THE SABBATH HOUR

Northern Advocate, 28 July 1934, Page 7

THE SABBATH HOUR

THE PRINT OF THE NAILS. Sermon preached by Missioner J. C, Aldwyn Williams, Hikurangi, Text: “Except 1 see in His hands the print of the nails.”—John 20:25. Eleven men of differing dispositions had been rollouting. They had been through some tremendous experiences, ami the shock of events had made them afraid. Ton of these Disciples met together that evening of the Resurrection day in the Upper Room and Jesus appeared to them. He showed them His hands and His side, and they were convinced that it was their Lord. Thomas was not with them that night, and, when informed about Jesus’ presence at the meeting, he said; ‘ 1 Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, I will not believe.”

Wc must go back to Nazareth and Jerusalem in sympathy to see the peasant saint who worked with His hands. With characteristic simplicity and directness, He shows them His hands. There is a sense in which, if they see His hands that had healed, soothed, worked, commanded, suffered. To know the hands of Jesus in this instance is all we need to know. We identify Him beyond question as we see the print of the nails. The nail marks at once recall the Cross and the ; whole series of tragic events that preceded it, and which robbed the disciples of what faith they had, and blighted all the hopes they had ever cherished. Why remind them of those terrible happenings and of His failure/ Why awaken and renew their grief/ Because He is about to reverse their standards of value. The old rugged Cross is being transformed. For 1000 years it had stood for human cruelty and injustice, but from this day it stood for service, nobly rendered, and sacrifice voluntarily offered and heroically endured. It is dawning upon the disciples that it is only by way of sacrifice that life is perpetuated and ennobled, and by which permanent victory is achieved. They are beginning to understand the truth of the statement: “He that loseth his life for My sake shall find it.” They knew now that Jesus had not failed, that evil had not overcome, and that truth crushed to earth shall rise again. By the way of death and its mystery, He had won victory and brought immortality to life. Many people believe that if we had a less exacting religion the church would easily win the allegiance of the multitudes. “Give us a religion w'here no sacrifice is required, and where there are fewer demands, and we will flock to your banner.” The Cross of Christ is belittled and human nature dishonoured when we are tempted to reason in this way. A Hindu student about to graduate in an American University once said; “I wish Christianity were adopted all over India.” A friend challenged him, “But you do not believe the Christian religion. Why, then, should you want it adopted all over India?” “Because,” came the staggering retort, “its the cheapest.” He had been judging it by the life we live rather than by the faith we profess. He noted the lack of earnestness in our worship. But a religion that has a cross at its centre is neither easy nor cheap, and it can still be said, to the credit of the human race, that there is still something in the human heart that responds to the challenge of a great faith. There is a basis in every life for the eternal principle of sacrifice, and the only religion capable of making a telling appeal to this principle is the Christian religion.

Ho showed them His hands and His side, that once more He might Convince them of the unshakeable truth that a religion worthy of the heart’s allegiance Is one that costs. There is no victory without sacrifice. How would we know an apostle if one were to appear among us? Let Paul answer in the language of his time. “I bear branded in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.” Christ’s claims upon us are exacting. That is the proof of the genuineness of the missionary. He bears in his body the marks of the Master. Stanley Jones, in his book “Christ of the Mount,” tells of Judson avlio, after undergoing unspeakable sufferings while in the stocks in prison for months, gained his freedom. Ho asked the King of Burma for permission to preach in a certain city. The king said: “I am willing for a dozen preachers to go to that city, but not you. Not with those hands. My people are not fools enough to listen to your words, but they Avill not be able to resist those scarred hands,” Those hands, says Dr. Jones, were authoritative.

The disciples were finally convinced when .He showed them His hands. From that day they saw the Cross in a new light, and in the power of it, they proceeded to turn the world upside down. In a way not dissimilar, (hose who follow Him and accept His way of life are known ahd discovered. The devout spirit shows itself in certain acts of worship, in the lifting of trusting hands to God and in the outreach of benevolence and love. If Jesus Christ is a man, and only a man, I say That of all mankind T cleave to Him, And to Him will I cleave alway. If Jesus Christ is a God, and the only God, I swear I will follow Him through heaven atid hell, The eafth, the sea, the air.