John 8:2-11 – Christ's Wrists
The Sacred Wounds of Christ
During the Sundays in Lent, we will meditate on the five ways in which Jesus Christ was physically wounded (in chronological order). The Romans were known not only for their excessive use of capital punishment, but also for their advanced skill at torturing people. Jesus experienced the full intensity of their rule of law, or the Pax Romana (“Roman Peace”), and so we will follow his experiences to examine what each of them mean for our daily lives. How is our faith affected by a flagellum, a crown of thorns, a set of nails, another nail, and a spear? How do these things apply to living life today?
This Week
We are looking into John 8:2-11 to gain a deeper understanding for our third worship topic in Lent. During Lent, we are focusing on the Sacred Wounds of Christ, which are five ways Jesus was wounded as part of his torture, crucifixion, and death. The third sacred wound of Christ occurred when the Romans nailed Jesus’s wrists into the cross. Today’s gospel reading is the only record in Scripture of Jesus writing, and it tells of how he used his hand – really a finger – in a gesture that was part of reframing how people understood God’s law. Rather than the law being a tool of condemnation, he showed how the law is an opportunity for finding freedom from the world’s oppressions to start fresh and make better choices in life.
For those without online viewing capacity, please contact Deborah in our church office at office@bslcmi.org or 248-646-5041 for a printed transcript.