Anytime one partakes of Holy Communion we are to remember the sacrifice that the Lord made for all people. The death and resurrection of Christ reminds me of a story I heard a while back about the little crimson worm. Others who know more than I about middle eastern culture would be better at explaining and understanding this analogy. Many may wonder why Christ the Messiah had to give up His life, but He basically from the cross answered the question that He asked that was recorded of Him saying.
It is written that from the cross while dying a gruesome death Jesus cried out, “My God, My God why have you forsaken me?” In March 2021 Shari Abbott wrote for reasonsforhopejesus.com about “How was Jesus like a worm?’ The article explains that in Jewish interpretation of Scriptures there can be hidden messages or deeper meanings than what one may just see on the surface. “It is said to be a treasure that is found.”
In Psalm 22 is what Jesus is quoting from the cross and his disciples would have known He was quoting this verse from the writings from King David. They may not have realized it in the moment of seeing their Teacher and the one whom they thought would be their savior now dying a criminal’s death. However, in time they could reflect on one of the last sayings He spoke which was a question that once they read Psalm 22 and got to verse 6 they would understand what was happening.
Psalm 22:6 states, “But I am a worm…” Why would the Psalmist refer to what would be translated as a crimson-grub worm. This would be prophetic and what Jesus from the cross would be encouraging his disciples to read when He was crying out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” For a crimson grub worm when the female is “at the end of its life cycle will attach itself to a tree to lay its eggs. With her body attached to the wood a hard crimson shell forms. When the eggs hatch the baby worms feed off of the mother for three days. After 3 days the mother worm dies and her body releases a crimson or scarlet dye that stains the baby worms in which they will now remain crimson colored their entire lives. On the fourth day the mother worm’s body pulls up into a heart shape that has turned into a snow-white wax that looks like a patch of wool.”
For those knowing the Old Testament would then also know Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, and let us reason together, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool.” From a tiny little creature we can learn that to be covered in crimson is the only way to find true redemption.
~TRS written April 2022
Rays of Hope 