HEBREWS 12:1-24
AUDACIOUS ACTIONS ADVOCATE AN ATONEMENT
I. ADAM’S ADVERSITY:
A. Acknowledgement.
B. Atonement.
C. Adorning.
II. ABEL’S ACTIONS:
A. Acquaintance.
B. Attestation.
C. Acceptance.
III. ANOINTER’S ADVANCEMENT:
A. Altruistic.
B. Arbitrary.
C. Ameliorate.
The writer to the Hebrews wraps up his eleventh, “Better” by going back to the Old Testament from where he drew so much of his arguments regarding the present belief in Christ being better than the former beliefs of the Old Testament. Here, he begins his last argument by referring to Abel’s sacrifice as compared to the one made by Christ and shows his readers that whereas the former one was sufficient for the one who offered up that sacrifice-Able, yet it pales in comparison to the one which Christ offered on Calvary.
However, before we look at the sacrifice of Able and see how great that one was, it is necessary to go back one more generation-back to Adam-to comprehend the full import of the sacrifice made by Adam’s son, Able, and then move forward to the sacrifice of Christ and see just how great that one was in the light of history and of all time.
No where do we read that Adam made a sacrifice to God. The first sacrificial offered by a human was the son of Adam, Able. One has to wonder why Adam never made a sacrifice of any kind to God, but the idea and actions of offering sacrifices began with the second generation of creation. The puzzle grows more mysterious as we stop and contemplate that both boys of Adam and Eve-Cain and Abel-were well aware of offering sacrifices, but how did they learn about this action since it can be assumed that Adam and Eve may not have offered any sacrifices? How did these boys know about offering sacrifices? Furthermore, how was it that both boys knew about this act of worship and both knew what type of a sacrifice to make, yet one did it right and the other did it wrong? Also, one has to consider that the offering made by Able was acceptable to God and thus set the stage for all the Old Testament sacrifices which finally culminated in the Greatest Sacrifice made by Jesus for all time.
To fully comprehend the beginning of the correct form of sacrifice and then to fully understand why Christ’s sacrifice is superior to Abel’s and to the rest of the Old Testament sacrifices, it is necessary to study three things. The first important point to grasp in discussing sacrifices of the Old Testament and to fully understand the importance of the sacrifice made by Jesus is to contemplate, ADAM’S ADVERSITY. The second aspect of this is to study ABEL’S ACTIONS regarding his offering. Once these two aspects have been observed, it is necessary to study the ANOINTER’S ADVANCEMENT.
I. ADAM’S ADVERSITY: The story of the Garden of Eden and what transpired there is one of the favorite Bible stories of all times. Children learn about it early when attending Sunday School and Confirmation classes. The story of the Garden of Eden with Adam, Eve, the serpent, the Tree of Life, and the visits by God, are not only relegated to the Church world, but it has passed into modern culture in so many countries of the world today. Whether it is accepted as truth is one thing, but so many people of the world are familiar with this story there is so little to add to it.
Yet, that is the very essence of the first part of my story-to re-examine this story again for background on why Able and even Cain made offerings to God and why one was accepted and one was not.
When the Fall happened, Genesis 3, concerning Adam and Eve, the chain of events began to transpire very quickly. As soon as these two realized what they had done, they took steps to try and cover their bodies and their happenings. When God did make His appearance in the Garden, after the fact of the transgression, God called upon them for an explanation of what had transpired. After hedging a bit, both Adam and Eve, Acknowledged their transgressions.
Irregardless of what one wants to believe about the steps to their actions, the Bible records some simple statements regarding their coverings. Adam and Eve, made for themselves garments of leaves. The command was that they could eat of all of the fruit of the trees except one and that was the one they chose to try. There was nothing spoken in the Word about destroying the plants/trees by striping them of their leaves. The only part of the trees they were to eat and take were the fruits of the trees. Yet, here we see them denuding part of some tree or trees, to cover themselves. Sin was already multiplying in them at an alarming rate.
The Bible also is curious when it says that when the two presented themselves with leaves sown together-leaves of which they were not to disturb, God made them coats of skin, Genesis 3:24. The question arises from what animals were these coats of skins taken? It appears that an animal or animals were slain, a sacrifice, as a symbol of death taking place to cover the error, sin, which Adam and Eve had committed. There, in the Garden, the sign of Atonement was given by God to sinful man showing him that it would take much more than a mere covering by nature to cover the sin committed. The only way that this transgression was to be solved would be through the innocent yielding up of life and the shedding of blood to cover deeds done by willful choices of transgressions against God. Surely, the impact of this action by God was not lost on sinful man and wife.
Just as surely as the truth was driven home to Adam and to Eve that their misdeeds, their sins, caused a death of an innocent victim (victims), God hastened to do something else-He expelled them from the Garden. It is worth remembering that the expulsion from the Garden was given after God made the clothes, the Adorning, for Adam and Eve and not before while they were clothed in leaves. The impact was not lost on these two with the instructions given by God as He pronounced the curse upon them and the land. While residing in the Garden, it appears that everything was perfect. There were perfect fruits to eat and there was the perfect weather to enjoy. They were safe from the harsh realities of cold, sun, ice, heat, etc. God made clothing for them so they would be protected from the harsh reality of living outside of a perfect place to live.
The sin these two did was enormous. They disobeyed God and ate from the Tree of Life. They proceeded to strip some tree or trees of leaves or bark for their clothing which they were not to touch. They caused an animal or animals to give up life for them and they were forced from the Garden to work the soil, have more pain in child bearing, and were no longer to live in a controlled, perfect environment, but were destined to face extremes of temperatures in a most inhospitable world.
However, after all of these events, there is no record of their repentance or of them offering up an offering. Yet, they had to relay these event to their sons because how else would they know about offerings and sacrifices-especially an animal sacrifice-unless mom and dad told them about life in the Garden and out of the Garden? They, for whatever reason, did not seek to placate God, but dwelt in their lost estate and it was up to Able to begin the practice of offering up an animal sacrifice, the shedding of innocent blood, to cover man’s sin.
II. ABEL’S ACTIONS: Continuing with the history and drawing closer to what the writer of the Hebrews was trying to convey about Christ’s Sacrifice being better than Abel’s, one must stop and contemplate a few facts about this son born to the first parents on this earth.
As I stated earlier, how did Abel know about offering up an animal sacrifice to God when it appears that his parents never did? If I am correct then there are only two viable possibilities by which Abel knew about offering an animal sacrifice to God. The first possibility was a divine revelation to him and the other was the possibility of his parents relating to him what had happened in the Garden of Eden, which is probably the real reason for his knowledge. How ever he came into the knowledge of the fact, it is highly likely that somewhere along his growing years, his parents related this to him and he acquired-first hand Acquaintance of the most detailed facts which really transpired that day between his parents and God. He was made aware of what happened and how his parents had to pay a heavy price for what they did.
We have to credit Able with the fact that he made up his mind that he would not fall like his parents did and decided that he would proceed with giving an animal, sacrificial offering to God when it came his time to so do. Sometimes parents’ actions, their transgressions effect their offspring in a positive manner by influencing the child to do the correct thing rather than sin and follow the downward path the parents followed. Regardless of how Abel acquired his knowledge, he was well versed in what should be done and how to do it correctly.
Besides having a very through Acquaintance of this most important part of worship to God, Abel’s offering was an Attestation to his family of how to please God. One has to wonder about this first family. It appears from the point of silence from the Sacred Book, that Adam and Eve never turned back to God for what they did. It also can be safely assumed that there was a lack of faith in the heart of Cain as the family grew and multiplied. Out of all of the family members of which there were probably more than just these four mentioned people, it appears that Abel was the only one who was intent on serving God. His stand for God and truth was a strong testimony to all of his kin, that he had decided to serve God. His life, his sacrifice his devotion to God served as a strong Attestation, of his inner beliefs about serving God with all of his heart. Both brothers knew about the animal sacrifice and what God demanded, but only Abel carried it out in his devotion to God.
The last part of my study on Abel and his offering of an animal sacrifice has to do with his offering being fully Acceptable to God. We are not told which animal or animals were offered at the expense of Adam and Eve’s sins and neither are we told which animals were offered up by Able to God for his offering, but what we are told is that the offering was Acceptable to God. Cain knew what he should have done but did not do it; Able knew what to do and he did it. In the process, he pleased God.
Now, centuries later, the writer to the Hebrews tells his readers that even though Abel’s offering was good, better than Cain’s and was pleasing to God, yet his offering fell far short of the Offering made by Christ-a living Sacrifice. It is no wonder the writer draws the conclusion that the sacrifice given by Jesus is far better than Abel’s and all of the ones offered up in the Old Testament. While the Old Testament patterned-to a degree-the similarity of Abel’s pleasing offering to God, yet it was the offering of Christ that was best. His offering was made by His own blood and body and it was sufficient to do away with all other bloody sacrifices-the sin offering was at last made complete in the Better offering of Jesus.
III. ANOINTER’S ADVANCEMENT: I have looked at the beginning of animal sacrifices to God as a means of atonement for man’s sins. I observed our fore parents in the Garden of Eden and what happened there. I also looked for a brief moment at Abel’s sacrifice and tried to show from where he acquired the idea of offering up an animal sacrifice for atonement for his sins. I also note that my text states that Jesus offering up of His Sacrifice was far “Better” than that of Abel. As I study all of my sermon to this point, I can readily agree with the writer to the Hebrews that the offering Jesus made on the cross was far better than that which Abel offered and by inference, the offering of Christ was far better than any offering for atonement made in the former covenant of worshipping God. The question still remains, “How could it be better?” The answers lie with the Person of Christ.
The first thing I note about the “Better Sacrifice” of Christ over Abel’s and all others stem from the fact that the sacrifice Christ made was Altruistic, selfless, un biased and willfully made. His offering of Himself was not a simple offering of an animal for the covering of personal sins such as Abel made. No, the offering that Christ gave on Calvary was made for others-He needed no offering for Himself. His going to the cross was for the benefit of mankind in general and not a personal plea for forgiveness from God for anything He might have done. His Altruistic offering was made for the benefit of mankind so all could be forgiven through His one Offering. This was a “Better Offering” than any one could ever make-even Abel. There has been no other offering of a slain “Lamb” that has been made before or after Christ’s death that did what His offering up of Himself did. His offering of Himself opened the doors for man’s redemption where as this was utterly impossible before He made His “Better Sacrifice” than Abel and others made for themselves.
Not only was this sacrifice of Himself purely, Altruistic and selfless, but it was an offering he made which was Arbitrary. When ever an animal was offered to God for an atonement for one’s sins, that animal never volunteered its life for a human. Indeed, the animals offered up as a sacrifice did what is natural to all living beings-it fought for its own life. The animals which were brought to the Temple for sacrificing had to be restrained and/or enclosed in some type of a pen so they would not run away. Animals can often sense death and these animals were no different. They heard the cries of other of their kin and realized in these cries that danger was afoot. When the separate animals were selected to be sacrificed they did what came naturally to them: they tried to survive. I cannot imagine any animal willing to go to its death for someone’s sins. There have been stories where a dog has given its life for its master, but always the situation was that the owner of the dog was in real danger and the dog willingly laid down its life so its master would survive. Such was not the case with offering animals who were selected to give their life for someone who was not, at that time, in physical danger.
Yet, this was exactly what Jesus did. He gave His life, an offering, Arbitrarily, willingly, unreservedly, for mankind. He did it because He loved us. He knew what He had to face and expressed as much in the Garden of Gethsemane but He did it willingly. It is no wonder that the writer of the Hebrews was able to boldly declare that the sacrifice of Christ was a “Better Offering/Sacrifice” than that of Abel’s.
Finally, I look at the “Better Sacrifice” which Christ made and can state my total agreement with the writer of my text. The Sacrifice of Christ was not only done so on His own for our betterment, but it was done to clothe us with His Holiness.
In the Garden of Eden, God took the skins of a slain animal or animals and made garments for Adam and Eve for their covering and for their protection from the elements of the harsh world into which they were soon sent. Yet, on Calvary, Christ shed His blood, the “Better Sacrifice” to give His followers not only forgiveness for their sins, but to give to each one a new garment to wear as we prepare to leave this harsh world and step into Paradise with God. Adam and Eve were clothed to survive from Paradise to exist in this world; we are clothed-through the shed blood of Jesus-to receive a new clothing by which we can enter paradise, when we leave this world of sorrow. The reverse of what happened in Eden has taken place at Calvary.
In God’s Heaven, we will never need these clothing of the mortal flesh; we will need new garments to wear in God’s Celestial city. We will not need to hide our naked bodies of greed, lust, hate, sin, i.e. No, over there, we will have no need for the earthly coverings-we will be free and spotless before our God. Just as the world now seeks to expel we who follow Jesus, over there we will be welcomed into His Home because we will be covered by His shed blood for our sins we committed here. No offering, no animal sacrifice, no means of atonement could ever do what Christ did as He offered up that “Better Sacrifice” for all of us.
Abel’s offering was a type of that which was to come by the agency of our Lord, but it fell far short of what the perfect sacrifice did for all of mankind. Yes, the writer to the Hebrews is correct: Christ’s sacrifice was/is a “Better Sacrifice.” The blood from Abel’s sacrifice called out for judgment and justice; the blood that Jesus spilled on Calvary calls out for repentance and forgiveness.
