Hold your Hand – January 12, 2020

“I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand.”
Isaiah 42:6

Hold your Hand

Remember the Beatles tune? “I wanna’ hold your hand?” Holding hands is an intimate gesture. It expresses love and affection without using words. Humans appreciate a personal touch.

Our Bible reading for today pictures a parent taking a child by the hand. Can you picture it? The parent and toddler need to cross the street. So the parent takes the toddler by the hand, guiding, protecting.

So, whose hand is being held in this Bible verse? Surprisingly, the picture is that God the Father is the parent, and it’s Jesus’ hand that is being held. It reminds us that Jesus—the true God—became truly human, with our human weaknesses and needs. And so, God the Father guided him, protected him, indeed, “held his hand” as he walked Jesus through life and finally to his death on the cross. The Father was guiding, protecting, holding the Son through it all.

But to what end? It was all for YOUR benefit and MINE. It was all so that forgiveness and eternal life could be won for YOU and ME. The Father held the hand of the Son; guiding, directing, and caring for him but ultimately with your best interests in mind.

And so now? Now God the Father—because of the work of God the Son—can look at you and say, “I wanna’ hold your hand, too!”

Prayer:
Thank you, Father, for holding Jesus’ hand so that he was able to win my salvation. Comfort me today with the assurance that, whatever comes my way, you are holding my hand through it all. Amen.