The Marks of Jesus

“Henceforth let no man trouble me; for I bear branded on my body the marks of Jesus.” (Galatians 6:17, ASV)

By the end of our lives, most of us bear the scars of life. When I go to the dentist anymore, a major portion of my check-up is to see the condition of my previous dental work. In 1973 while in the Army Ranger School, a machine gun barrel hit and broke two front teeth, which were replaced with crowns. It is a memento of my training that I carry around with me.

When I was a young boy, I had appendicitis. Upon which the doctor operated and removed the appendix. I carry that scar on my abdomen. It is a reminder of that morning when I woke in great agony.

I think that we all carry some scars of life with us and can remember some of the stories behind them vividly. Paul here mentions some marks on his body. Only, his marks were different in one great way. He stated that on his body were “the marks of Jesus.” Paul was speaking of the marks of affliction, the physical scars that he bore, for preaching the gospel. Paul wrote to the Corinthians in detail about some of these afflictions.

“Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day have I been in the deep;” (2 Corinthians 11:24–25, ASV)

Yes, Paul bore the scars for serving Christ. Yet he understood some things regarding these. First, it was part of the journey for him as a preacher of the gospel. The false teachers put on the pretense of enduring sacrifice for their message, but Paul bore the actual scars for what he preached. These scars were a visual testimony of his commitment to the truth of the message of God’s grace. No amount of real hardship could silence him. He could not help but preach that which he knew to be true, the only eternal hope for people.

Second, Paul knew that the persecution he endured was not for him. The persecution he endured was actually directed towards Christ. When the Lord encountered Paul, then known as Saul, on the road to Damascus, the Lord asked him, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” (Acts 9:4, ASV), Paul then asked the question, “who art thou Lord?” to which the Lord answered, “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest” (Acts 9:5, ASV). Any persecution a believer receives for the sake of the gospel is a direct attack on Jesus.

Third, Paul also understood that his struggles for the gospel had the ability to bring glory to God. Paul wrote to the Corinthians that as the message of grace went forth, God was increasingly glorified.

“For all things are for your sakes, that the grace, being multiplied through the many, may cause the thanksgiving to abound unto the glory of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:15, ASV)

Last, Paul understood that the sufferings for the Lord were temporary and they produced for him great blessings in eternity. Consider his further words to the Corinthians. “For our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory;” (2 Corinthians 4:17, ASV)

What can we learn from Paul’s example? Most of us will never wear the physical scars of persecution. However, we must understand that true believers who seek to walk by the Spirit will endure some form of persecution. Paul wrote to Timothy, “Yea, and all that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12, ASV). In most cases, this may not be a persecution that would result in physical scars, though it is still possible. In most cases it will be things that might create emotional and mental scars. It might be the rejection or ridicule from others, even those close to you. It might be the loss of a job or promotion at work for standing on moral truth. In the future, those who preach the truth of God’s word could face prosecution for standing firm on moral issues that contemporary culture opposes.

The question is this. Will we stand firm on the truth of God’s word in the mist of friends that oppose it? Will we stand firm on the truth of God’s word when it might cost us personally? The only way we will be able to stand firm in the face of persecution is to be empowered by God’s grace as we walk not by the flesh, but by the Spirit.