We are safe today in the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We would like to speak to you about the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our times are in His hands, wouldn't it be good to know what kind of hands the Lord Jesus has?
Hands are amazing things! With our hands we welcome people, we talk. We express with our hands. They are so important. When we look at the hands of Jesus they are calloused hands, strong with labour. He worked as a carpenter and, after Joseph died, in his teens he was the provider of the family. Manual labour in those days was looked down upon in that culture, because that was only for slaves and hirelings. Upper class, the nobility and Roman citizens didn't do manual labour. That was for the lowest of the low. But do you remember Jesus emptied himself? He came down from His throne and glory in heaven, God manifest as a human being, and he didn't mind working with his hands. And those hands are strong hands. But you know those hands are not only strong hands, but they are also secure hands. Jesus said:
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
-John 10:28 (KJV)
There is something else we would like to tell you about the hands of the Lord Jesus. The hands of the Lord Jesus are healing hands. They are strong hands, secure hands and healing hands.
And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever. And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.
-Matthew 8:14-15 (KJV)
One touch from Jesus’ hand restored her and the fever left her immediately. Isn't that wonderful? Jesus not only healed her, he healed the untouchable lepers.
And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
-Matthew 8:2-3 (KJV)
You weren't even suppose to touch a leper in those days. Lepers had to walk around with a bell shouting unclean. Remember Jairus who had a sick daughter in Mark chapter 5, and he bows before Jesus, down on his knees, pleading for Jesus to use His healing hand upon his daughter. Well let us tell you this, we can all learn something from this. The best place to ask for help from His hand is at His feet.
Have you been to Him recently? Have you cast your care upon Him, for He cares for you? And so never ever be afraid, ask the Lord Jesus to lay His healing hand upon you. Our times are in His hands! Those are strong hands, those are secure hands, and those are healing hands. But there's more, they are providing hands.
And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.
But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.
And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.
He said, Bring them hither to me.
And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.
-Matthew 14:15-20 (KJV)
Jesus takes five loaves and two fish, out of that he feeds a multitude. His hands are providing hands. He takes a little in His hands and makes a lot, and he can do that for you and for us. Our times are in His hands!
God's hands are bigger than ours, He is able to sustain us. He is able to take us through whatever is coming and whatsoever is ahead. He is able to provide our every need.
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
-Ephesians 3:20 (KJV)
The hand of provision comes from the Lord. Why do we believe that? Because Jesus is raised from the dead. Our times are in His hands!
Wait untill you hear this, these hands are also redeeming hands.
But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the LORD. But he said unto them, 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 20:24-25 (KJV)
When Jesus hands were nailed to the cross, arms outstretched, those same hands that had gone around doing good, providing healing, cruel man nailed them to the cross. Why? Because here it is...Your sin and our sin and every one of us are sinners and Jesus took the sin of his people on his person at the cross, he was wounded for our transgressions. His hands were cruelly nailed to the cross, the people gathered around him and they mocked him and cursed him, spat upon him and said we will believe you if you come down from the cross. Jesus could have come down from the cross, He was God manifest in the flesh, but if Jesus had chose to come down from the cross and save himself, then he could not have saved you and could not have saved us. Even on the cross His hands and arms were outstretched welcoming all from the east to the west. He won't stop you because of your colour, religion, wealth, social status etc. Come to him, trust him, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. He is welcoming you, He is the only mediator, God's representative between heaven and earth. Have you seen those pierced hands as being pierced for you? Those hands are now our guard and guide. Jesus hands are not only redeeming but are blessed hands.
And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.
And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.
-Luke 24:50-51 (KJV)
The last act that Jesus performed before he returned to heaven was to lift up his hands and bless his people. As he ascended into heaven he blessed his people. What a picture of Grace! The hands of Jesus are not only strong hands, they're secure hands, they're healing hands, they're providing hands, they're redeeming hands and they're hands of blessing, and that is the gospel truth!!
With Blessing in Christ,
David & Gay
