Isaiah 65:17-25; 1 Corinthians 15:19-26; Luke 24:1-12

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

We’ve focused on hands for the last several weeks. We’ve seen how they work, how they comfort, how they care. We know the scope of what our hands can do. But it wasn’t necessarily our hands that we were watching. Rather, it was God’s hand that piqued our interest. It was the very hands of Jesus.

Let us continue to observe these hands this week. For we’ve seen Jesus heal diseases, cast out demons, comfort the lowly, raise the dead, and forgive sins. But that was just the beginning. Jesus shall lead his disciples to the upper room where his hands shall take bread, bless it, break it, and give it. So too shall his hands bless the cup and pass it around for all to drink. And as he does this, he tells us, “This is my body,” and “This is my blood.” We see his hands do a new thing, taking ordinary food and making it a feast of forgiveness and life!

Yet, on that same night, the hands that blessed shall be the hands that are tied. The hands that healed are the hands in chains. The hands that taught the disciples, the crowds, and all the people shall be betrayed by one of his own. Jesus shall be handed over to the Jews, the Pharisees, the high priest. They will charge him with blasphemy and false teaching, claiming it’s his hand that have done great evil! But notice his hands... they are still. He doesn’t fight back. He doesn’t flail for his freedom. He doesn’t even raise a finger against his accusers.

All throughout the night, Jesus will stand trial. He’ll be beaten, insulted, spit upon. All who desire to lay their hands on him won’t find any resistance. Even with all this against him, Pilate will declare these hands innocent three times! But three times still won’t be enough. For the hands of the Jews shall point at him and yell, “Crucify him!” The hands which have held the world will now carry a cross. Bloodied and beaten. Weak and innocent. His hands shall bear the splinters of the wood, only to then be nailed to it. The Romans shall nail his hands and his feet to the cross.

His hands will be pierced for us. His hands will carry our sins for us. His hands shall feel death for us and be put into a tomb. Yet, this is the week that we see the hands of Jesus do his greatest work of all. For on the third day, the hand of God shall come down to roll away the stone. The hands of Jesus shall not remain lifeless but shall be raised up to life eternal! Now, in the hands of Jesus are the very keys of death and the grave. He has conquered so that his hands may open to us the gates to life everlasting! 

Pastor Sorenson

Prayer:

Almighty God the Father, through Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, You have overcome death and opened the gate of everlasting life to us. Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of our Lord’s resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by Your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen!