The foundation of our Christian faith is the death and resurrection of Jesus. That’s what separates Christianity from any other religion is the fact that Jesus conquered death and the grave!
Three years ago, I shared a post, The Testimony of Jesus, on what the resurrection of Christ means to me. Click here to read that post.
But just in case you don’t click over, let me briefly summarize a portion of that post and build from that of what Jesus’ resurrection means to me.
A Family Transformed by Trial
Almost thirteen years ago, life as I knew it collapsed. My older son, raised in a loving Christian home, was arrested and convicted, and with that shock all our aspirations for our family slid into a sinkhole. This was a reality I never imagined.
After the shock, I found myself in constant prayer, wrestling with questions about faith, justice, and redemption. You see, as I read the Bible after my son’s conviction, I read it through a different filter. I saw how the heroes of our faith were thieves, kidnappers, arsonist, and murderers. Yet despite all that, God chose to use these scoundrels to spread His Word.
Even though the Lord comforted me with the hope of redemption, one question lingered in my heart: “Lord, I trust You with my son’s life, but what about his conviction record when it is time for him to be released? Can his name be cleared?”
Then the answer came to me in a vision. I saw Jesus walking into my mess, and He showed me His hands and feet, much like I imagine He did with His disciples. Then it hit me that even in His resurrected body, the scars remained.
The scars are the testimony of Jesus!
I realized even in His glorified body, the scars remained. He showed His scars to confirm His identity.
Then I realized that we cannot erase things in our past that we don’t like. Those are forever etched in history and a part of our identity. So, my son’s record and our unexpected prison family journey are a testimony of how Jesus has transformed our lives. For in Him, we become a new creation.
The Universal Language of Scars
This revelation brought a profound understanding that everyone carries scars—physical, mental, or emotional. Like Jesus, whose scars were a testament to His journey through betrayal, wrongful conviction, and crucifixion, our scars tell our stories of pain, endurance, and, most importantly, of the healing and resurrection we have in Christ.
Personal scars symbolize not just the pain endured but the lessons learned, and the resilience gained. I have scar on my left forearm where the cancerous melanoma mole was excised, and the Lord supernaturally healed my body. I asked the Lord to heal the scar too, but it remains. It’s my testimony of how the power of forgiveness opens the door to healing not only our hearts and minds, but our physical bodies as well.
The Lord uses our scars for each of us to be able to speak of our hope in Jesus, the strength we receive from the Holy Spirit, and our capacity to overcome any obstacle we encounter when we’re plugged into the Word.
Embracing and Sharing Our Scars
When you embrace your scars, you walk the courageous walk of faith. You acknowledge your wounds and recognize the spiritual growth that stemmed from them.
When you share your stories, you will find strength, plus others who might be navigating similar paths will have their hope and faith renewed.
Just as Jesus’ scars served as a beacon of hope and proof of His ultimate victory, resurrection from the dead, our scars can be the testimony that resurrects the hope and faith of those around us.
In sharing my family’s unexpected journey, I’ve come to see our trials as a pathway to deeper faith and understanding. This journey has strengthened my resolve to hold on to Jesus and persevere in even the darkest of nights.
Our scars bare testimony of transformation and redemption, interwoven with lessons of grace, forgiveness, and the unconditional love of God.
My prayer for you this Resurrection Weekend is that you embrace your scars as a testament to what Jesus has done for you. Then you show your scars to others as a testimony of your faith so others will believe!
Your scars are your testimony of Jesus!
