Good morning family and friends in Christ! It is so great to be here to see each and every one of you today. The great thing about this day, is that it gives those of us who have not accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior an opportunity to do so, and for those who have already accepted Jesus, it gives you the time to grow your faith, and in so doing helping to sharpen your brother and sister in Christ by your fellowship.
Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.
John 13:3-5
Healing Hands
When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
Matthew. 8:1-3
With His hands’ Jesus healed a man with leprosy.
• The man praised and worshipped Jesus before asking for a healing
• The man asked, “if you are willing” not if you can. The man had no doubt in Jesus’ power and I’m sure he had no doubt in the compassion of Jesus to heal him.
• Explain about his faith and God’s will in our lives.
With His hands’ Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law who was sick with fever
Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever. So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them.
Matthew. 8:14-15
The healing hands of Jesus even looks upon those who are too sick to ask for healing, too weak to cry out. Several more instances are in the bible of Jesus’ healing hands to those who did not ask: the man with the shriveled hand was healed in the Jesus church. A woman who had an infirmity where she was bent and could not walk upright was also healed in the church. Jesus came so that we may all be saved, and in the process of saving He heals.
The power of God was released and the sick and afflicted were healed when Jesus touched them. That same power is available today by every one of us through the power of Jesus.
• Through prayer
• Through faith
• Through obedience
• Through the Word
Anointing Hands.
Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.
Mark 10:15-16
Children are symbolic of humility. When they were brought to Jesus, He touched them and blessed them. Jesus placed special blessings upon those who came to Him in humility and faith. That is my hope for each of us, that we can surrender our pride and humbly ourselves before Jesus, doing so knowing that you will be blessed, not necessarily in a material way, but in a way that transforms you into the individual who puts their trust in the Lord. Oh, the benefits of putting down pride brings about peace, mainly peace with God, but the side-effect is you have greater peace with the world.
Understand that God’s anointing, blesses, and His kingdom is a gift, and we don’t gain it by human endeavors. The kingdom may be entered by those who know they are helpless, without claim or merit; those who come before God with humbleness.
Jesus wants us to come to Him like little children, because children possess these qualities of meekness and humbleness. Children are eager to learn and follow, which is a welcome contrast to an adult’s self-dependence and cynicism. Being like a child is so important…look at how King Saul in 1 Samuel turned out. Pride, arrogance, and jealousy began to rule and ruin his life.
Jesus honors the humble. Those who totally commit themselves to Him He anoints with power and blessing.
Nail Pierced Hands.
Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
John 20:27-28
When Jesus was crucified, His hands were nailed to the cross; He suffered and died a cruel death for our sins. The man who knew no sin took on the sins of the world.
The nail-pierced hands of Jesus represent His love and sacrifice, which made it possible for all to receive forgiveness and cleansing. This also was the outpouring of God’s love for humanity. The very means that we can be saved through the substitutionary sacrifice that Jesus provided. In this mortal body we are without the strength to save ourselves. But through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus do we find reconciliation with God, ending the war between Him and ourselves…a war that we were destined to lose.
Thomas doubted, but he reached the high point of faith when he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior.
Have you reached the high point in faith? Don’t be doubting Thomases; accept Jesus from what you know in your heart to be true.
The question was asked by a young man, believing himself to be wise; and the question was this: Since you believe the bible, what if the time comes that you find that it was filled with myths and fables and there is no Jesus? The preacher responded with this: “I don’t think it would matter what I believed at that moment. But the real question is, what are you going to do when you find out it was true?” I’d rather have lived my life transformed into someone better than I was and find out that is was false than continuing living sinfully only to find out that it is all true.
Dedicated Hands
When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.
Mark 9:25-27
Here Jesus is helping a little boy that had been possessed by evil spirits. The disciples had tried to remove the spirits, but they were not acting and working in faith, so their actions were fruitless, and caused more harm than good.
The hands of Jesus are dedicated hands. As He listens to those in distress, He loves and lifts. Mark 6:2 tells us that the people in Nazareth were amazed by the mighty works performed by His hands.
We should also have dedicated hands. We should follow Christ’s example by helping the less fortunate, lifting their burdens, and sharing Christ with the unsaved. Galatians 6:2-3 tells us that we should bear each other’s burdens, thus fulfilling the law of Christ:
Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
Galatians 6:1-3
Having too high an opinion of yourself causes you to not have sympathy for others. Jesus had sympathy for us all and thus used His hands to help us have an eternal life.
Saving Hands
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
Revelation 3:20
Here Jesus is saying that He wants to come into your life to bring you salvation and blessings. When Jesus says He wants to dine with you, He is indicating that He wants a lasting and fruitful relationship with you. He wants you to enjoy His fellowship, which brings you into His blessings.
Christ alone can save souls. He patiently and lovingly knocks at the door of every heart. Open the door and let Him come in.
Jesus’ hands can calm the troubles in your life, just as He did in calming the stormy sea in Mark 4:79, “Peace, be still.”
Psalms 34:6 tells us that a poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him from his troubles. Be that poor man that cries out to the Lord, for the small things and the big things.
This poor man who wrote Psalm 34 was King David when he was acting insane in front of King Abimelech.
The idea of a poor man here does not relate to one’s finances, but to someone who is (and recognizes that he is) without resources to affect his own deliverance (or secure his own life, safety, or well-being) – and so is dependent on God. Believe it or not, we are all poor man, none of us able to effect salvation on our own.
• Jesus’ hands will pick you up when you fall.
• Jesus’ hands have grasped the bitter cup that we caused Him to bear. He took our sins upon Himself for our sakes.
• Jesus’ hands are ready to put a stop to Satan’s accusations against you.
• Jesus’ hands are holding yours, helping you through each and everyday that you are alive.
• Don’t bind Jesus’ hands like His enemies did when they delivered Him to Pilate.
• Don’t bind Jesus’ hands by refusing to accept the salvation He is offering you right now.
• Don’t bind Jesus’ hands by refusing to be transformed by His love and grace.
a. When you accept Christ, you are transformed.
b. This transformation involves the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2 tells us this.
c. This renewal occurs as we read, study, and meditate upon the Word of God.
• Don’t bind Jesus’ hands by refusing His gracious invitation of everlasting life.
• Are you binding Jesus’ hands today?
Conclusion:
Allow Jesus’ hands to work in your life. He’s standing at the door and knocking…open it and let Him into your life. Be in good hands; be in the ha
