THE FAMILY ALTAR-
The risen Savior shows His hands and His side to His fearing
disciples in order to convince them that it is really He and not
a ghost. But His wounded hands and side at the same time bear
eloquent testimony of His undying love for them. They speak
to them of His great sacrifice on the cross, whereby He atoned
for their sins, secured their pardon with God, and freed them
from all guilt and punishment. Because they read this message
of pardoning love in His wounded hands and side, the disciples
were glad when they saw their Lord. He could have come to
them in righteous anger and wrath and rebuked and condemned
them for their faithlessness to Him; but His blessed wounds
attest and confirm His word of peace and pardon which He spoke
to them. No human tongue will ever be able to describe the
rapturous joy that filled the hearts of the first disciples when they
saw their Savior returning to them alive from the grave and when
they heard His sweet greeting : "Peace be unto you !" Pious hearts
who live in daily loving communion with their Savior have a little
foretaste of this joy. It is sweeter to them than honey or the
honeycomb. And it fills their hearts with rapture to know that
they will also see their Lord and Savior face to face, when He
comes to take them into His mansions of everlasting light and
glory. And this joy and hope is no delusion; it is founded on
the unshakable promise of God in His holy Word; for John
writes expressly (1 John 3, 2) : "We shall see Him" — Jesus —
"as He is." Oh, that will be glory indeed!
What shall we be, when the freed soul can rise
With unrestrained and bold aspiring flight
To Him who by His wondrous sacrifice
Hath opened heaven and scatter'd sin's dark night;
When from the eye of faith the thin veil drops,
Like wreaths of mist before the morning's rays,
And we behold — the end of all our hopes —
The Son of God in full refulgent blaze?
What shall we be, when we shall hear Him say:
"Come, 0 ye blessed"; when we see Him stand
Robed in the light of everlasting day,
Before the throne of God, at His right hand;
When we behold the eyes from which once flowed
Tears o'er the sin and misery of man;
And the deep wounds from which the precious blood
That made atonement for the world once ran?
