Man-made in Heaven

When we think of things that are "Man-made," we may think of great structures such as the Pyramids of Egypt. We may think of the Great Wall of China. More local to where I live is "Ballyhass Lakes." This is a man-made lake that was once  quarry.

When I was younger I was asked "What in Heaven is man-made?" I was stunned. I couldn't understand how anything in Heaven could be man-made. The answer, I was informed, was the nails in the hands and feet of Jesus and the other wounds he endured at his crucifixion. We know he still has the wounds thanks to ‭John 20:24-29:

[24] Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. [25] So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” 

[26] Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” [27] Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” [28] Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” [29] Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 

Now recently I have been thinking about the "Jewishness" of our Lord and Saviour and it almost evaded me on the one other thing about the Lord Jesus that is "Man-made." 

It is something that is rarely if ever discussed in Bible study or preached about from the Pulpit. That said, for the sake of modesty, I wouldn't expect a preacher to go into the details of how things are more intimately carried out. But in a reverend way one could discuss about it as it is a very significant detail even though little is actually said about it in the Gospels.

As an eight day old Jewish boy, Jesus was circumcised. 

God made a covenant with Abraham and commanded Abraham to circumcise all the males in his house and any born after that on the eight day. We read about it in 

‭Genesis 17:1-12:

[1] When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, [2] that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” [3] Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, [4] “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. [5] No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. [6] I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. [7] And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. [8] And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.” 

[9] And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. [10] This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. [11] You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. [12] He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, (Read Romans 4 for more details concerning Abraham's faith and obedience)

In the Gospel of Luke we have just one verse concerning the circumcision of Jesus.

‭Luke 2:21

And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. 

It is a mind boggler to get our heads around the fact that Jesus in his infancy received a mark that he himself commanded Abraham to begin performing many hundreds of years earlier.

But then if Jesus received a man-made circumcision then we who are "Born again" have received a "Christ-made" circumcision.

‭Colossians 2:8-13

[8] See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 

[9] For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, [10] and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 

[11] In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 

[12] having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. [13] And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,

So I guess, in the end, it is not true to say that the nail prints in the hands and feet of Jesus or the other wounds he sustained are the only "Man-made" things in Heaven. 

‭

‭1 Thessalonians 5:28 

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.