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Have you ever been to any country that does not speak the languages that you know? I had. With the limited Spanish that I just learned before the trip, I had to use body language to communicate with the local people.
Body language is a powerful way of communicating with others. Some individuals even say, “body language is more important than what we say”.
In the Bible, God speaks to humankind by various means and one of them is by body language. In a pictorial manner, God speaks truth to humankind. Both in the Old Testament and the New Testament, the authors recalled the events about the outstretched arm of God and the outstretched hand of Jesus Christ.
- The Outstretched Arm of God’s Deliverance
1But the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”
2God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the Lord.
3I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself known to them.
4I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners.
5Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant.
6Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment.
7I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
8I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord.’ ”
9Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery. (Exodus 6:1–9 ESV)
God’s Outstretched Arm
I guess most people are familiar with Moses and the Ten Commandments. The background of this biblical story was about the enslaved Jewish people in Egypt. Slavery is one the most horrendous things that has ever happened to humanity. As slaves, people would have no freedom at all, and the saddest thing is that they would have no dignity as well.
At the time of Moses’ birth, the whole Jewish race were being enslaved in Egypt. The enslavement was so bad that the people of Israel groaned in pain. For that reason, they cried out to God for rescue from slavery (Exodus 2:23).
Because of God’s unfailing love for the Jewish people, He redeemed them with His outstretched arm (Exodus 6:6). God stretched out His arm and led the Israelites out of Egypt. It was an act of loving deliverance. By means of God’s outstretched arm, the entire Jewish race became a free nation once again.
The outstretched arm of God is a pictorial way of showing divine deliverance. With this kind of body language, God wants to show His intent and determination of saving humanity.
Enslaved by Sins
23For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. (Romans 3:23 NLT)
Every person is a slave on earth. Please excuse me for saying this because the Bible clearly proclaims that all humans are slaves of sin (Romans 6:20).
First of all, sin is falling short of God’s glorious standard. For that reason, it is plain to see that no humans with flaws can meet the glorious standard of God.
Ever since our existence on earth, sinning is a part of our lives. We don’t need anyone to teach us how to sin, but we involuntarily and voluntarily sin on a daily basis. We sin with our thoughts. We sin with our attitudes. We sin with our mouths. We sin with our actions. We might strive our best not to sin, but we simply cannot stop sinning. The reason is because we have a sinful nature.
Dear friends, can you see why I stated that every person is being enslaved by sin now?
Unfailing Love
There is a Hebrew word about love, which occurs over 250 times in the Hebrew Bible. This word is the most frequent noun for love in the Old Testament. In some English Bibles, it is translated as unfailing love (NLT, NIV, NET). In other Bible versions, it is translated as lovingkindness (KJV), loyal love (LEB) and steadfast love (ESV) respectively.
Although all humans are enslaved by sin, God is determined to set us free. Because of His undying and loyal love for humankind, He sent His Son to deliver us from sin.
Response to the Outstretched Hands of God’s Deliverance
Are you facing some sort of difficulties that are hard to bear? God is always outstretching His arm toward you. All you need to do is to grab hold of His hand.
Dear friends, do you want to experience God’s unfailing love? God’s unfailing love is found at the cross of Jesus Christ. You can meet God and experience His great love at the cross. Jesus Christ is the sole Saviour of humanity, and God always outstretches His hand toward you, and He is patiently waiting for you to respond to His love.
- The Outstretched Arm of the Messiah’s Compassion
40And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.”
41Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.”
42And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.
43And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once,
44and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”
45But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter. (Mark 1:40–45 ESV)
In the New Testament world, leprosy is not Hansen’s disease but it is various kinds of skin diseases. According to the Jewish laws, lepers must be excluded from their community. These poor lepers were quarantined and were treated like living corpses because they would impart ritual uncleanness to other people. In short, the lepers are social derelicts.
According to the Gospel of Mark, a leper came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. The leper said, “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.” Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched the leper. Then He said to the leper, “I will; be clean.” Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man with skin disease was healed.
The most astounding thing is that, by stretching out His hand and touched the leper, the Lord Jesus became ritually unclean right away. His body language defied both the Jewish law and social taboo.
Because of His unfailing love for the leper, Jesus was willing to be ritually unclean. On the contrary, the leper was cleansed and healed by the Saviour of humanity.
Some people are afraid of drawing near to God because they think they are tainted with sins. If you were one of them, please don’t think that way. If you are willing, Jesus Christ can heal you and make you clean. Jesus loves you so much, and He wants to touch you with His invisible hand.
- The Outstretched Arms of the Messiah’s Saving Grace
32Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him.
33And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.
34And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. (Luke 23:32–34 ESV)
23And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. (Mark 15:23 ESV)
The Gospel of Luke 23 talks about the details of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The capital punishment of crucifixion is one of the most painful and humiliating ways to die.
An archaeological finding stated that the nail used to drive through the heel of a crucified man was 11.5 centimetres long. The Roman soldiers were very savage and inhumane. On some occasions, the Romans would even drive stakes through the genitals of the victims. Usually, the Romans would drive a long nail through the victim’s ankles into the vertical post of the cross. Also, they would also drive nails through the victim’s outstretched hands or wrists into the horizontal beam of the cross. It is an excruciating way of death.
Wine mixed with myrrh was a narcotic administered to dull the senses. It is a kind of painkiller. Shortly before Jesus was being crucified on the cross, He was offered wine mixed with myrrh, but he refused to take it.
Several hundred years before Jesus Christ was born, Isaiah the prophet foretold the suffering of the Messiah. In his own words, 4Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. (Isaiah 53:4 ESV)
Let me remind you that we are sinners, but Jesus Christ, the Messiah, is the sinless and God’s only Son. For the benefit of humanity, Jesus took the pain. In order humans can be saved eternally, the Messiah took the pain of our punishment all on Himself.
The Roman soldiers nailed Jesus on the cross. With outstretched arms nailed on the cross, Jesus declared the most forgiving words, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)
The Apostle Paul says, 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 ESV). What is God’s grace? God’s grace is something we don’t deserve. As sinners, our wages of sin is eternal death, that is, eternal separation from God.
With the same nail-pierced hands, Jesus the Messiah extends His hands of saving grace toward you. But the thing is, what is your response to His unfailing love and amazing saving grace?
Friends, please place your faith in Jesus the Messiah. As for those who commit their lives to Jesus the Messiah, they will for sure have the supernatural second birth from above, and are eternally secure in the hands of Jesus. Like the old hymn says, “Safe in the arms of Jesus”.
Believers in Christ, most of the people around us still don’t know Jesus is the Messiah and Saviour of humanity. Let’s do something about it. Pray for our non-believing friends and relatives. Also, grab the opportunity to share the Good News with them!
Kenneth Thumb Ministry 譚約珥事工 