It has been said that
the only imperfections in Heaven will be the wounds that mar the body of the
crucified, resurrected, and ascended Lord Jesus Christ.
“Then came
Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto
you. Then saith He 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 20:26-27).
God allows the spear
and nailprints that secured our salvation to remain upon His Son, doubtless to
serve as the tangible evidence of our Savior’s sacrifice for us. With Thomas upon the earth, the wounds
elicited faith and assurance. With
the redeemed in Heaven, the wounds will foster love and eternal gratitude for
the Christ who so desired our hearts that He gave His own to be pierced. Even more, our presence is so dear to
Him that on the cross of Calvary, He suffered forsakenness by His Father in
order that believers might know the eternal presence of God (Matthew
27:46). The wounds of the body
remind us of this brokenness of heart, although we will forever know that we
cannot fathom the horror of abandonment experienced by the Lord Jesus when the
wrath of God fell upon Him so that it might never all upon
us.
Forever will not be
long enough for adequate response to such love. No amount of adoration, praise,
thanksgiving and devotion can requite “the love of Christ, which passeth
knowledge” (Ephesians 3:19). His
enduring wounds bear witness, wounds that we cannot presently see. One day we will, however, and the sight
will enrapture our hearts with the knowledge of His heart.
Beautiful
Heart
Oh beautiful Heart, I see
Thee now…
the sight is too wondrous to
describe!
Oh beautiful Heart, I see
Thee now…
the glimpse is the joy of my
life!
Oh beautiful Heart, I see
Thee now,
pierced by a
blade,
The blood and water
flowed
As our sins were washed
away.
(And when I think that
forevermore, the holy scene will amaze me,
enthrall me, enrapture
me,
I fall to my knees, and in
wonder I think of Thee,
O beautiful Heart, beautiful
Heart.)
Oh beautiful
Heart,
from death and sorrow
raised,
Your life and Spirit
flows,
as upon Your face we gaze.
O beautiful Heart, I come to Thee,
in this moment of grace that You give to me.
And the sweetness of this time,
Oh, the moment is sublime, as beautiful Heart you
come to me.
(And when I think that
forevermore, the holy scene will amaze me,
enthrall me, enrapture
me,
I fall to my knees, and in
wonder I think of Thee,
O beautiful Heart, beautiful
Heart.)
“And
one shall say unto Him, What are these wounds in Thine hands? And He shall answer, Those with which I
was wounded in the house of My friends.”
(Zechariah
13:6).
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