Since little Barry didn't have any money, Mr. Miller offered a trade. "All I got's my prize marble here, Sir." The kind man looked at it and declared, "Hmmmmm, only thing is this one's blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one at home?" "Not zackley," he admitted, "but almost." "Tell you what—take this sack of peas home, and on the next trip, let me look at that red marble." This not only went on over and over again, with Mr. Miller never "finding" the right red marble, there were two other poor boys just like Barry—and Mr. Miller just loved to "bargain" with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever.
Several years went by, and Mr. Miller passed away. In the line at the funeral home, were three young men—one in military uniform, and the other two in very professional looking suits. Each of them hugged Mrs. Miller, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her, and moved on to the head of the casket. One by one, each man stopped briefly and took Mr. Miller's hand, and after gently wiping his eyes, each one left the funeral home. To the next person in line, Mrs. Miller explained, "Those young men were the boys that my husband helped so many times—they just told me how much they appreciated the things he 'traded' them. Now, at last, when he can no longer change his mind about the size or color of the marbles, they came to pay their debt." With loving gentleness, Mrs. Miller lifted the lifeless fingers of her husband, and resting beneath were three exquisitely shined-up red marbles. Oh, what a picture of redemption—marbles, and, Oh,yes…blood!
You see, the word "redeem" itself means to buy back what was sold, pledged, or forfeited, and so a "redeemer" was one who ransomed by paying the price. The grocer had paid the price every time he sent a sack of produce home to those poor families. Jesus paid the price when He bought back humanity from Satan, which had been sold and forfeited when sin entered into the world. Jesus paid the price for a lost humanity when He shed His ruby-red blood. It is crucial, especially as we approach the close of the Lenten Season and come to the very doorstep of Easter, that we understand that "…almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission of [sin]." (Heb. 9:22) And this is emphatically revealed in God's dealing with His people from the very beginning. Adam and Eve were clothed with animal skins by God Himself following their rebellion—He killed His own precious creation to do so. Abel, their son, found his offering of the sacrificial lamb to be pleasing to God. But it doesn't end there—not at all!
Just look at Numbers 28! In describing the daily burnt offerings, God told Moses, "And thou shalt say unto them, This is the offering made by fire which ye shall offer unto the Lord; two lambs of the first year without spot day by day, for a continual burnt offering. The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at even." (vss. 3,4) Imagine that! Every day—continually! And when it came to the Sabbath Day, two lambs were to be sacrificed, "beside the continual burnt offering." (vs. 10) And then there was the special offering at the very beginning of each month—"And in the beginnings of your months ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the Lord; two young bullocks, and one ram, seven lambs of the first year without spot." (vs. 11; italics mine) And that isn't even all—during the seven day Feast of Unleavened bread, seven more lambs were offered up—each day! The same is true during both the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement.
But then, during the 7 day long Feast of Tabernacles, Moses was given more instruction—"And ye shall offer a burnt offering, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord; thirteen young bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year; they shall be without blemish." (29:13; italics, once again, mine) Imagine—14!—Every Day! Some might think that God really hates animals, especially lambs. But actually, it is just the opposite—every sacrifice was even a greater sacrifice for Him. All of it points to His own spotless Son at Calvary. This Cross, and the blood that was shed on it for our redemption, is both the focal and pivotal point of Scripture. This is why the Bible is truly a crimson book. In Hebrews 9:19-20 we read, "For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood…and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you." The American Standard Version reiterates—"the book itself."(italics are mine; the emphasis is God's)
It is a recurring theme throughout the New Testament, as well—that the blood on the Jewish altars was both symbolic and prophetic of the sacrifice by Jesus the Redeemer. In a very real sense, the blood is God's own endorsement for His own book, the Bible. It is His autograph, so to speak, ratifying the Covenant that is contained within. Christianity is not Christianity without the blood of Jesus, and yet, so many today want to erase it from every page. Dinsdale T. Young, one of the great evangelicals of old-time Methodism once wrote, "Let sneerers dub the Book as gory, we glory in its ruby redness. To us, the Blood-besprinkledness of the Bible is the guarantee of its everlasting veracity. The blood of Jesus streaks its every page. I cannot discredit the Covenant, for the Maker of the Covenant endorses it with His precious Blood." Many churches today, in an effort to draw the crowds and to keep them coming, have become, what they call, "seeker friendly." No preaching against sin, especially the sin that is present in that particular congregation; no mentioning of the blood of Jesus, because that would beg the question, "Did He die to take away my sin, and if He did, doesn’t that call me to forsake my sin?" Gets kind of personal, doesn’t it?
You see, Redemption is an eternal mystery, and we accept by faith the sacrifice we cannot understand, and glory in Him, who redeemed us by paying the ultimate price—the sinless Son of God, dying to take away the bondage of our sin. Isaiah, the prophet, spoke of the Holy One of Israel as a personal Redeemer. In his 59th Chapter, he clearly states that, "…the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob." (vs. 20) In fact, in the 2nd half of his book, Isaiah uses the term some 14 times—the number sounds familiar, doesn't it? In Romans 11, Paul reiterates Isaiah's claim of a Redeemer in Zion, only he uses the word "Deliverer." Furthermore, he states that all who believe, whether Jew or Gentile, are "justified freely by His grace through the redemption…in Christ," (3:24) and that it is in Him alone that we have, "…redemption through His blood." (Eph. 1:7) Yes, He "…is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." (1 Corinthians 1: 30)
Marbles and blood—in both cases, the story does not end with death. Those red marbles would forever live in the memory of Mrs. Miller, as well as those three young men as they all ventured forth to live their lives. With regards to the redemption that Jesus' blood purchased, the Cross was not the end. Job, in all of his struggles, came to the conclusion, "For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth." (19:25) Yes, his Redeemer would suffer and die, but He would also be raised to new life, and even come again. It is this resurrected life that comes within us and empowers us to live for God. Willis Canada, in one of his Christian songs, puts forth a very true call—"It's about time He gets what He paid for!" No, not to earn salvation, but as the fruit of it! Mr. Miller got his three ruby-red marbles; what will Jesus get???
