Many, many years ago I was introduced to “Sharpening the Sword” Bible marking system. Using this method to better remember and understand the Bible, words or sentences or even whole paragraphs were highlighted to bring out the meaning. Today, as I looked at this multicolored presentation of the Beatitudes, I thought about color and its associated meaning as applied to the Scriptures. Consider the colors in the title ….
The Red colors as the blood of Christ.
Ephesians 2 (WEB)
11 Therefore remember that once you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “uncircumcision” by that which is called “circumcision”, (in the flesh, made by hands);
12 that you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ.
Black as the color of the darkness of sin.
Acts 26 (WEB)
12 “Whereupon as I traveled to Damascus with the authority and commission from the chief priests,
13 at noon, O king, I saw on the way a light from the sky, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who traveled with me.
14 When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, "‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’"
15 “I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’
“He said, "‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. "
16 "But arise, and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose: to appoint you a servant and a witness both of the things which you have seen, and of the things which I will reveal to you; "
17 "delivering you from the people, and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you, "
18 "to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’"
Yellow as the sunlight from God as seen in Jesus.
2 Corinthians 4 (WEB)
1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, even as we obtained mercy, we don’t faint.
2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
3 Even if our Good News is veiled, it is veiled in those who perish;
4 in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the Good News of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn on them.
5 For we don’t preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake;
6 seeing it is God who said, “Light will shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Light blue as the color of the heavens, into which Christ will appear again.
Acts 1 (WEB)
1 The first book I wrote, Theophilus, concerned all that Jesus began both to do and to teach,
2 until the day in which he was received up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.
3 To these he also showed himself alive after he suffered, by many proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking about God’s Kingdom.
4 Being assembled together with them, he commanded them, "“Don’t depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which you heard from me. "
5 "For John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”"
6 Therefore when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you now restoring the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them, "“It isn’t for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set within his own authority. "
8 "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”"
9 When he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight.
10 While they were looking steadfastly into the sky as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white clothing,
11 who also said, “You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who was received up from you into the sky will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the sky.”
Purple indicating royalty.
1 Peter 2 (WEB)
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:
10 who in time past were no people, but now are God’s people, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
For those of you who read what I write, you will probably remember that I emphasize items of importance by emboldening or underlining or the use of color. Today’s picture does that as well, for notice that the word blessed is assigned different colors in order to convey emphasis.
Being blessed is the state of Christians because we are to be different from the world in our attitudes, thinking and actions. The Beatitudes of Jesus teach us how to live and be like Jesus.
One last thought… If your life was described in a color; what would that color be? Would it be the same color as Jesus’?