As I see it there are four views of the nail-scarred hands:
1. The BELIEVERS don’t require a sign and they believe.
2. The DOUBTERS require a sign and they believe.
3. The EXPLAINERS see a sign and they don’t believe.
4. The AVOIDERS don’t see a sign and don’t believe.
Mary, the mother of Jesus was a BELIEVER. She took Gabriel’s word that she would have God’s son…hello, that’s one faithful woman! Interestingly, Satan and all his demons fall into this category too. Read Matthew 8:28-34 and you’ll see the demons address Jesus as the Son of God and acknowledge His power to overcome them. Thomas is the obvious DOUBTER. “Because you have seen me, you have believed, blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29) In John 4:48, Jesus predicted our unbelief, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe.” The Israelites in the Old Testament and the Pharisees in the New Testament are EXPLAINERS. In John 6:36 Jesus tells the people that even when they do see Him they still do not believe. They always have an explanation for what they see. King Agrippa and the Roman leaders are AVOIDERS. They worship worldly knowledge, riches and power. In Acts 26 Paul gives the King and his court his testimony and “Agrippa said to Paul, ‘Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?’ “ Agrippa had no need for faith because he believed in himself and the praises of men.
Are you praying and waiting for a sign – a glimmer of hope? Or have you given up all together? Do you depend on your own understanding and the power of your own works? Or do you believe what God promises in His Word? Be blessed! “Don’t be deceived; God cannot be mocked. A man reaps whatsoever he sows.” (Galatians 6:7)