There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel’s veins.
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stain.
Today is not a day for debate or discussion, but for reflection. This is a holy week, a week in which we think about one thing, one person – the most important thing that ever happened and the most important person who ever lived.
I would ask you to celebrate with me, to join in the rejoicing over one fact, that there is indeed a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel’s veins and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains. .
There is a crimson river that flows from the heart of God. It flows from God’s heart to men and women all around the world. It flows to you and me. It flows by every person on earth, but it only flows through those who repent of their sin, and place their full faith and trust in Jesus Christ.
The Crimson River began as a single drop of blood, which flowed from Jesus’ back when the Roman soldier’s lash cut through his back. Lash after lash, one drop after another mixed with the first drop. These drops formed a trickle as the Crown of Thorns was driven deep into Jesus’ brow, as cruel fists struck his face, and as his beard was pulled out. As Jesus dragged the cross down the Via Dolorosa toward Golgotha, toward the place of the skull, the trickle grew a little stronger. Then, as the soldiers drove nails into Jesus’ hands and feet, as they raised the cross high, as they dropped it in the hole, the trickle became a stream.
For six long hours, Jesus hung between heaven and earth, between God and man, the Lamb of God dying for the sins of the world, the stream ran red, and strong.
Jesus suffered, and the stream flowed. Jesus was tortured, and the stream flowed. Jesus was ridiculed, and the stream flowed. Jesus bore the sins of the world on himself, and the wrath of God fell on him – and the stream flowed.
Then, the fateful moment came. Jesus had suffered the horrors of God’s wrath for our sins, and was about to die. He rose up and uttered the fateful words – It is finished. At that moment, the stream became a river, a river of mercy and grace, a river of forgiveness, a life-giving, sin-forgiving, power-delivering, forever-living river flowing from the heart of God to all who repent and believe in Jesus Christ.
The river flowed first to the throne of God. There, Jesus presented His blood to the Father as the payment for the sins of the whole world, as the payment for your sins and mine. The Father looked at the broken body of His Son and at the Crimson River flowing from His Cross, and said, “It is enough.” The debt is paid.The blood of Jesus Christ bought our soul’s salvation. It paid for our sins and brought us forgiveness.
So, the Crimson River began to flow. Deep and wide it flowed.
It flowed to a notorious criminal, hanging on a cross next to Jesus. He was a wicked sinner, but sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stain. He fell into the Crimson River of God’s Grace, and it carried him, that day, to Paradise.
The Crimson River flowed by a Roman soldier, a centurion, who gazed at the crucified Christ and said, “Surely, this was the Son of God.” The Crimson River flowed to 11 cowards, who had abandoned Jesus at his arrest. The Crimson River restored them to fellowship and joy.
The Crimson River caught away 3000 people on the day of Pentecost. It carried them ought of dead, dull religion, into a powerful intimacy with Jesus Christ.
Some time later, the river overflowed its banks and caught away an angry young man in the flood. He was headed to Damascus to try to dam the river and stop its flow. The River swept over its banks and carried him away. Through the ministry of Saul of Tarsus, the Crimson River flowed to untold millions throughout history.
The River flowed to Timothy, Titus, Silas, to Aristarchus. It flowed to Clement, Iranaeus, and Polycarp. It flowed to Eusebius, Athanasius and Augustine.
For many years, it seemed that the Crimson River had been stopped, hindered by empty ritual, church tradition and ecclesiastical corruption, but nothing can stop the flow of God’s grace.
The river flowed to a young man trying to figure out what had gone wrong with the church. It flowed from Luther to Calvin to Zwingli. It flowed through Wesley, and Whitefield, and Jonathan Edwards. It flowed through Charles Spurgeon, and Hudson Taylor, and Lottie Moon, through Jeremiah Lamphier, Evan Roberts, and Duncan Campbell.
It flowed to Southern Baptists and Assemblies of God, to Methodists and Presbyterians and Bible churches.
It has flowed to millions of anonymous faithful men and women in every country on earth. It flows to male and female, to black and white, to rich and poor.
For 2000 years the river has flowed, unstoppable. Sometimes, it has raged like a mighty torrent. Sometimes, it has slowed till skeptics gloated that the river was gone for good, but nothing can stop the flow of the Crimson River.
Dictators have outlawed the Crimson River, but they could not stop it. False Religion has tried to pollute the river with legalism and ritualism, but the river flows. Communism tried, Humanism and the New Age still try to dam the river or divert its flow, but the Crimson River is a mighty river. In spite of every attempt to stop it, it still flows from Immanuel’s veins. And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stain.
That river flowed by 449 Elder Lane NW in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in February of 1964. I was caught in the river that day and it has carried me through good times and bad, through my failures and disappointments.
The River flows all over the world today in Korea, Japan, Indonesia, and Taiwan; in Tanzania, Kenya, Morocco, Libya; in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan. It flows in Germany, and Greece, and England.
And, my friend, it flows here today. The grace of God flows right here today. There is still room for sinners in the Crimson River, those who wish to wash in the fountain and find their sins washed away.
There is a simple question that each of us needs to answer beyond all question.
Are you washed in the blood?
Have you been to Jesus for the Cleansing power?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in his grace this hour?
Are you washed in the blood of the lamb?
Are you washed, in the blood, in the soul-cleansing blood of the lamb?
Are your garments spotless?
Are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the lamb?
If you can answer those questions in the affirmative today, take a moment to stop and thank God. Give glory to him for the Crimson River which sweeps us away into life abundant and life eternal.
