Verifying Scars – Anne Adams
The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he [Thomas] said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” (John 20:25 NKJV)
The story goes that once in 1803 in New York City, a carpenter named Thomas Hoag disappeared then two years later a family member met a man she believed to be the missing man. The man, who said his name was Joseph Parker, was arrested and charged with family desertion. At his trial, Mrs. Hoag and several others testified they could identify the man by means of a forehead scar, but the judge wanted more proof. Then another friend remembered that the real Hoag had a long scar on the sole of his foot. When the defendant removed his boots and displayed a scar-free foot that settled the case so Parker was cleared, though the real Hoag never reappeared.
In our verse, Thomas was ready to believe in Jesus’ resurrection, but he wanted proof, which he got after seeing Jesus and touching his crucifixion scars. Interestingly, while the lack of a scar cleared Parker, with Jesus the presence of scars identified him.
I also have soul-tarnishing scars of sin and failure – marks that I know mean God must reject me. Yet, it is Christ’s scars – that represent His sacrifice for me – that assures God totally accepts me for further service.
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