Luke 23:44-46 March 17, 2002

Thomas said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." Col. 2:13b -15

He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

John 20:25-27

It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, [45] for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. [46] Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.

CCI: Nails in Jesus' hands put an end to the death warrant that was held over us.

Intro: A nail, it is an interesting thing. In Colonial America, they were so hard to come by that houses were taxed on the number of nails in the house. Today they are so common they are called common nails. Is there a tree in Bay City that has been growing for more than a decade that does not have a nail in it? Has there ever been a more simple but useful instrument created? We use them to hang pictures and build houses. They can be put in place with a hammer, or with an air powered gun. I have even used nailing guns that used a .22 shell to set the nail in steel. I'm not allowed to use them because I get carried away when I hammer, but I understand there are fine finishing nails that can be used on trim and almost disappear when they are set in place. They are used on railroad tracks and in bird houses. As the West was settled, the blacksmith who made nails had a job that would last for a lifetime. They were even used to hang wanted posters in order to capture criminals.

Nails have even made their way into our language. When a person makes a good point, she has hit the nail on the head. When a base runner is put out stealing second, the runner is nailed. If you are hit in the head with a snowball, you have been nailed. If you are caught in the act of a crime, the police will nail you. If you are convicted on all counts, you are nailed to the wall.

The nail, at times a useful tool. However, 2,000 years ago, it was a cold impersonal object, formed from the hatred of those who put Jesus to death.

Earlier we spent some time in meditation on the nails. And I want us to think about that a little bit more right now. So often we look at the cross and see the resurrection. We tend to think that Jesus had a video tape preview of the resurrection in his mind as he hung on the cross. We look at the nails from the perspective of the resurrection and we tolerate them that way. However, that is not the way Jesus saw them. For Jesus, the nails were nails, the pain was real, his death was authentic.

That means that when we are in the midst of suffering, we can be assured that Jesus understands and cares. It is easy for us to praise God from the Garden tomb on Sunday Morning, but what do we do when we are faced with the nails on Friday? We praise God's faithfulness when the pieces come together and life is smooth, but the nails on Friday remind us that God is faithful even in the midst of crucifixion. We gather at the empty tomb with celebration, but we hold the nails from the cross, when we gather at our daughter's grave. Because He chose the nails, we can know he is with us and he understands us when we too face the nails.

Yes, the nails were real and Thomas knew how they had been used on Jesus. When it was suggested to him that Jesus was alive, he wanted to see the nail prints in his hands.

But what Thomas did not realize is that it was not the nails that held Jesus to the cross. Yes, they did pierce his hands, they did tear his flesh, but it was not the nails that held Jesus there. Jesus himself said, "Don't you think I could call 10 legions of angels to my side?" Jesus could have been freed from the cross, but it was his love that held him there. He chose to give his life as an example, but even more, when Jesus died, he took God's punishment for sin on himself. And he did it because he loved us and longed for us to have a restored relationship with God. Thomas did not realize is that it was not the nails that held Jesus to the cross.

And Thomas did not realize is that it was not Jesus that the nails held to the cross. Paul tells us that nailed to the cross was the written law and all our sins. All the charges that had been made against us, the warrant for our arrest, and the conviction that had been signed sentencing us to death, this is what was nailed to the cross. Listen to that verse from Colossians again: "He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross."

To those who passed by, it looked like the nails were in Jesus' hands, but in reality the nails held the Law and our sin to the cross. For while the nails pierced Jesus' hands, Jesus was in his Father's hands. John tells us that at the 9^th hour, about 3:00 in the afternoon, the sky grew dark and the veil in the temple was torn and Jesus cried out, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." And then he died. The nails may have been in his hands, but he was in the hands of his Father. What a place of rest. Think about it, if Jesus found the peace and confidence to rest on the cross in the Father's hands, then we can find peace in any situation we face when we are in the Father's hands.

On the cross, Jesus chose the nails because he could not stand the thought of eternity without you. And now he asks you to trust your life to his hands. Your sins have been nailed to the cross. According to Paul, the cross, an instrument of torture and death has triumphed over all the powers and authorities of this creation. No longer are we slaves to rules and regulations, Paul said, the rules that say, "Don't handle, don't taste, don't touch" have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any real value." Our righteousness if found Jesus and Jesus is trustworthy. When we place our lives in his hands there is no limit to what God can accomplish through us.

While in San Diego at the National Pastor's Convention, I heard a lot of preaching, and everyone had some good stuff to say. There were words of encouragement and there were words of reproof. But quite frankly we were all getting tired of preaching. Then, after a long day of conferencing and work shopping and more preaching, in fact there had already been two sermons that day, an African American named Bishop Ken Ulmer stood to preach. I was tired and I will confess, I did not want to hear another sermon, but slowly he grabbed hold of me. And he did it with one line. That is all it took, one line, and with that one line he held that crowd of white preachers with his words and took us on a journey of worship and praise unlike anything I had ever experienced. And this was the line. "It all depends on whose hand it's in."

"A paintbrush in my hand will get you a painted hand is a mess in the making; but a paintbrush in VanGoh's hand will result in a work of art that will move masses. It all depends on whose hand it's in.

"Put a violin in my hand, and you may get a few squeaks, it doesn't matter how good the violin is, all I could give you is a few squeeks, but put a violin in Isaac Pearlman's hand and you get the music of the masters, music that will make your spirit soar. It all depends on whose hand it's in.

"A golf club in my hand, means look out troubles comin', but a golf club in Tiger's hand is gold, a master's championship. Because it all depends on whose hand it's in.

"A basketball in my hand is worth about 29.99, but a basketball in Micheal's hands is worth about 30,000,000. Because it all depends on whose hand it's in.

"A peanut in my hand isn't even a snack, but a peanut in George Washington Carver's hand is peanut butter and shoe polish and freedom and new hope for a generation of people who formerly were slaves. It all depends on whose hand it's in.

"A rod in my hand my beat off a dog, but a rod in Moses' hand will split the Red Sea and lead a nation to freedom. Because it all depends on whose hand it's in.

"A slingshot in my hand is a child's toy, but a slingshot in David's hand will kill the Goliath's in your life. Because it all depends on whose hand it's in.

"A scarlet cord in my hand is piece of purple thread, but a scarlet cord in Rahab's hand, with faith in the God of Israel, hung from her window in Jericho is salvation and life for her family and household. Because it all depends on whose hand it's in.

"Mix clay and spit in my hand, and I'll have dirty hands, but mix clay and spit in Jesus hand, and blinded eyes see. Because it all depends on whose hand it's in.

"A five loaves of bread and two fish may get you a fish sandwich in my hand, but five loaves of bread and a two fish placed in Jesus hand will feed the 5,000 with bushels to spare. Because it all depends on whose hand it's in.

"Bread and wine in my hand, may be a nice addition to a meal, but bread and wine in Jesus hands is a memorial that will forever satisfy the hungry heart and quench the thirsty soul. Because it all depends on whose hand it's in.

"Nails in my hand might get you a bird house or a flower box, but nails in Jesus' hand hanging on a cross between two thieves on a place called Calvary is salvation and hope and recreation and new life for you and me and for the world, because it all depends on whose hand it's in."

When Jesus died he offered this prayer, "Father into your hands I commit my spirit." You see, what matters is whose hand it's in.

This morning I want you to thank God that he has taken you into his hands. Somebody thank God that Jesus' hands took the nails. Somebody thank God that those nails held your arrest warrant to the cross. Somebody thank God that we too are safe in the hands of our heavenly Father. Somebody thank God that Jesus has promised no one can take you out of my hand. Somebody thank God that we are set free from slavery to the rules of men and women. Somebody thank God that Jesus has promised that no one can take us out of the Father's hand.

Thank him today, because you see, it all depends on whose hands we're in.