Revelation 14:19-20

And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city
And blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

This is a terrifying scene.

The separation has been made. The harvest is over. What remains now is judgment. The vine of the earth is cast into the great winepress of the wrath of God, and it is trodden outside the city. In Scripture, the city points to Jerusalem. And that detail matters, because it was outside the city that Jesus was led away to be crucified.

I want you to see the contrast.

Here, outside the city, the wicked are crushed in judgment. But outside the city, our Lord was also crushed for sin. The true Vine was pressed so that guilty people like us might be spared. That is what makes this passage so solemn and so powerful. There are really only two places for sin to be dealt with. Either it was judged in Christ at Calvary, or it will be judged in the sinner at the final winepress.

Isaiah saw this day and spoke of One coming from Edom, from Bozrah, with garments stained red. Who is He? Jesus Christ, mighty to save and terrible in judgment. The same Jesus who stretched out His hands in mercy will one day tread the winepress in righteousness.

That leaves every man and woman with only two choices.

Either I drown in the bloodshed of judgment, or I am washed in the blood of the Lamb.

Think about that. The greatest bloodshed in history was not first on a battlefield. It was at the Cross, where Jesus Christ gave Himself for the sins of the world. His blood was not spilled by accident. It was poured out so sinners could be forgiven, cleansed, and brought home to God.

So do not read a passage like this and merely shudder at judgment. Let it drive you straight to Jesus. Let it remind you that mercy is being offered now. Let it move you to worship the One who was pressed for you, wounded for you, and forsaken for you, so that you would never have to face this winepress yourself.

Beloved, every person will meet blood somewhere. It will either be the blood of judgment, or the blood of redemption. That is why the Cross matters so much. That is why the gospel is such good news. And that is why today is the day to run to Christ.