Tiny Hands

Our three grandchildren are two years old and under.  Babies and toddlers have tiny hands.  And it is with great joy that we get to, at times, hold their tiny hands in ours.

 “So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David. He went to be registered with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him, and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”  (Luke 2:4-7)

When Jesus became flesh and dwelt among us, he first entered the world as an infant.  It would be reasonable for us to expect that Jesus, as a baby, would have had tiny hands. 

Since his earthly father was a carpenter, the cultural expectations at the time would have been for him to learn the trade of his father.  Perhaps as his hands grew, his hands would have begun to implement the skills required of a carpenter.

Perhaps as a young man, in the course of practicing that trade, his hands would have become rough and calloused as he worked with wood.

While we don’t know what tools he might have used in his work, perhaps he would have used his hands to grasp a hammer like devise and pound nails into wood.

Then, at the cross, those same hands that likely had pounded nails into wood, had nails pounded into them.  Such was done in order to nail him to the cross.

 And it was done as the prophet had foretold:  “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isa 53:5)

The hymn writer, Isaac Watts, in the hymn “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”, framed the impact of that piercing in this way:

 

“See, from his head, his hands, his feet,
sorrow and love flow mingled down.
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
or thorns compose so rich a crown?”

 

Jesus blood flowed down from the wounds inflicted upon His head, His hands and His feet.  Such blood flowed down, mingled with sorrow and love, as he took the punishment for our sin upon Himself!