Okay, now turn in your Bible
to Luke 24. I'm taking the title from what
the Lord repeats to His backslidden, if we can use that word advisedly,
to His wayward disciples, verse 36. The Lord stood in the midst
of them and He said unto them, Peace, peace be unto you. be unto you." Now remember the
message from the heavenly host at his birth, the message they
said, glory to God in the highest on earth, peace, peace, peace
and goodwill toward, it doesn't say man, Man. Man. There's one God and one
mediator between God and man, and that's the God-man mediator
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now be sure you understand this. We can only be reconciled unto
God and have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. God was
in Christ reconciling us unto himself. We can only have peace
with God upon the glorious redeeming blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Scripture said God's angry with
the wicked every day. And I cannot make peace with
God. That's a silly thing for anybody
to say when I'm trying to make peace with God. Forget it. You
can't do it. You can't satisfy the holy justice
of God. We only have peace with God based
upon His redeeming blood. Upon His resurrection, His resurrection
declares, The redeeming work of the Lord Jesus Christ was
finished and successful. He's seated in the heavenlies,
having purged our sin with His own blood, because His work is
successful before God. He was delivered from our offenses
and raised again because He justified us. His redeeming blood alone
justifies us from all our sin. It's His blood. that puts away
our sin. He made peace for us, Paul says
in Colossians 1, He made peace for us with His own blood. He
is called the God of peace. The Apostle writes again in Romans
5, being justified by faith. We have peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ, being justified by faith. not works
by faith. Now, you remember the story here
in Luke 24. The risen Lord had appeared to
the women on that third morning just like as He said He would
come forth from the tomb on that third morning. They heard the
message of those two angels that said, why do you seek the living
among the dead? He's not here. He is risen. He is risen. Go tell the disciples. Well, they went and told the
disciples the Lord is risen from the dead. Do you remember? And
they said, In verse 11, their words seem to be idle tales,
and they believed not the message of the women. The Lord indeed
is risen from the dead. I know this religious world sets
this particular day they call Easter aside to remember the
Lord's resurrection, but believers in their heart remember this
every day. Every day, with us, we remember
the risen Lord. And then, our Lord, being raised
from the dead, because He put away our sin, appeared also to
the two men that were walking to the road to Emmaus, and the
Lord preached the gospel unto them, beginning with Moses and
all the prophets. He expounded unto them all the
things concerning the Scripture, And when He opened their understanding,
they said one to another, didn't our heart burn within us while
He opened to us the Word of the Lord? And they were instructed
to quickly return to Jerusalem, and they did so that night. and
told the disciples that they had seen the Lord, and even talked
with Him, and even ate with Him." So they skedaddled from Emmaus,
which is a seven-mile hike, back to Jerusalem. And when they got
there, you know who else was there? The Lord Jesus Christ
was there. Look at verse 36 now. And as
they thus spake, Jesus Himself, himself stood, not another, himself
stood in the midst of them and said unto them, peace be unto
you. But they were terrified and frightened
and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them,
why are you troubled? Why do your thoughts such thoughts
arise in your heart? Behold my hands, my feet, that
it is I myself. Handle me. See. For a spirit
hath not flesh and bones, as you see me have." Now the bones
that he had when he walked among men are the same bones that he
had then. The flesh that he had when he
lived and walked among men those 33 years is the same flesh, but
somehow much different. These two men were telling what
they had experienced at the The Lord had appeared to them, and
the Lord Jesus Christ appears to them, and He says unto them,
Peace be unto you. They had heard this word before,
if you'll hold your place there, and find John 14, before the
cross, when he was instructing his disciples before he went
to the cross, that last evening he was with them, he spoke these
words in John 14, 27, Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you, not
as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid." It's the same message, the same Lord
with the same message, peace, peace, peace I give unto you. Now you remember just a few days
ago, these men, these apostles and disciples, who so bravely
said to the Lord that they would not forsake Him, that they were
ready to die with Him, when the time actually came when He was
arrested, what did they do? They all forsook Him and fled,
didn't they? Yes, they did. Even Peter, after
the Lord was arrested, Peter denied that he even knew the
Lord Jesus Christ. Now, he didn't deny that he was
the Christ, but when they said, do you know this man, Jesus of
Nazareth? He said not once, not twice,
but three times, I don't know that man. He lied. He denied that he knew the Lord.
Remember what Peter bragged about? He said, Lord, I'll fight for
you. I'll die with you. I'll go to
jail with you. I'll do whatever it takes. And
when the time came, he cut tail and ran away. But now the gracious Lord appears
among them and blesses them and says unto them, peace be unto
you. Now, think about this. We're
thinking in our mind, well, he should have rebuked them. They
deserve to be rebuked. He could have justly rebuked
them. He could have scolded them for
being cowards and running. and scolded them for their backslidden
condition, but he doesn't speak a single word of rebuke or sharp
or harsh criticism, but rather he says, peace be unto you. Now don't you find that amazing?
I do. It shows us how long-suffering
and gracious the Lord is. What can we learn from this?
Well, the Lord is kind and gentle, forgiving, and long-suffering
to His weak and sinful people. How He truly loves His own sheep. How much greater is His grace
than our sin. How many times have you messed
up? How many times have I messed up and sinned against the Lord,
and yet He says unto His people, peace be unto you, peace be unto
you. We read in Romans 5, where sin
abounded, grace did much more abound, that as sin has reigned
unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto
eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. You see, our Lord is
gracious. More gracious. than our sin,
where sin abound, grace does much more abound. The Lord is
long-suffering, not slack concerning His promises, as some men count
slackness, but is long-suffering to usward now, His elect, not
willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. The Lord is long-suffering. Free, full, everlasting forgiveness
is the way of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the way of the
gospel of His grace. Although we confess it's not
the way of wicked men, but it is the way of grace. It is the way of Christ. He delights to show mercy. because
He appeared once in the end of the age to put away sin by the
sacrifice of Himself. He shows us mercy based upon
His just atonement whereby He can be just and the justifier
of them which believe the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Where
is the sinner who need despair of his guilt and sin before the
Lord? Now tell me, where is that man
who need despair of guilt before the Lord, the guilt of his sin. The Lord is ready and willing
to forgive based upon his blood atonement. That ought to encourage
every one of us to sue for mercy. Lord, be merciful to me, thee,
sinner. And we know the scriptures teach
that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all our sin. There is, therefore, we can say
with confidence according to the book of God, the word of
God, There is grace for the guilty, there is mercy for the miserable,
there is salvation for sinners. God be merciful to me, the sinner. Though our sins have been as
scarlet, He's ever ready to make them white as snow, to blot them
out, to cast them behind His back, to bury them in the depth
of the sea, And the Scripture says that their sin and their
iniquity will I remember no more. That, my friend, is good news. The Lord says, Peace be unto
you, wayward, wretched, guilty sinner. There is peace in Christ. We read in Jeremiah 50, In those
days, and at that time, saith the Lord, The iniquity of Israel
shall be sought for, and there shall be none. The sins of Judah,
they shall not be found, for I will pardon them whom I reserve."
He puts away all our sins, so much so that God says, I have
no memory of them. They no longer exist as far as
the east from the west. So far has he separated our sins
from us. With the Lord, there is the forgiveness
of sin in him. The Apostle said, in whom we
have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sin, according
to the riches of His grace. He made peace for us with His
own blood. We don't make peace with God.
That's impossible. That's His job. That's His work. That's why He is called The Prince
of Peace. He's the only one that can speak
peace to us. He's the Prince of Peace. He
is called the God of Peace. And He's called the God of all
grace. Now, look at verse 37 and following. The Lord declares this great
and grand message, Peace be unto you. And they were terrified,
and they were affrighted. Suppose that they had seen a
spirit, and he said to them, why are you troubled? Why do
thoughts, such thoughts and doubts arise in your heart? Behold,
my hands and my feet, that is I myself, handle me and see,
for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see me have." Now,
upon hearing the grand declaration, A peace be unto you. Let us not
be too critical of these men at this time. The disciples were
still confused and so startled and frightened that they didn't
fully realize at the time the resurrected, glorified Christ
stood right in their midst. The Lord speaks to them again.
to give them comfort and assurance. And he asked two questions. Why
are you troubled? You have no reason to be troubled.
I just spoke unto you peace. And then he said, why are you
full of doubts? Why are your hearts full of unbelief
and doubt? Peace be unto you. And then he
says, behold my hands. Behold my feet, behold my side. Now, why is he pointing out the
fact of his hands, his side, and his feet? He's pointing out
the fact that he was wounded for our sins, that he was bruised
for our iniquity, and that he put away our sin. And with the
chastisement, his chastisement, we have peace with God through
his blood sacrifice. John later writes this, that
which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we
have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, our hands
handled the word of life. Now behold his hands, nail prints
in his hand because of my sin. A wound in his side because of
my sin. Nail prints in his feet because
of our sin against God. Now, one word about this here
and we'll come back to this statement, Behold my hands. He said, Behold
my hands, my feet, that is I myself. Handle me and see, for a spirit
hath not flesh and bone, as you see me have." Now, preacher,
why do you keep reading that verse over and over and over
again? I want you to hear it. I want the Lord to burn it in
your heart. The resurrected Lord has a real,
tangible, physical body of flesh and bones. A glorified body,
that's so. He even lived among men after
His resurrection, 40 days before He ascended back to the throne,
There right now, the God-Man Mediator sits today on the throne
of God, the God-Man Mediator. In Acts chapter 1, after those
40 days, and he led them out as far as Bethany, and he ascended,
he divided gravity, and ascended to glory. Denied
gravity and ascended to glory. The resurrected Lord ever lives
right now to intercede for us. That's why He can say that He's
able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by Him,
seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for us. Now, someday,
turn to Philippians chapter 3, someday we're going to have a
body just like His glorious body. Not anything like it is right
now, but similar to what we will have a body of flesh and bones. Our resurrected body we liken
to His. In Philippians 3 verse 24, our
conversation is in heaven, from heaven, our citizenship is from
heaven. We're heirs of God and joint
heirs with Christ. For whence also we look for the
Savior, the Lord Jesus, who shall change our vile body that it
may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the
working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself."
Now you think about that. Those who have been long dead
and their body is nothing but dust, on that glorious resurrection
morning there's going to be a new body. that comes out of that
ground, likened to his glorious body, a real body. And we'll
be identified, we'll be known in that day just as we are known
in this day. Yes, we will know one another.
Abraham was Abraham, Moses was Moses, and we'll know one another
in that day. We'll have a new body without
sin. A body of flesh and bone, but
no sin, no death, no sorrow, no sickness. Now you can turn
with me if you want to. If not, I'll just read it to
you. In Revelation 21, remember it says in verse 4, that God
shall wipe away all tears, Revelation 21 for, from their eyes, and
there shall be no more death, no more sorrow, no more crying,
neither shall there be any more pain, For the former things are
passed away, and he that sat upon the throne said, Behold,
I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write, for
these words are true and faithful. And he said to me, It is done.
I am Alpha, and I am Omega. The beginning and the end I will
give unto him that is the first of the fountain of the water
of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit
all things. I will be his God, and he shall
be my son." What a glorious day this will be. Now, I've got a
few moments left. I want to work on this statement
here, the significance of what he says in verse 39 where he
says, Behold my hands. Now, I kind of get the picture
in my mind that the Lord stretches forth His hand and He says, Behold
my hands. See the wounds in my hands and
in my side and in my feet. What's the significance of his
hand? What does it mean to us? What
does the scripture say about his hand that will remove our
fear and doubt and give us comfort and assurance. Now, five things. I won't wear you out with this.
We'll go through them quickly. First of all, His hands are the
hands of absolute power and the hands of all creation. He created
all things by His hand, by the word of His power. The Lord Jesus
Christ is not a creation of God, He is God the Creator who created
all things by His powerful hands. Now we have never, as frail,
sinful creatures, we have never created anything. I mean, we've
moved some things around, but we've never created anything.
God is the only one who can create out of nothing, and that's what
He did. In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God. You have that right there in
front of you, John chapter 1. In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was
in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him.
And without Him was not anything made. His hand created all things. We are the workmanship of His
hand. He made us. He bought us with
His own blood. Paul writes to the Colossian
church, for by Him were all things created that are in heaven, that
are in the earth, visible, invisible. Whether they be thrones or dominions
or principalities or powers, all things were created by him
and for him, and by him all things consist. The heaven declared
the glory of God, the firmament showeth his handiwork." His handiwork. So God's hands are the hands
of creation. He created all things. Not only
that, his hands, secondly, his hands are the hands of absolute
Sovereignty, that is, he has the hands of an absolute king
and monarch. He reigns and rules over all
things with his hand, the hand of his power. We read in John
3, the father loveth his son and has given all things into
his hand. All things are in his hand. He
will have mercy on whom he will. He will show compassion on whom
he will. He prayed in John 17, Father, you've given me power
over all flesh, that I should give eternal life to as many
as thou hast given to me. We read in Daniel, all the inhabitants
of the earth are reputed as nothing, and he doeth according to his
will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of his
earth, and none can stay his hand. or saying to Him, Lord
God Almighty, what doest Thou? His hands are the hands of creation. No one has hands like His hands.
His hands are the hands of absolute sovereignty and power. Thank
God we are in His hand. Thank God we are the sheep of
His hand. I told you I'd go through these
quickly. Thirdly is this, His hands are the hands of our covenant
surety. Our covenant surety. Hebrews
7.22 said, By so much was the Lord Jesus Christ made a surety
of a better covenant. We read in John 10, He said,
My sheep, hear My voice. I know them, and they follow
Me, and I give unto them eternal life. And then he said, no one
can pluck them out of my hand. His hands are the hands of a
covenant surety and savior. He is not in our hands. We are in his hand and he will
do with us as it pleases him. He is our God. We are his people
of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. He is the charity
of the everlasting covenant. Those sheep of his hand he will
lose. None of them, but raise them
up again at the last day, you can guarantee it, His Word says
so. So His hands are the hands of
the everlasting covenant of grace and the surety we have in Him.
He says, of all that the Father has given to me, I'll lose nothing,
I'll lose not one, but raise them up again at the last day.
None will perish for whom Christ dies. Fourthly, His hands are
the hands of our substitute. He pointed to the nail print
in his hand, and in his feet, and in his side. The psalmist,
many years before he died, in Psalm 22, prophesied where the
Lord said, they pierced my hands and my feet. We know Isaiah declares
he was wounded for our sin, bruised for our iniquity, the chastisement
of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed.
He bare our sin. Our sin was the reason he was
wounded for our Transgression. The Lord Jesus Christ actually
accomplished our salvation by the sacrifice of himself and
redeemed us with his precious blood. Remember the last thing
that he said at Calvary before he said, Father, into thy hands
I commend my spirit. He said, it is finished. Done. Salvation is completed. He redeemed us with his precious
blood. His hands are the hands of a
substitute, a sacrifice for sin. God made Him to be sin for us
who knew no sin, that we might be made to righteousness of God
in Him. Think about this. Think about it. One day, by His
grace and power, we'll stand before Him And we'll see His
hands and the nail prints in His hands. And we'll sing unto
Him who loved us and washed us from our sin in His own blood. To Him be all the honor and glory
both now and forever. Here's the last one. His hands
are the hands of salvation. His hands are the hands of salvation,
were justified freely by His grace through the redemption
that is in the Lord Jesus Christ. Isaiah 59 verse 1 declares this,
Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save,
Neither is his ear heavy that it cannot hear." And then in
Isaiah 63 it says this, "...he that speaks to us in righteousness
is mighty to save." His hand is not weakened, His hand is
not shortened, He is able to save to the uttermost all that
come to God by Him. He is able to keep us from falling
and to present us faultless before the presence of God's glory.
Turn to Matthew 8. Turn there, and let's read this
together. I'll show you an example of that,
where the Lord's powerful hands are saving hands. Matthew chapter
8, verse 1. When he was come down from the
mountain, great multitudes followed him. Behold, there came a leper,
and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, you can make me
clean. And the Lord put forth his hand
and touched him, saying, I will, be thou clean. And immediately
his leprosy was cleansed. The Lord put forth his hand and
touched him. His hands are the hands of salvation. Now, turn to one other example
of this, and this is a good example. Turn to Matthew 14. Matthew 14. You remember the
Lord sent the disciples into a ship, and it was A stormy sea
that came up in Matthew 24, verse 25, excuse me, Matthew
14, verse 24 and 25. In the fourth watch of the night,
the Lord walked. He went unto them walking on
the sea. And when the disciples saw him
walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It's a spirit.
And they cried out for fear. And the Lord said, be of good
cheer, it is I. Same message, peace be unto you. And Peter answered and said,
Lord, if it be thou bid me come unto thee on the water. And the
Lord said, come. And Peter was come down out of
the ship. He walked on the water to go to Jesus. And when he saw
the wind boisterous, he was afraid, began to sink, and he cried,
Lord, save me. And immediately the Lord stretched
forth His hand, you see that? And caught him and said to him,
O thou of little faith, wherefore did you doubt? His hands are
saving hands. Look unto Him and be ye saved. Now, in closing, turn back here
to John 20. May the Lord be pleased to calm
our fears and doubt and unbelief as we by faith behold the Lamb
of God who takes away all our sin. And notice John chapter
20 verse 26, we'll begin reading there. When Thomas was not with
the disciples when he first appeared, eight days later he was with
them, and the Lord came again, the doors being shut, and he
says unto them the same message, Peace be unto you. I like that
message, don't you? He didn't rebuke Thomas. He said
to Thomas some words of instruction. Thomas, I've heard you will not
believe until you touch my hand. and put your hand in my hand,
and your hand in my side. So reach hither your finger,
behold my hands. And reach hither thy hand, and
thrust it into my side. And don't be faithless, but believing."
I like what Thomas said, don't you? And he said unto him, my
Lord and my God. He didn't reach forth and touch.
He believed the word of the Lord. And his unbelief disappeared. And the Lord said, Thomas, because
you've seen me and have believed, blessed are they that have not
seen and who yet believe." Now, how do we see the Lord? He said,
look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth. How
do we come to the Lord? How do we look to the Lord? How do we believe on Him? By faith. By faith, by faith. Faith comes by hearing and hearing
by the words of the Lord. Now, may we confess with our
brother Thomas. That's my birth name, Thomas.
Someone asked me the other day, a man across the street got right
up in my face and said, what is your name? He's been my neighbor
25 years. He said, what is your name? I
thought to myself, well, most of the time it's mud. But my
name is Thomas Allen." And he said, oh, okay. Thomas answered
and said, and this is my plea, this is my answer. He's my Lord
and he's my God. He's all of my salvation. Can
you say that in your heart? I trust you can by his grace.