Why does our exalted Lord bear his wounds in glory? They are his honors, his treasures. To believers, Jesus is beautiful because he is both pure and marked by his own blood. We see him as a lily of purity and a rose stained with his suffering.

Christ is lovely on Olivet, Tabor, and by the sea, but never more so than on the cross. There, his beauty was perfect, his attributes displayed, his love fully expressed. His wounds mean more to us than any royal splendor.

The thorny crown outshines an imperial diadem. Though he no longer holds a reed scepter, its glory surpasses gold. He wears the appearance of a slain Lamb, the attire he chose to win our souls and redeem with his complete atonement. These are not just his adornments; they're trophies of his love and victory.

He has claimed the spoils, redeeming a countless multitude. These scars remind us of his battle. If Christ treasures the memory of his suffering, how precious his wounds should be to us! "See how every wound of his A precious balm distils, Which heals the scars that sin had made, And cures all mortal ills. Those wounds preach his grace; Signs of his love; Seals of our bliss in paradise above."