The Hand that was Wounded for Me

1. Read: Psalm 22:11-21

2. About the Text:

1) “My God! My God! Why hast thou forsaken me? Why . . . .”

2) In Psalm 22 the Holy Spirit spoke of a suffering Messiah.

3) The end of verse 16 says, “They pierced my hands and my feet.”

4) In Luke 23:33 we read that at a hill called Calvary they crucified Jesus.

5) The Roman soldiers pierced His hands when they nailed Him to the cross.

6) Jesus’ enemies fulfilled the Holy Spirit’s prophecy.

3. The song…

1) We have in our songbook a song, “The Hand That Was Nailed to the Cross.”

2) The chorus of this song says, “The hand of the Savior I see . . . .”

3) Taking that thought, let us look at the hand that was wounded for me.

4. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. Jesus’ compassion was concerned about the . . .

1) Physical condition. Matthew 14:14 “And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.”

2) Spiritual condition. Matthew 9:36 “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.”

2. Mercy

1) Jesus taught us to be merciful to others (Matthew 5:7-blessed are the merciful, Matthew 23:23-scribes and Pharisees neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice, mercy, and faith; Luke 10:37-good Samaritan showed mercy).

2) Many often requested mercy from Jesus and it was granted (Matthew 9:27-two blind men, Matthew 15:22-demon possessed daughter, Matthew 17:15-demon possessed man).

3. Forgiveness

1) Matthew 9:2, 6 “Son, be of good cheer; thy sins are forgiven thee.” “But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,)Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.”

2) At Pharisees house; woman comes, a sinner; she washes Jesus’ feet with tears; she kisses him; she anoints him with fragrant oil. Pharisee did none of these things. Luke 7:47-48 “Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.”

4. The hand that was wounded brought compassion, mercy, and forgiveness.

1. The N.T. writers describe Jesus’ crucifixion coolly.

1) Matthew 27:35 “And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots….”

2) Mark 15:25 “And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.”

3) Luke 23:33 says, “And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.”

4) John 19:17-18 “And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: Where they crucified him….”

2. When Jesus was crucified, his hands and feet were nailed to the cross.

1) Crucifixion was brutal.

2) The soldiers would nail the victims to the cross.

3) The hands would be stretched out and nailed; the feet nailed also.

4) Jesus later presented both his hands and his feet as evidence that He was risen from the dead.

5) In Luke 24:39-40 we read, “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. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.”

6) We also know the story of Thomas who said, “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe” (John 20:25).

7) Jesus said to Thomas, “Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing” (John 20:27).

8) Blood came from those wounded hands.

3. Peter speaks of how we were redeemed with that blood.

1) 1 Peter 1:18, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

2) Hebrews 13:12 says, “Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.”

3) Colossians 1:14 says, ” In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins”

4. The hand that was wounded bled for the sins of the world.

1. Sin enslaves.

1) 2 Timothy 2:25-26 teaches that sin is the snare of the devil and it captures those who commit it.

2) Hebrews 2:15 says that those who feared the power of death, which is sin (1 Corinthians 15:56), were all their lifetimes subject to bondage.

3) In John 8:34, Jesus said, “…Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.”

4) Sin enslaves by binding upon us the penalty for sin, death (Romans 3:23).

2. Through believing and obeying Jesus’ teaching we have true liberty.

1) John 8:31-32 “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

2) John 8:36 “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

3) Slavery; no escape; severe penalties for running away by Romans. Two had authority to free, the father/master and the heir/son.

4) Though God the Father’s justice binds the sinner to his sin, through the mercy of the Son we can be freed from those bonds.

5) This is the meaning of Romans 8:2 “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”

3. The hand that was wounded broke the bondage of sin.

1. To build a brotherhood Jesus broke down some barriers.

2. Jesus broke down the ethnic barrier between Jews and Gentiles.

1) Ephesians 2:14 “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us”

2) Verse 19 follows: “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God.”

3. Jesus broke down social barriers.

1) For those who have put on Christ in baptism, Galatians 3:28-29 says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

2) Colossians 3:11 states that as the new man, “…there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.”

4. He builds us up together . . .

1) As the house of God “…built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:20-22).

2) As the body of Christ. Ephesians 4:12 tells us that Jesus gave some gifts “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”

3) As brothers and sisters who love each other, 2 Peter 1:5-7 teaches us how to grow in our relationship. “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.”

5. If we follow Him, He is not ashamed to call us His brethren (Hebrews 2:11).

6. The hand that was wounded binds us together in brotherhood.

1. Poem – “Two Hands.”

2. The hand that was wounded . . .

1) Brought compassion, mercy, and forgiveness.

2) Bled for the sins of the world.

3) Broke the bondage of sin.

4) Binds us together in brotherhood.

3. Invitation

Two Hands Transfixed by Roman Nail

Two hands transfixed by Roman nail / hung over Jewish ground.

The Gentile voice aloud did rail / while women wept around.

Two hands dripped blood six hours that day / ‘neath skies both light and dark.

In pain they writhed with every breath / the print in each hand marked.

Two hands in life worked tirelessly, / no more allowed to move.

In death they worked redemptively, / a Savior’s love to prove.

Two hands were brought down from the beam / and laid within the tomb,

In solemn rest, quiet, serene / and waited for the dawn.

Two hands once stretched twitched new with life / yet not without two scars.

They triumphed o’er sin’s deathly knife, / o’er Satan’s binding bars.

-Kevin Cauley