Devotionals

The Scars That Verified

by Anne Adams
07/17/24
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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 prints 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).

Years ago I acquired a book of interesting stories and one of these described how in 1803 in New York City a man named Thomas Hoag disappeared. Two years later a relative encountered a man that she identified as Hoag, so local officials arrested him and charged him with deserting his family. In court the defendant adamantly declared he was not Hoag yet before DNA or fingerprints genuine identification seemed to be impossible. However, despite how others who’d known Hoag were sure it was him, the judge was still skeptical. Finally he asked if the missing man had any identifying scars or other marks. andthen someone remembered that Hoag had once had an injury that left a long scar on the sole of his foot. The man’s boots were removed to reveal no scar, which in itself was identification.

In our passage, Thomas sought verification of the identity of the man the other disciples claimed was the resurrected Christ and again it would be scars that would settle the matter for him.  And it did.

Of course though we cannot see or touch Christ’s physical body as Thomas could – and did – those same scars can verify His identification as our Savior. For it is in our minds that we can “visualize” the nail marks on his hands as well as the torso slit where was thrust the Roman soldier’s spear and we can also realize what it all means. After all, it was these scars that bear witness to what the Lord endured on the cross to achieve for us the salvation that creates our relationship with God. A thought-worthy and humbling concept and verified by His scars.