Scars of Hope

Good morning…

We’re often determined to convince God to see things our way. Instead, we should be determined to see things His way. God is not a judge in a courtroom drama. Furthermore, His Son has already paid the price for our sins—we have been pardoned through Jesus’ intercession. The only requirement on our part is to enter into a relationship with Him.

We cannot justify our actions, for it is only by God’s goodness that we are able to do good, and it’s only out of severe disobedience and ungratefulness that we act poorly. We need to change our perceptions so that our conversations with God become holistic. We should not just ask; we must act. We should not just speak; we must listen. We should not just petition; we must enter into an honest relationship with God.

John D. Barry and Rebecca Kruyswijk, Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012).

Last week we talked about how we see people… what about ourselves?

Ever think about the scars we accumulate over our lives… this person hurt me… or this event happened that changed the way I see things.

Creates low self esteem, anxiety, social discomfort...

When you lose a loved one, we often think about life with them, and face life without them… and that leaves scars.

How about physical scars… every scar reminds us of the event that caused it.

It’s not an easy thing to do… looking at scars differently… they remind us of pain…

Scars of Hope

After the resurrection, Jesus still had His scars… Oh, He could have had a perfect, unblemished body, but He chose to carry those scars into eternity.

John 20:19–20 “19 Now when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were together due to fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, “Peace be to you.” 20 And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord.”

Jesus used the same scars to turn Thomas’s doubt into wonder.

The scars defined who they saw… it was part of His story, and they knew it.

Perhaps, that’s the lesson this morning…

Your broken parts, and the heart that bled are where the glory of grace shines!

We spend our lives trying to hide the place where we’ve been broken.… believing they make us look ugly and weak… thinking they might disqualify us from being used.

But that’s not how God’s kingdom sees you… the scars are not signs of defeat, they’re signs of hope and healing, they’re signs of a battle that’s been won!

God emphasizes that each scar carries a story of redemption and possibility for transformation.

Our scars signify the journey of healing and growth, demonstrating that pain can lead to purpose. It emphasizes that God uses our past wounds to empower us to uplift others, revealing His presence in their healing process.

1. Scars of Resurrection Victory

John 20:24–29 24 One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin),* was not with the others when Jesus came. 25 They told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”

26 Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”

28 “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. 29 Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

Thomas doubted the risen Christ, but the scars told the story.…

Thomas's journey from skepticism to faith highlights how Christ's scars were not just reminders of His pain but powerful declarations of His resurrection victory.

In the same way… we can embrace our scars as testimony to God's transformative power and promise of new life. Through our experiences, we can inspire belief and hope in others, showing that scars do not signify defeat but rather divine healing and purpose beyond understanding.

2. Strength in Our Scars

2 Corinthians 12:7–10 7 even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.

8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

By accepting that our scars are areas where God’s strength is perfected, we can witness divine empowerment in our lives. Maybe this passage encourages believers to trust in Christ’s sufficiency, allowing His strength to transform their vulnerabilities into powerful testimonies of His grace and resilience, helping build a community of faith and support.

3. Suffering Redeemed by Scars

Isaiah 53:4–5 4 “Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows* that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! 5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.

Unique look at Christ as 'the man of sorrows,' whose wounds bring healing.

An incredible purpose for His suffering!

Hope and restoration

Worship team

Our scars can serve to mirror Christ’s sacrifice, offering healing and hope.

God doesn’t just heal your past, He repurposes it.

Your greatest area of brokenness, might very well be, your most powerful area of ministry!

Don’t hide your scars… In the hands of the Father, they become a map for someone else to find their way home.