When Mother talked about decorating, she said to always use a little red in every room.  In the vernacular of today’s decorating divas, red will make the room “pop.”

Using red has never been a problem for me.  I like it.  I use it to accent my blue and white kitchen.  Our living room rug is deep rose red.  There are shades of red (pink, maroon) in several other rooms.

So when December rolls around, the reds and greens fit into my decorating schemes quite nicely.

I suppose some would give Santa Claus the credit for the color red being part of our Christmas. But let’s take it back farther than that.

Let’s visit a garden.

There has always been a red thread in the love story of God.

When Adam and Eve chose their own way rather than their Creator’s, God himself spilled the first red blood on the ground to clothe the man and his wife.

Sin is serious business and something has to die.

Through the pages of Scripture we read of animal sacrifices and the pouring out of blood to expiate sin. It was sprinkled lavishly at the altar in the tabernacle in the wilderness during the days of Israel’s wanderings.

Red was the sign in the window for Joshua’s army to spare the life of the harlot Rahab who came to believe in the one true God. Because of her faith in the God who saves, she and her household escaped death.

The Child born in Bethlehem would be the final and ultimate sacrifice. His own mother would bear the scars and spill her blood to birth him.  Thirty three years later, He would bear her scars and her sins and spill His blood to give life to Mary and all those who followed after, those who received the gift of salvation.  The ransomed price was blood red.

There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emanuel’s veins.  God with us.  His blood cleansing us.

The red thread did not stop at the cross.  It reaches to the highest mountain and it flows to the lowest valley. It stretches from eternity to eternity.

The sacrifice of blood has ended but it is not forgotten.  It will be a sign for us when all things are made new.

 “He [Jesus] wore a robe stained with blood, and His name is the Word of God.” Revelation 19:13

I celebrate the red that washed me white as snow and the Savior who came to accomplished it for me.  For you.