Red Letters

After looking back through my old collection of Christian CD’s, I found a song by DC Talk that jumped out at me instantly. It’s a powerful song called “The Red Letters,” which talks about the words of Jesus in the Bible. The chorus especially speaks to me. It says “There is love in the red letters. There is truth in the red letters. There is hope for the hopeless, peace and forgiveness. There is life in the red letters.” In John 15:13, Jesus said “Greater LOVE has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus showed this magnificent LOVE for us as he died on the cross to save us from our sins. In John 8:32, Jesus said “Then you will know the TRUTH and the TRUTH shall set you free.” Throughout the 4 Gospels (esp. the Sermon on the Mount), Jesus repeatedly said “I tell you the TRUTH.” before he would speak.

To me, the best example of this is found in Luke 23:43 when Jesus says to the repentant thief on the cross “I tell you the TRUTH, today you will be with me in paradise.” Also, Jesus brings the only true HOPE that exists to all people. In Matthew 12:21, a passage in Isaiah is referenced which says “In HIS name the nations will put their HOPE.” People who do not know Jesus do not know the joyous hope that He brings. Isaiah also prophesies about the coming of Jesus and says “And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, PRINCE OF PEACE.” Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He says in John 14:27, “PEACE I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” There are numerous times in the New Testament where Jesus forgave people of their sins. In Matthew 9, Jesus healed the paralytic and said “Your sins are forgiven.” In Luke 7, the woman who was sinful washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and he said “her many sins have been FORGIVEN-for she loved much.”

Finally, Jesus repeatedly reminds us in the New Testament that He is the giver of life. In John 6:35, Jesus says “I am the bread of LIFE.” In John 11:25, Jesus said to Martha “I am the resurrection and the LIFE.” The most well-known verse where Jesus reminds us that he brings life is John 14:6. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the LIFE. No one comes to the Father except through me.” It is my prayer that this Easter season will remind us how amazing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is and that we will draw ever closer to him each day.

God Bless,

Ryan

[on stormy banks]

Ryan Lonis

Tony Craig