DC Talk came out with a song a in 1998 called the "Red Letters." Basically they sang about Jesus' life how the red letters offer hope, love, and peace. For you country music fans, Brooks and Dunn also released a song called, "Believe." Both of these songs talk about how some versions of God's Word include the words spoken by Jesus Christ are written on the pages in red. Granted, Jesus spoke in Aramaic and the versions I read are in English because I am still many years away from understanding, speaking, or reading Aramaic.
With that said, I have begun my personal commentary about the red letters of Jesus. I am reading a New International Version of the Bible given to me by my loving, beautiful bride and I will also cross-reference in spots with a New King James Version.
Let's begin in Matthew and work our way forward.
Matthew 3:15 Jesus is just baptized by John the Baptist and said, "it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Jesus understood what needed to happen in his life and one of the first things for his ministry was to be baptized. Christ offered the humbling act to be performed by John, who resisted at first, but eventually agreed.
4:4 Jesus went into the desert and is tempted by Satan. Satan tries to get Jesus to turn some rocks into bread because Satan knew Jesus was famished. Jesus replies, "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." Jesus is referring to the Bible because God breathed the words into the authors exactly what he wanted them to write. I feel that so many of us try to rely on 'bread'-money, status, or a job alone in life and it can't sustain us. It is the word of God that will offer us the sustenance that we need.
4:7 Satan again tries to tempt Jesus to call on angels to save him from a fall off of a tall building. Jesus responds with, "Do not put the Lord your God to the test." Jesus understood God's will and knew that throwing himself off of a tall building only to have God the Father send angels to catch him would not prove anything. Satan tempts us constantly to try something we shouldn't because he knows he can rule over us with the smallest of footholds. Jesus response extinguished any foothold Satan tried to gain.
4:10 Jesus scolds Satan and shouts, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written, Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only." Satan will promise us so many things and a lot of it looks very glamorous. But we worship only the true God of this world and serve and give him our time.
4:17 Jesus preached, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." How true is this? Very true! I think that our lives as Christians begin the day we decide to follow Jesus. We know that heaven will come after we die, but while are here on earth, we have the opportunity every day to serve Jesus and share our hope we have in Christ with others.
4:19 Christ told the fishermen near the bank, "Come, follow me. And I will make you fishers of men." The men left at once to follow. No delay or time to scratch their heads to figure out what Jesus was talking about. Jesus has called us to follow him today!
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