Over the course of our series, we have heard how the Lord’s hands have been at work for us. Our broken hearts are in His hands, as He is the master Physician who brings us back to life. His hand is strong to save and pull us from the depths of despair. He has bound the—strongman—devil by the finger of God. Just as He reached out to heal people with leprosy, so He brings eternal healing to sinners. His hand of compassion stops death its tracks and gives life. All things are in His hand, so we can trust, this day, that He has our lives in His hand. With all things in His hand, He serves and feeds us His Holy Supper.

Everything has been leading up to this moment. On Good Friday, Jesus was delivered to the hands of sinful men—even our hands.

What do all the hands of the world do to Jesus? His betrayer leads a band of soldiers to arrest Him and take Him to the high priest. One of the officers of the high priest strikes Jesus with his hand when the Lord testifies to the truth. He is handed over to Caiaphas. All the while, Peter warms his own hands by the fire and denies knowing his Lord. Then, Jesus is handed over to Pontius Pilate, who wants to be as hands-off as possible concerning the whole matter. Soldiers use their hands to twist a crown of thorns, press it into His head, clothe Him in a purple robe, and hit Him. But the cries of “Crucify Him” echo all the louder as Pilate attempts to wash his hands of the matter.

Just like that, the Lord of glory—the One who does all the wondrous works of God, the One to whom all things are given—He is crucified. Nails pierce into the hands of the Lord. This is the work of the world’s hands. This is what the world offers the Lord. This is what we have offered Him. The world rejects Him, refusing to see the work of His hands as the work of the hands of the King. So, His hands are pierced with nails driven into a wooden cross and lifted up into the air.

We put so much importance into the work of our hands. Above that—with our sense of entitlement—no matter how great or how little we do with our hands, we think we deserve to be elevated and exalted. Our power grabs, efforts to position ourselves above all things, and desires to be honored above God are all attempts of our hands to be the ones in charge. We think that we deserve to be king. Yet, there can’t be more than one king. Our aspiration to elevate ourselves means that anyone else who claims to be king must die. That’s just what we have done to the King of kings and Lord of lords. The sinful work of our hands hoisted Him upon a cross and drove nails into His hands. 

What can Jesus do when His hands are nailed to a cross? It may appear that such hands can’t do anything. To his followers who witnessed the events, it looks like only the hands of sinful men are in control of everything. What can hands do when pinned to a cross?

Isaiah foretold it all. Isaiah writes of a Suffering Servant who “shall act wisely; He shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted.” But the Suffering Servant will be “marred, beyond human semblance.” His exaltation won’t be what people expect, and people will be astonished with the great question “to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?” Throughout Isaiah, the “arm of the Lord” carries the same meaning as “the hand of the Lord.” The “arm of the Lord” displays God’s might, glory, care, judgment, and salvation. Upon looking at this Suffering Servant, how could He be the arm of the Lord?

He had “no form or majesty that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.” Isaiah doesn’t just speak for himself, his own time, or even Jesus’ time. Today, we are all a part of it. This is our sin. This is what we offer the Lord’s Servant. Our sin drove nails into the hands of the Lord. It appears as if this is only the work of the hands of sinful men. 

But Isaiah helps us understand that Jesus’ suffering and death wasn’t just the work of our hands. The One whom we “esteemed . . . stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted” has accomplished something we could not. “He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities.” This “chastisement” was done to bring us “peace” and healing by “His wounds.” The sin of the world “has [been] laid on Him.” The Lord Himself did it! “It was the will of the LORD to crush Him; He has put Him to grief.” 

Jesus’ suffering and death was the arm of the Lord all along! Yes… this sinful world did these things to Christ Jesus. However, the Lord willed that this is how salvation would happen. “He [Jesus] . . . makes intercession for the transgressors.” Christ atoned for all our sin. He atoned for the sin of the entire world—every misdeed, every hateful action, every sinful thought.

Jesus took the punishment that we actually deserve because of the work of our hands. He willingly took our place in order to bring forgiveness, life, and salvation to us sinners. Remaining silent (like a sacrificial lamb), He took all our transgressions upon Himself. He took all of it to the cross and received in His body the full punishment that we have deserved. God’s wrath and condemnation that this world has earned by its hands poured out on Him. It was all nailed to the cross.

What can Jesus’ hands do when nailed to a cross? They aren’t just any hands. They are Jesus’ hands. His hands are the Lord’s hands. They are life-giving hands of the Lord who is strong to save, even if it looks like weakness. “The word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” The cross is the powerful “Hand of the Lord” at work for salvation. 

Isaiah says, “The will of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.” The will of the Lord does prosper in the hand of Christ Jesus, who was nailed to the cross. For, in Christ you have the forgiveness of your sins! With His hands and feet and pierced side, in this very act itself, Jesus is able to do more than the most powerful human beings. He can do what no one else can! And He has done it. He cried out, “It is finished.” Every bit of His work to atone for your sins was concluded on the cross nearly two thousand years ago. What can Jesus do with His hands nailed to the cross? He atoned for your sin. 

Isaiah says that the Suffering Servant shall “see His offspring” (all those who are now a part of the family of God through faith in Jesus). Isaiah is describing you, brothers and sisters in Christ. It was the will of the Lord for Christ Jesus to suffer and die, so that the Lord may gather His people under His merciful hand to forgive your sins. Jesus endured all of that bitter suffering in order to see you with Him forever. He continues to extend His hand to you today through the preaching of His Word, through the forgiveness of your sins, through the pouring of water and Word in Holy Baptism, and through feeding you with His body and blood in the Lord’s Supper. 

What can Christ do with hands nailed to the cross? He does what only He can do. This is the will of the Lord prospering in His hand. This is the power of God’s holy arm for salvation. “Christ crucified” may not be what we would expect, but it’s what we need. The One with pierced hands is drawing you close to Himself to be with Him forever. Amen.