Isaiah 52:14 Just as many were astonished at you, So His visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men…

It is clear that after Jesus suffered through the scourging, beating in His face, and crucifixion, His body was torn to shreds. It was well known that 39 lashes from the scourge would leave a man with a body that was a medical catastrophe. As the flesh has been torn from the body the muscles and ligaments are exposed, often leaving vital internal organs vulnerable to the outside elements. Many a man died after just 10 or 15 lashes from the scourge. The fact that Jesus survived all 39 lashes is an indication of His strength, but also sure proof that His body was barely recognizable as a human being.[1]

Thomas

We know that after Jesus rose from the dead, He bore scars from the torture He suffered against His body. When the frightened disciples gathered together after His death, suddenly the Lord appeared in the room where they were hiding in fear of the local authorities. Thomas was apparently not with the other men when Jesus appeared, one of the disciples told Thomas later that Jesus had appeared alive before them. Thomas was skeptical that the Lord could be alive after such a horrific death that He had suffered. Later, as Thomas is with the other disciples, Jesus appears again a second time and asks Thomas to touch the scars which are still in His body to confirm that He is in fact Jesus.

John 20:24-28 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”

Mary

When Mary Magdalene came to the tomb where they had laid Jesus after His death, Jesus had already been resurrected. Mary did not recognize Him when He was standing near her at the tomb. Only after Jesus spoke Mary’s name did she realize that it was the Lord. This may have been due to the massive injuries that had disfigured Jesus’ face and body, resulting from the torture He had endured.

John 20:1-16 Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).

Emmaus

On one of the roads leading out of Jerusalem to the village of Emmaus, some of those who had witnessed Jesus being beaten and crucified were discussing amongst themselves the events of Jesus’ death. Suddenly, Jesus appears unknown to these men and asks them why they are so sad. They explain that Jesus, whom they had hoped was the Messiah, had been crucified and died.

These men did not realize that the one whom they were speaking was Jesus. It was not until He took bread and broke it and handed it to the men, that they realized it was Jesus. As He reached out His hands, the disciples noticed the scars from the nails in His wrists. These men did not recognize Jesus by His appearance, likely because of the scars He still borne and His resurrected body.

Luke 24:13-31 Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him. And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?” Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?” And He said to them, “What things?” So they said to Him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see.” Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them. Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.

The testimony of this event describes Jesus as He guided these men through the many Old Testament prophecies which describe the Messiah as beaten, crucified, and risen from the dead. Jesus applied each of these prophecies to Himself and informed these men that He is the object of all the scriptures concerning the Messiah. See: “The Prophecies of the Messiah.”

John

When John describes Jesus in the Book of Revelation, he details His appearance as One like a lamb as though it had been slain. In heaven, Jesus is apparently still bearing the scars on His face and body from His torture and death, even after His resurrection.

Revelation 5:6 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain…

The Apostle John Writes That Jesus Has No Beginning; He Has Always Existed As God:

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

At the Jordan river where Jesus was baptized by John, a voice came from heaven: Matthew 3:17 This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Jesus did not begin at Bethlehem, and He did not end at the cross. When the Rapture occurs and He returns to take His church back to heaven, He will continue to be the Son of God, forever.

A significant change occurred for the Son of God. As God the Son existed for eternity. He took the body of a human being at Bethlehem and continued to live as God in the body of a man, forever.

The book of Hebrews describes a body being prepared for the Son of God, so that He could come to earth as a man and die for the sins of the world: Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me. ~Hebrews 10:5

The Implication Of This Fact Is Staggering

Today, sitting on the throne of God in heaven is a man. It is apparent that the plan of God was not simply to prepare a body for the Messiah to offer it for the sins of the world, but to prepare a body for Him to dwell in forever. There are no scriptures that declare, at some point, that Jesus will put off His human body and return to Spirit only. The entirety of scripture describe Jesus as our High Priest forever.

Hebrews 6:20 where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever…

From eternity the only begotten Son of the Father was God. He did not cease to be God when He took the body of a human being. The purpose of God in putting on human flesh was to become one of us, so that He could offer His Life as a sacrifice for all of us.

Jesus died for human beings. He did not die for the angels or any other created being. Long after the redemption of man is complete, Jesus will continue to be the Son of God, and the Savior of all those who have believed upon Him for their salvation.

It is difficult to imagine the Creator of all things—brutally butchered for us. The fact that Jesus allowed these evil men to so disfigure Him that He was barely recognizable as a man—gives us a glimpse into how severely God hates the sin that had made it necessary for Him to die by such vicious and violent acts. God must surely love us so greatly that He would permit His only Son to be beaten beyond recognition.

If anyone should ever accuse God of not loving us, all they must do is see Jesus face to face in all His disfigurement. Jesus will heal the scars of everyone of us in heaven. We will all be perfect and beautiful while He will bear the scars of His terrible death for all of eternity. Jesus will heal all our scars, but He will not heal His own.

How great is His love!

NOTES:
[1] 1. Tenney SM: On death by crucifixion. Am Heart J 1964;68:286-287. 2. Bloomquist ER: A doctor looks at crucifixion. Christian Herald, March 1964, pp 35, 46-48. 3. DePasquale NP, Burch GE: Death by crucifixion. Am Heart J 1963;66:434-435.

Categories: Jesus born to die, Jesus is God, Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus, The First Arrival of the Messiah, To die for the world's sins, Why Jesus had to die

Tags: A Lamb as though it had been slain, A man sits on the throne of God, How serious sin is to God, Isaiah 52:14, Jesus bears His scars after the Resurrection, Jesus on the road to Emmaus, John 20:24-28, The Love of God demonstrated