Arguably, one of China’s most outstanding evangelist of yesteryears is that of John Sung (1901-1944). His illustrious adventures included:
- Being kept in an asylum for 193 days (when he was deemed to be insane for radically and fervently preaching Christ among his peers at a liberal theological seminary in America) and in the course of it, purportedly reading his Bible 40 times.
- On the way back to China after 8 years of absence (when he went to America for studies), he threw all his academic degrees into the sea, except his doctorate in Chemistry as an honour for his father, doing so to signify his full commitment to the Gospel.
John Sung became a travelling evangelist, bringing about much revival in China and all over Asia, which included Singapore in 1935. Invariably, in all of his meetings, this song will resound: ‘In the cross; in the cross; be my glory ever; All my sins are washed away, in the blood of Jesus.’
Several years ago, on a weekly basis, I had the joy of bringing my mother-in-law to church. One of the things I found curious was that each time (once a month) during Holy Communion, this similar song will be sung. Upon reflection, I do wonder now if the leaders of this church had their influence from John Sung as well.
The Roman Catholic teaching has a term called, the five sacred wounds of Jesus. Two from each hands or wrists, two from the feet, and the final one, a spear thrust into his side. We recognize too that our Lord suffered a lot more than the five holy wounds. He was beaten; he was flogged; he was scourged; a crown of thorns was placed on his head. But that was only physical suffering. He suffered mentally and emotionally as well. He was spat upon; He was mocked; He was ridiculed.
In the book of Zechariah, several prophesies were made concerning Jesus – e.g. in ch. 9, He will be hailed as King; and riding on a donkey, in ch. 11, He will be despised; and betrayed for 30 pieces of silver, in ch. 12, He will be pierced, rejected and will die a
violent death.
Another astounding prophecy is recorded in chapter 13:1 – ‘On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.’
Using ‘fountain’ to describe the blood that flowed from our Lord seems to be excessive, graphic and crude. However, when we consider the full extent of its efficacy, i.e. His shed blood for the sins of the whole world, it would indeed be correctly liken to a
fountain that flowed from His every being, including we may perhaps add, how the
gospel writers describe what happened one time when He prayed – Luke 22:44 – And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
And so we are thankful to God, that through what Jesus went through, we can all bath in the fountain of God’s grace, fountain of God’s mercy, and fountain of God’s love. All these is made possible only because there is the fountain of blood that flowed from Jesus our Lord – In the cross; in the cross; be my glory ever; All my sins are washed away; in the blood of Jesus.
Elder Richard Lai
