Louis Klopsch, a German immigrant writer, published the first modern red-letter edition of the New Testament in 1899, with the first modern New Testament bible published in 1901. This all came about from his reading of Luke’s Gospel, becoming captivated by the words, “This cup is the new testament in my blood, which I shed for you.” This image of the blood and its red color led him to publish the red-letter New Testament. What is the purpose of the red letters, you may ask? Red lettering has been used since antiquity to indicate importance. For instance, in the Roman Republic, important days were displayed in red on a calendar. In medieval manuscripts, initial capitals and highlighted words were written in red ink to indicate their importance. In earlier times, the Church would note festivals or saint’s days in red letters. The use came into broader practice when the first Book of Common Prayer included a calendar with holy days marked in red ink. I found it interesting how the words of the Lord impact people. Again, we can hear Jesus speaking to the disciples before his transfiguration to ensure their “joy may be complete.” That is the power of God’s Word, the desire for all of us to be joyful and complete.