Hands of Christ

… Or cast out thunder with a voice like him. Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency, and array thyself in glory and beauty. Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath, and behold everyone that is proud, and abase him. Look on everyone that is proud, and bring him low, and tread down the wicked in their place. Hide them in the dust together, and bind their faces in secret. Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee. Do you think God is ever going to confess to anyone that his own right hand can save him? I should say not. You know, the hand is a very remarkable instrument, the human hand. In fact, it's the only hand that has an opposable thumb. Animals don't have that. So that there is remarkable strength in connection with a hand having that thumb that opposes the fourth finger. It can do most remarkable things. But there's one thing it can't do. It can't save your soul. I met a man on one occasion in a nursing home. I've been asked to go to visit him. And after talking with him a little while, he made it very clear that he did not believe that he was such a sinner that he needed to be saved. He said, everything that I got, I got with these two hands. And he was telling me, in effect, that he could make his way through with his own two hands and nothing more. You know, that man was sitting in a wheelchair, practically helpless, and he was depending upon the hands of the nurses to take care of him. You can hardly understand what a man is thinking of. But that was the case. Man's pride can bring him up so high that he will not bow to God. You know, I remember well, on one occasion, when I was only a boy, before I was saved, hearing someone speak. And I don't know, I don't remember a thing more that he said. But one thing that really penetrated my conscience at the time was that he said, the only thing that keeps a person from being saved is his own pride. It struck me hard because I know it was true of me at that time. Dear friends, that's true. The only thing that keeps a person from being saved is his own pride. And God says here, all right, Job. Job had been a man who had been an upright, honest, honorable man. There was none like him on all the earth so far as human righteousness was concerned. And God allowed Job to go through some terrible experiences, losing everything in one day. And then a few days later, losing his health, being smitten with sore balls from head to foot. And yet Job at that time said, shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not also receive evil? In all this, Job acted rightly. He did not curse God as his wife told him to do. He did not sin against God in doing that. But as the time went on and three of his friends came to visit him, to commiserate with him, they began accusing Job of the fact that he must have done something very bad to ever deserve to be in a condition like that. Job protested it strongly and hotly. It was not true. Job hadn't done some particular thing bad that this took place. God had allowed Job to suffer for a very real purpose. It was simply because Job was too proud of his own righteousness. He was a righteous man, but he was so proud of his righteousness that he needed to be brought down. He found out that even though he was a righteous man in the main, yet compared to, at least compared to other people, yet compared to God. Well, what a difference. He found out that he was utterly a sinner. And that's what he has to admit here. In verse four here, Job says, Behold, I am vile. What shall I answer thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth. And God says to him now, Do you have an arm like God? Who do you think you are, Job? Do you think you're a great person? Can you thunder with a voice like God does? Well, of course the answer is true. All these things are self-evident. In fact, God had shown Job a number of things in regard to creation in which there are things absolutely unexplainable. Tremendous things that God does. And Job couldn't do them. Where was thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? And where were you when I told the sea? Hitherto shalt thou come, and no further. Here shall our proud ways be stayed. Could you do something like that, Job? But then he goes on to say here what we have read. You cast abroad the rage of thy wrath, and you humble everyone who is proud. You do this. Bring every proud man right down to his knees. And after you do that, I'll confess to you that your own right hand can save you. Can you bring proud people down? Listen, dear friends. Do you know where you have to start? You have to start by looking in the mirror, don't you? That's the first thing you have to start with. Our own pride has to be brought down. Pride is an extremely stubborn thing. It's determined to have its own way. But I think it's established, isn't it, that not one can save himself. If God has plainly declared this in Scripture, man is not able to save himself. The fact is he must be brought down first before he's ever going to be saved. So if he thinks he can save himself, he's too proud of himself. He has to be brought down and humbled. Now we're going to turn to the New Testament, Matthew 14. And we're going to speak now of the hand that can save. Chapter 14 of Matthew, verse 25. Well, we'll read verse 24. But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves, for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went unto them walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit. And they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer, it is I. Be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid. And beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. There are many storms in the world today. And there's no doubt that God will send storms into the life of practically every soul. In fact, I think every one. He'll send things into your life, into mine, in order to make you realize that circumstances are too hard for you. Thank God when he does that. The storm here at sea is simply a picture of this. It's no doubt a picture of Israel when eventually going through the great tribulation, they find out that things are far, far too hard for them. And unless the Lord of glory himself intervenes, they're lost. And it's true for you. Unless the Lord Jesus intervenes in your life, you're lost. He goes forth to meet the ship. And the ship, no doubt, is a picture of Israel's economy in the Old Testament. The fact that people are depending upon the nation to save them. But however, the Lord Jesus goes forth and the ship is tossed with waves. They see him walking on the sea. We heard the other day that it's not just simply on the water he was walking, he was walking on the sea. The whole sea is totally under his dominion. And that is a wonderful thing to realize. The sea itself is subject to his divine authority. There's a king in England many years ago named Cnut, who was a Christian man. But the people thought so much of him because he was a fine king that they began to say that he was actually divine. Well, he decided something better be done about this. So he told him to take his throne out to the seashore while the tide was out and set the throne there. And crowds of people were present and he sat on the throne. And as the tide began to come in again, he put out his hand and commanded the tide to recede. What do you think happened? Did it obey him? Well, the tide kept coming closer and closer and kept on telling the tide to stop. But it just relentlessly kept on and eventually laughed at his feet, got up higher, covered his legs, got up to his waist before eventually the people had to rescue their God from drowning. Well, it was a good lesson for them. And he let them know, you see, I can do that. I'm not God. The Lord Jesus could do as he pleased. He can speak the word and stop the sea from roaring. He can walk on the sea. Now Peter decided he was going to walk too and it says on the water, bid me come unto thee in the water. And Peter did walk in the water, not very far. He began to walk in the water and that's about all. Could he have actually come to the Lord on the water? Yes, he could have because the Lord said, come. But he didn't get there, walking at least. What was the reason for that? It was because he saw the sea boisterous, he saw the wind boisterous. Of course, there's the effects of the wind, no doubt. And so the waves were roaring. Why, you can imagine what he'd be thinking. But now listen. Supposing the waves had been perfectly calm. What would you find? Would it be easier for you to walk on perfectly calm water or on rough water? Which? Well, actually it doesn't make a big difference. It's not a matter of being easier because it's not easy at all. It's just impossible. He saw the wind boisterous then and he was afraid. I have an idea that if the wind, the waves, there had been no waves, if everything was perfectly calm, then Peter would have been thinking to himself, look what I'm doing. I'm walking in this water. Isn't that wonderful? And he would have begun to sink too. Why? Because his eyes were off the Lord. That was the reason for it. The Lord said, come. But he said, come to me. Go to him. Well, but his eyes were off the Lord and he began to sink. The only one who can uphold you on troubled water or any water is the Lord Jesus. No matter what your circumstances in the world, the only one who can uphold you and guide you and guard you and keep you is the Lord Jesus. Well, Peter now began to sink. It doesn't say he sank, but he began to sink. And then what did he do? Call out to the men on board the ship. Come and save me. Well, it would seem as though the ship was more a likely place, wouldn't it? But no. He forgot about the ship entirely. Lord, save me. I remember on one occasion we were asking a number of young people. They were boys. Just say the way in which Peter said this. How do you think Peter said, Lord, save me? And, of course, the boys said it in different ways. Lord, save me. Lord, save me. Finally, one boy, he really said it the way it should be said. Lord, save me! Well, if you realize you're a sinner and you're lost, do you cry out to the Lord for mercy to save you? Boys and girls, do you know you're saved? If you cry to the Lord for mercy, of course you're saved. Thank God he is a Savior who loves to save. Lord, save me. And immediately we're told Jesus stretched forth his hand. There is a hand of divine power. Caught him, lifted him up, and they walked back to the ship. And then the sea was calm. The Lord Jesus is the one to be thoroughly trusted. Here is the hand of God, the hand of the Lord Jesus, no less than the hand of the living God, who can save a sinner from the misery, the horror, the eternal torment of that which he deserves. Now, it's not a pleasant feeling to be on the verge of drowning. In fact, on one occasion, when I was very near the ground, I went up and down more times than Peter. Up and down eight or nine times before a young fellow called Meosh. At that time, I wasn't saved. And I realized I was a guilty sinner before God. It seemed as though all my sins were right plainly emblazoned before my eyes. And I knew I was absolutely unfit to meet God. I deserved eternal death. And that's not a pleasant feeling. Thank God the Lord saved me, my soul. He saved me from drowning at that time. I had someone there to bring me out to save me from drowning. But he saved my soul after that. However, we're going to look at another scripture in John's Gospel, Chapter 10. And we'll read from verse 27. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one. These were wonderful words said to the Jews who were opposing the fact of the Lord Jesus declaring himself as being the true, the good shepherd, the one who knew his sheep. And now he affirms to them some absolute truths concerning the sheep of Christ. Now, in order to become a sheep of Christ, you have to be saved. Your sins have to be forgiven. Now, if you have trusted Christ as your Savior, do you have absolute certainty that you belong to the Lord for eternity? There are many souls who come in contact who don't have that. They confess the Lord, and yet you ask them about it. Do you know for sure that your sins are eternally forgiven? Well, not altogether sure. Do you have doubts? Yes. Well, now, how important for every soul to be thoroughly certain. Why? We're on the very verge of the coming of the Lord. Supposing the Lord were to come tonight, and you don't know where you stand. That's a very serious matter. There's a story, a true story, of a young girl who had confessed the Lord, and her sister had done so about the same time. And they were just so full of joy for a while. But one of them was a very sick girl. And she was getting worse and worse. It was apparently evident that she would very likely not live long. And she was greatly troubled. She didn't know for sure. Even though she had confessed the Lord, she didn't know for sure whether she was eternally saved. And this verse was brought to her attention by her sister. Her sister was quite sure about it. Her sister brought these verses to her attention. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them. I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish. Yes, but the other girl said, but I'm not sure if I want to be sheep. And she was hung up there for some time. And so happened that a day or two later, a postman brought in the mail a gospel paper that pressed the truth from that one simple verse in 1 Timothy 1. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. And her sister said to her, look, Christ Jesus came into the world to save, it doesn't say sheep, it says sinners, of whom I am chief. And she said, are you a sinner? Yes, I am. Well, then, if you're the chief of sinners, who did Christ come to save? Well, it was me. If you take your place as a sinner before God, you can have the absolute certainty that it was for you that Christ died. If you don't acknowledge you're a sinner, of course you will never find the peace of trusting Christ, the peace of eternal life. But you must come as a sinner first. It's sinners that Christ saves. But just as soon as you trust in Christ as Savior, and you find Christ as the one who died for you, then you're entitled to use that expression of yourself, I am a sheep of Christ. My sheep hear my voice? Now, these are some absolute statements. First, does every sheep of Christ hear his voice? Absolutely every one. That voice has wonderful power in it. Now, every sheep of Christ hears the voice of Christ. And they know me, or I know them rather first. I know them. Now, that's another absolute statement. He knows every one of them. And they follow me. Does every sheep of Christ follow Christ? Yes, every sheep of Christ does follow him. He's not telling us how closely they follow him here, but the fact that they do. Peter followed. In fact, he followed afar off. And he wasn't so happy because of that. But he was still following Christ, a true believer, even though he failed. They follow me, and I give unto them eternal life. That's another absolute statement. He doesn't sell it to you. He gives eternal life. That's an absolutely free gift. The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Now, that gift being given, the Lord never takes it back again. He doesn't give like that. When he gives, he means it. I know there are people who say, well, once I was saved, and now I'm lost again. What? Once I had eternal life. Now I don't have it anymore. Oh? Is that right? You say you had eternal life, and you don't have it anymore? Well, how could it be eternal if you don't have it now? Whatever kind of life it was, it wasn't eternal. It was only temporary if you don't have it now. Well, Scripture is as clear as can be about this. Then, they shall never perish. Shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. Now, there's the absolute Word of God for it. When the Lord Jesus says they shall never perish, he means precisely what he said. You know what a wonderful thing for any soul to get hold of. I know that I shall never perish, because I have God's Word for it. Depend on what God says, and you will certainly find the greatest joy and blessing. And, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand. I know one man said, but you can pluck yourself out. Oh? Who do you think you are? Are you so proud of yourself? You're stronger than God? You can pluck yourself out? Would any believer want to pluck himself out of the hand of the Lord Jesus? Or the hand of God? Why, of course he wouldn't. If he really knows Christ as Savior, he's glad that he is perfectly secured by God. Now, this second point is not only the question of being saved. It's the question of being secure. So, we have Christ's hand as a saving hand, and we have Christ's hand as a securing hand here. And when you're in His hand, you're absolutely secure. There's no possibility of being plucked out. The enemy can't do it. Satan can't touch you. No man can do it. And then he says, My Father who gave them me is greater than all, and none is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. Now, you would say, well, that's practically double security, isn't it? It's as though you have the hand of the Lord Jesus, and then the hand of the Father, and over that. But, there's absolutely no possibility of one for whom Christ has died, and whom Christ has saved by virtuous death, of that soul ever being lost. Does everyone here have that absolute certainty? Be sure that you do. God doesn't want anyone to be in doubt about a matter so vitally important as this. He wants thorough certainty. Now, shall we turn back to Luke? And this time, chapter 24. Luke 24. Following the death of the Lord Jesus, the disciples, having thought that now he's taken away from us, they thought everything was gone, they'd lost everything, now that the Lord Jesus had died. They hear the news from Mary Magdalene I and other women with her that they have seen Jesus, that he's alive. They wouldn't even believe it. But he appeared that day to more than one. He appeared to Peter. He appeared to the two on the way to Emmaus. Now he comes and enters the upper room where they're all gathered together. They're speaking in verse 36. And as they thus spake... This is Luke 24, 36. As they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? Of why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that is, I myself. Handle me and see. For a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he showed them his hands and his feet. Here, notice, he shows them both of his hands. It's not just one hand. You know, one hand of the Lord Jesus can save you. One hand of the Lord Jesus can secure you. But when it comes to giving assurance to the soul, to reassure the soul, the Lord shows them both hands. The reason for this is that people are too hard to convince. And the Lord is showing both of his hands are engaged in this, in this mighty work of redemption. And we know what they saw in the hands. Why, of course, the nail prints there. What effect would that have? Imagine now, if suddenly, while we were sitting here, the Lord Jesus suddenly materialized in our midst. How would you feel about it? That would be rather astonishing, wouldn't it, to say the least. Now that's what actually happened. Here the Lord Jesus suddenly appeared in the midst of them. Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted as supposed they had seen a spirit. If you were to look upon the Lord Jesus now, how would you feel? What would it mean to look at that face? Would everyone here be thoroughly at rest? Thoroughly peaceful? The Lord said, peace be unto you. And the Lord wants everyone to be thoroughly at rest, at peace, in his own presence. But here is something altogether beyond the realm of human understanding. What? The Lord Jesus suddenly appearing? Now here the spiritual realm has actually been thoroughly conquered by the Lord Jesus. He has gone into death. He has suffered and died on the cross of Calvary. But he has been raised again, triumphant over all the power of Satan, all the power of sin. The question of my sins, thank God, has been settled at the cross. And the fact of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus is proof that my sins are totally gone. I look at him and I see the end of all my sins. He is something like, that is, in resurrection, he is something like a receipt that the debt has been paid. I've had a tremendous debt. But now, thank God, the Lord Jesus has paid the debt on the cross. He is raised again. It's the proof that God has perfectly accepted him. God is satisfied with Jesus, fully satisfied with the value of that work accomplished on the cross, so that God can raise him from the dead, set him now at his own right hand in the glory. So when the Lord Jesus comes back from the grave, he is in a different condition, there's no doubt. It's the same body that went into the grave, but raised, the same body with the nail prints on the hands and the feet, but it is in a different condition. A spirit hath not flesh and bones, which ye see me have, he says. Now, no doubt it's not flesh and blood, because the blood had been shed on the cross. And here there were nail prints in the hands. There were not scars, but actual wounds still in his hands. And Thomas, remember, later, a week later, was told by the Lord to reach hither his fingers and put them into the nail prints. But, however, there the Lord Jesus maintains those reminders of that wonderful work of the cross to give thorough assurance to the believer. He wants you fully, perfectly assured. Security is one thing. Now, the Lord says that. The Lord says believers are secure, that they will not perish, that they have everlasting life. So they are secure. His word says that. But now here, the reason he shows both of his hands is not just to tell them they're secure, but to give them the assurance of it, for them to recognize the wonderful reality of what it means, that Christ's death and resurrection perfectly assures them. He wants everyone to be at perfect rest in his own presence. I knew a young man. He was 17 years of age when this happened. He had never heard a thing about the things of God. No Bible in his house. His parents were just completely without God. And his next door neighbor was a Christian girl, 16. She began talking to him about the Lord and about his soul, telling him how to be saved. That went on for a while. And this young man told me after that that it seemed that wherever he went for two weeks on end, that the Lord was standing right in front of him, holding out his hands, and pleading with the boy to be saved. He said that he had just bothered him so badly, he'd turn around and walk the other way because of the Lord being here. And then he'd see the Lord on this side too. Wherever he went, it was the same thing. Just as though he could see the Lord pleading with him. So after two weeks, it was enough. He decided he better submit. He was saved. What a wonderful thing to see the nail prints in the hands of the Lord Jesus. Now you and I can see them by faith, can we not? Look at the Lord Jesus. Now, raised from the dead, recognize him as the one who has finished the work that God gave him to do. And this is what gives thorough, absolute, settled assurance to the heart of the believer. Think of how much Christ has done for you. Now in the same chapter, the end of the chapter, verse 50. This was 40 days later. And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands and blessed them. And it came to pass while he blessed them, he was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen. Here you have the two hands again. He led them out as far as to Bethany, which was just about three miles outside the city, up in the Mount of Olives. Bethany means the house of affliction. And the Lord Jesus leaves them there. It's a rather striking picture that the Lord has left believers in the world which is still a house of affliction. It's not a bed of roses. It's not where you'll find everything going nicely. I know sometimes you'll hear people preaching the gospel and saying, if you would just come to the Lord, everything is going to be just fine for the rest of your life. Well, now, that's not exactly true. Everything is going to be far more than fine for eternity. But as far as your life here is concerned, you may find that there are a good many trials and difficulties and troubles that you'll have to face. So it's important that you recognize that the one you are following is a Savior of marvelous grace, able to take care of all the difficulties and trials that you have here on earth, able to sustain you and strengthen you to meet them. But when the Thessalonians were first saved, remember what Paul told them. We warned you you'd suffer persecution, and it came to pass, as you know. So sometimes if you take a stand for Christ, your neighbors might laugh at you. They might not like that very well. But what about it? Why, if you have Christ, you have far, far more than they have. Whatever persecution you might suffer, whatever troubles or trials, thank God, there is one who has suffered and died in Calvary, and now he is raised and he's gone back to the glory. And when he did it, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. Now, to have the sense of that in the heart is a wonderful thing. For everyone who trusts in Christ, the Lord Jesus, is in that same attitude today as he was when he was taken up to heaven. His hands uplifted in blessing. Here are blessing hands. If we've seen a saving hand and then a securing hand, then we've seen assuring hands, and now we see blessing hands. And it's as though the Lord was just pouring a blessing continually upon his people. Now, that is true. No matter how many troubles and trials there are, in fact, it's when things go wrong that we all the more deeply value the blessing of the hand of the Lord Jesus. This one who died, now is raised, seated now at the right hand of God in the glory. The results are remarkable, aren't they? Before this, the Lord Jesus had told the disciples that he was going away, and because I have said these things unto you, sorrow has filled your hearts. The Lord is leaving them, and they are full of sorrow. I can understand it. I know. I used to wonder when I heard those words of the Lord Jesus concerning the Spirit of God coming, it is expedient for you, or promptable for you, that I go away. But if I go not away, the Spirit will not come unto you. Well, they comforted it, he says there, but I thought, well, it's better to have the Spirit here than have the Lord Jesus here. Wouldn't it be a wonderful thing to have the Lord Jesus right with us? Well, no doubt it would. But the Lord said, no, it's better that I go away. And it was better. And when he did actually go away, what happened? They weren't filled with sorrow at all. Sorrow had filled their hearts at first, but when they saw this same one who had been cast out, rejected by men, and treated with absolute contempt, they see him now raised from the dead and then see him taken to glory. Now, that's amazing to consider. When they see this, they return to Jerusalem with great joy. They worshiped him. Returned to Jerusalem with great joy, were continual in the temple, praising and blessing God. Their hearts were filled with unutterable delight. And dear friends, I can be true no matter what troubles what trials, what exercises you pass through, you can be filled with the deepest joy. When you have Christ, you have everything. Far, far more than the world knows anything about. Here is the reality of the knowledge of the eternal Son of God come down in manhood in lowly grace to bless souls for eternity so that every believer can have this same joy. Now, when they saw the Lord Jesus go up to glory, did any of them have any doubt of the reality of the ascension? Well, I guess they didn't. And later on, they were able to bear such a clear plain witness to the fact of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Stephen saw him a little later. He looked up, his eyes stared faster to heaven and saw Jesus standing in the right hand of God. Listen. Is it any less true that the Lord Jesus is there at the right hand of God today than it was when he first went there? Any less true? Well, of course. It's just as absolutely true today. And therefore, the believer can have just the same joy that they had here. In fact, more joy in one respect because we know the coming of the Lord is very near. Is everyone here really looking for the coming of the Lord Jesus? I trust you are. That your whole heart rejoices in prospect of seeing the Lord face to face. So they were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. I know people ask, well, where is he? He went up. What is the exact location of heaven? What's the exact location of sitting in the right hand of God? Well, that would be a pretty difficult question to answer, wouldn't it? You say, well, he goes up from here? Well, from China it would be the opposite direction, wouldn't it? From wherever it is on earth, it's up. Because it speaks of a moral supremacy. Now, we don't have to worry about the actual physical location. But we know the Lord nevertheless is in a physical body. A body of flesh and bone. Where? Well, at the right hand of God. God has given a place of absolute eternal honor. God exalts and honors this one. And dear friends, through your trust in Christ as a personal Savior, you give the Lord Jesus the honor that God desires that you be forgiven. God will find real delight in your faith in Christ. Now, these things are beyond mere natural explanations. But they're not unreasonable. They're never found out by reasoning. But they are not unreasonable. Paul says, why should we consider the thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead? Now, that's not unreasonable. Just depending on whether you believe there's a God or not. If God is God, He can do what He pleases. Thank God He does. And thank God, too, that He pleases to bless souls so greatly by the gospel and the grace of God. Well, the last then are the blessing hands that are still blessing. Pouring out blessing upon His own people everywhere today. Shall we sing together number 30? …