believe. Like that
little boy who washed his hands. It is time to grow and believe
without touching, because he touched you first. Just allow him to touch
you. Once a theologian said: “Faith is walking to the edge of all the light
you have and taking one more step.” We do have the light. Let us not ignore
it. Many of you have seen the light. Now the decision is yours to say: “My
Lord and My God, I want to walk with you. Touch me everyday. ”
Amen