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Wounds of A Friend

[(1)-(6) are footnote numbers for these lines, to show background Scripture verses]

(1) From a Friend’s stretched arms,
Wracked hands that once clapped with joy.
Convulsions from pain.

(2) From a brother’s brow,
Blood and carpenter’s sweat mix.
Father, Joseph, spared.*

(3) Feet like his mother’s,
Once swaddled and soothed by her,
Bear soul-piercing nails.

(4) Jesus’ fierce forehead,
Regal with compassion, thorned.
Bowed-to Lord, dead, bowed.

(5) Messiah’s side, speared,
Shaft into Heaven’s light-shaft,
All the more blood spilt.

(6) Son, shunned by robed men,
Wounds displayed for friend and foe,
Call out “Peace!” to all.
___________
(The Scriptures below are taken from the NKJV)
* Joseph, earthly step-father of Jesus, probably died before the Crucifixion

(1)
John 15:15
No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
Isaiah 53:10
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.
When You make His soul an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,
And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
John 20:24-25
24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
John 2:1-2
1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.

(2)
Mark 6:3
Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him.
Matthew 1:20-21,24-25
20 . . an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.
Matthew 27:27-29
27 Then the soldiers of Pilate took Jesus into a large room. A big group of soldiers gathered around Him. 28 They took off His clothes and put a purple coat on Him. 29 They put a crown of thorns on His head. They put a stick in His right hand. They got on their knees before Him and made fun of Him. They said, “Hello, King of the Jews!”

(3)
Matthew 1:18
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph
Luke 2:7
And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths,
Luke 2:35
(yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

(4)
John 2:17
Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.”
Matthew 20:33-34
33 They said to Him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.” 34 So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.
John 19:30
So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

(5)
John 19:34
But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.

(6)
Matthew 3:17
And suddenly a voice came from Heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son on whom I am well pleased.”
John 10:30
I and my Father are one.
Isaiah 53:3
He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
Matthew 26
64 Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
65 Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy! 66 What do you think?”
They answered and said, “He is deserving of death.”
67 Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, 68 saying, “Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?”
Matthew 27:39-43
39 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”
41 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, 42 “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. 43 He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ”
Colossians 1:19-20
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

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