He was Marked for us All.
His Scars will never fade, the wounds Christ took to Heaven.
"Jesus loves you so much, He engraved (tattooed) your name on the palm of His Hands."
The scars were the main way he confirmed to his disciples that it was truly him, in the same body, now risen and transformed. When Jesus first appeared to them, according to Luke, “they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit” (Luke 24:37). Then he showed them the scars.
“See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. (Luke 24:39–40)
The apostle John reports that Jesus “showed them his hands and his side” (John 20:20) and includes the account of doubting Thomas, who “was not with them when Jesus came” (John 20:24). Thomas insisted he must see Jesus’s scars for himself, to confirm it was in fact him. In divine patience, Jesus waited eight days to answer Thomas’s prayer, and when he finally visited, he offered him the scars. “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe” (John 20:27).
Crown him the Lord of love!
Behold his hands and side —
Rich wounds, yet visible above,
In beauty glorified.
"Most in our modern world today and more so the more defensive members of the over-inked community will recite with Pavlovian inevitability": ‘Tattoos have been here since before Jesus Christ.’ Indeed they have.
Even among many Christians the once-forbidden tattoo is starting to be welcomed with open arms (and legs, and necks, and backs, et al). Maybe it is the words written into the bible that has prompted Christians to do likewise.
"Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads". Deut 11:18.
This scripture could be debated as a tattoo to binding God's word on you hands and forehead. However to me rather this means carrying the word with you wherever you may be.
1 Pet. 3:3-4, “Do not let your beauty come merely from outward adornment…”
So especially as Christians why would you want to do this when we are told;
"Once you were alienated from God ........... but now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation". Col 1:21-22. The emphasis here is "without blemish" is what I think is important.
Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the LORD!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." John 20: 24-27.
The Psalmist says; " I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you" Psalm 119:11. ......Your heart becomes tattooed once you see and feel the marks in his hands, marks that remain caused by being nailed to the Cross for us all.
Thomas replied, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." John 20:29.
And so as with Thomas Jesus says to us all "Put your finger here; see my hands."
