The Words In Red.

Before the cross, Jesus had not yet shed His blood, OBVIOUSLY, ☺️ so there were many things He could not reveal to His disciples, as the opening verse reveals.  Until He ascended to His Father, the Holy Spirit could not be sent to teach them (and us) the “WHOLE TRUTH” which would come from Jesus’ as our RISEN AND GLORIFIED SAVIOR.  Now He can tell us almost everything…..except, of course, the exact date when He’s coming back, though we will know the season.

–

Somebody out there had the bright idea to print Bibles with the words Jesus spoke while He was physically on earth in red ink.  Yes, it is certainly true that He actually spoke all those words.  But while a noble idea, it gives people the mistaken idea that those were the ONLY words He spoke. 🤔

The fact of the matter is that ALL THE WORDS OF THE ENTIRE BIBLE FROM GENESIS TO REVELATION ARE THE WORDS OF JESUS.  However…..What is recorded in the books of the New Testament from Acts to Revelation are the words of Jesus as our RISEN, GLORIFIED, SEATED-AT-THE-RIGHT-HAND-OF-THE-FATHER SAVIOR AND LORD! 🙌🏻

–

Full Revelation.

That full-up revelation of the gospel of grace was given to the Apostle Paul, who subsequently wrote 3/4 of the New Testament.  ALL OF THOSE WORDS are direct from the throne of our RISEN, GLORIFIED LORD JESUS CHRIST.  For non-Jews, it is best to pay the most attention to what he wrote, since He was specifically sent to minister TO the Gentiles.

Regarding these words in red, we do not, in fact, live by ALL of the words in red that Jesus actually spoke.  If we did, the Gentiles would never have had the chance to hear the gospel and be saved!  See for yourself.  Below are several examples that clearly show Jesus’ words both “before and after” His death in contrast.

–

BEFORE THE CROSS:  “Do not go to the Gentiles but to the Jews.”
Matthew 10:5-7
“5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. 6 But GO RATHER TO THE LOST SHEEP OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL. 7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”

–

The above are words in red ink in red-letter Bibles.  Obviously these words are no longer in effect.

–

AFTER THE CROSS:  Go into all the world….
Mark 16:15
The Great Commission
“15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”

–

These words are also in red but spoken after Jesus rose from the dead.  BIG DIFFERENCE!   If you’re a non-Jew, I’ll bet you’re glad that the gospel went out to the WHOLE world!  I know I sure am!  Thank you, Daddy! 💖🙌🏻

–

BEFORE THE CROSS:  Forgive others so that God will forgive you.
Matthew 6:14-16
14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

–

AFTER THE CROSS:  Forgive others as you HAVE BEEN forgiven
Ephesians 4:32
“32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ FORGAVE {past tense} you.”

–

Before the cross, your forgiveness depended on you forgiving others first so your sins could then be forgiven.  After the cross, we are forgiven and CLEANSED of all our sins and that knowledge gives us the desire to forgive others of their trespasses against us because we know of what we have been forgiven!

–

–

Woman Caught In Adultery.

Nowhere is the contrast between being under law as opposed to being under grace more clearly demonstrated than in the story of the woman caught in adultery.  This woman was caught IN THE ACT remember, which was punishable by stoning under the Ten Commandments.  But Jesus extended His Grace to her saying:  “Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more.”

–

Notice the order here:  He tells her FIRST: “Neither do I condemn you…” THEN He says: “GO…and sin no more.” The power to “GO and sin no more,” comes from FIRST KNOWING THAT WE ARE NOT CONDEMNED.”

–

Under the Old Covenant, she would have been summarily stoned, irregardless of whether or not she repented.  Under grace, Jesus forgives her which breaks the power of sin over her and gives her power to “go and sin no more!”  Now she can successfully live a holy life, something the law CANNOT produce!

–

The tragedy of the church today is that she has it backwards!  What you are told is, “Go and sin no more…..THEN you are not condemned.”That is Old Testament.  That is outer court, judgment minded, law-centric mentality…..180% opposite of the TRUE GOSPEL.  That keeps people bound up in sin and doomed to repeat what holds them bound.

–

–

Read below the New Covenant bought and paid for by the precious blood of Jesus.  Actually, His death and resurrection was an OVERpayment!

Hebrews 8:7-12

–
A New Covenant
“7 For if that first covenant {the TEN COMMANDMENTS} had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. 8 Because finding fault with them, {the TEN COMMANDMENTS} He says: *“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— 9 not according to the covenant {the TEN COMMANDMENTS} that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, {the TEN COMMANDMENTS} and I disregarded them, says the Lord. 10 For this is the {NEW} covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord:

(#2) WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 11 None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. 12

–
*(See Jeremiah 31:31-34)

–

–

–

Think about it:  In the Old Testament, Which nation was most Holy to God?  If you answered “Israel,” you are correct. Which city in Israel was the most Holy to Him?  Jerusalem.  Which part of Jerusalem was most Holy? The temple mount.  Which part of the temple was most Holy? The Holy of Holies. What part of the Holy of Holies was most Holy to Him?  THE MERCY SEAT!

–

You see!MERCY has always been of central importance to God, not judgment. 

–

–

BUT…..If you insist on teaching the law, know what you have to do?  PUSH ASIDE THE MERCY SEAT–JESUS–and drag out the tablets of stone the Father OBVIOUSLY WANTS HIDDEN INSIDE. I REPEAT:  In order to preach the law, you must PUSH JESUS ASIDE.  REALLY BAD IDEA!🤦‍♀️

–

Remember what happened to the people of Beth Shemesh in 1 Samuel 6?  God killed 70,000 of them!  Yeah:  REALLY BAD IDEA. Let’s keep the law right where it belongs, shall we?  UNDER the Mercy Seat.

–

(For more on that story, you may follow the link below:

–

Pluses And Minuses. ➕➖

All the “before and after” examples are like “pluses and minuses.”  The law takes away, condemns, punishes, and empowers us to sin more. (➖) GRACE RESTORES, HEALS FORGIVES AND EMPOWERS US TO “GO AND SIN NO MORE!”(➕ )

–

The whole Bible is a wonderful, Emmaus-Road experience where we can see pictures of Jesus everywhere.  We can be warmed, edified, encouraged, and truly transformed as we behold Him in the stories, types, and shadows recorded there; shadows, of course, being in the Old Testament.

–

(For more on the story of the Road to Emmaus, you may follow the link below:

https://emmausroadministries.international/2016/03/02/the-emmaus-road/).

–

–

–

So Yes!  There’s a HUGE DIFFERENCE between truths Jesus shared BEFORE the cross as opposed to AFTER the cross.  Though we can certainly appreciate and learn from them, let’s have a proper understanding of The Words In Red.