July 22, 2025 • 17 mins
Cain, the first to be born into a world riddled with sin, killed his brother Abel in a jealous rage. Cain’s birth came with hope, hope that was quickly shattered. But there would be a greater hero born.
Today's Bible verse is Hebrews 11:4, from the King James Version.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let us pray by faith. Able offered to God a
more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he had testimony
given to him that he was righteous, God testifying with
respect to his gifts, and through it, he, being dead,
still speaks Hebrews eleven four. Dear Lord, you are worthy
(00:22):
of my continual devotion. I want my faith to be
like Abels, who gave the best of what he had
in faith. I want to give you my best, Lord,
not my leftovers. I want the sacrifice of my time, talent,
and treasure to be acceptable to you. Increase my faith, Lord,
and give me more opportunities to take leaps of faith,
(00:43):
so that my life can also be like Abels speaking
to generations after me in Jesus's name, Amen, thank you
for praying with me today. Stay tuned now for another
episode of Stories of the Messiah with Rabbi Schneider.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
God's voice resonated within warning Cain, if you do well,
will you not be accepted? Bewarded kin Sin is crouching
at the threshold of your heart. It desires to destroy you,
but you must overcome it. If I do well, Cain
replied sarcastically. If I do well, Cain stormed down the hill,
(01:32):
determined to leave a distance between him and the Lord.
God's word was not a comfort to Cain, but salt
to his wounded pride. The further he descended the hill,
the darker his heart became. Rage against God was boiling
over in his heart.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
If it is blood you want, kin whispered, then it
is blood you'll get.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
Hello and welcome to another episode of the Jesus Podcast.
I'm Ethan with pray dot com and it's my joy
to be with you here today. If you've enjoyed our
journey thus far, consider leaving us a review and sharing
it with a friend. We want the story of the
Bible and the hope of Jesus to be spread worldwide.
This podcast is meant to showcase the greatest heroes of
(02:18):
the Bible, so we can understand that their stories are
but fractured images of the Gospel. We can appreciate the
stories of people like Noah, Moses, and David, but ultimately
we must see that they are not the real heroes
of God's story. Jesus is today. We traveled back in
time to when humanity was in its infancy. Adam and
(02:44):
Eve are east of Eden, pining After paradise, they have
two children, Cain and Abel, who are the first to
be born into a world riddled with sin. We'll see
that sin doesn't take long to corrupt their hearts. Is
overcome with hatred and jealousy. Abel is murdered, and we
are left wondering if hope is lost for humanity can
(03:08):
Enabel's story doesn't seem to have any bright spots, But
if we look closer, we'll hear whispers of a greater
hero than Cain. So let's immerse ourselves now. In the
cinematic retelling of Cain and Abel.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
The cave was dark, only slightly lit by the firelight
near them. Eve's quiet and determined breaths echoed through the night.
Beads of sweat like pearls descended down her brow. Adam
knelt beside Eve as her hands and knees pressed against
the floor.
Speaker 5 (03:40):
Is this death? Is this what God spoke of?
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Eve said, with labored breathing, Adam's lower lip quivered, Nor,
We've I believe missus life? And with that final encouragement,
Eve let out a mighty cry, giving birth to a son.
Adam wrapped him in his arms, and why and with
woven wool. We must name him as God named me,
Adam said to Eve. Eve rolled on to her back
(04:07):
and reached for her son. She cradled him in her
arms and stroked his face.
Speaker 5 (04:11):
His name shall be Kin, she whispered, for through him
I have received help from the Lord.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Eve pressed Cain against her chests and cried tears of joy.
God had promised Eve that through her offspring, the work
done by the serpent would be undone. He promised that
a hero would come from her line. As she cradled
Cain in her arms, she believed wholeheartedly that he would
be their promised deliverer. Thus Cain's ascension as the hope
(04:40):
of humanity began. His younger years was bent saturated in
the belief that he was the favored hero of God,
destined to reclaim Eden. Years later, Eve felt the pangs
of childbirth again to bring forth her second son, Abel.
Adam held Abel into the air and whispered to God,
we are multiplying, Lord, just as you asked. The two
(05:01):
boys grew strong under their parents care. Adam taught Cain
how to till the land and the reason for his struggle.
He taught Abel how to tend to the live stock.
Abel learned to care for the sheep with dignity as
a fellow creature and heir of the land. Most importantly,
Adam taught his sons how to sacrifice to the Lord.
He would take them up the mountain, bringing sacrifices to
(05:24):
the Lord together. One day, you will make your offerings
to the Lord, he said, you will join us in
our mission to reclaim our relationship with God. When the
boys were of age and they had become men, it
was time for them to march up the mountain on
their own and make an offering to the Lord. Cain
scanned the crops he had grown. His parents had told
(05:44):
him stories of the Sacred Garden, the paradise they tragically lost.
He had done his best to master the land in
a way that it flourished, but to no avail. The
earth was against him, in competition with him. Yet there
was beauty in the struggle, not that Kin recognized it.
He was less concerned about the art of cultivation and
more concerned with the input output relationship of farming. He
(06:08):
put in the work, and the land.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
Gave him crops.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
He saw his sacrifice to God in a similar manner.
I will give an offering, and God will give a blessing,
he thought to himself. He picked some of the berries
he had grown in a small garden, along with wild
grains he had grown at the base of the mountain.
He collected them in a basket, scaled the hill, and
placed them at the altar before the Lord. He looked around,
awaiting a sign that God had accepted his gift. Yet
(06:34):
there was nothing, just the silence of the land, accompanied
by the slight breeze whistling through the hills.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Where are you, Cain.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Whispered, hoping God would somehow appear to him. Cain was
unsure what he was looking for, but knew he would
know it when.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
He saw it.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
There was only silence, no explanation as to why his
offering was not met with an opening of the heavens
or adorning of blessing. Just Cain drug his feet down
a small path and sat on a stone, waiting for
God to bless him. As he waited, Cain heard the
faint bleating of a lamb in the distance. Abel was
(07:11):
scaling up the hill, carrying the first born lamb from
his flock on his shoulders.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
A dagger was strapped to his side.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Tears rolled down Abel's face as he placed the new
born lamb on the altar. He stroked its head and
sang it a song. Abel loved every one of his
beloved sheep. He had a tender heart and understood the
value of the life he would offer God. Abel brought
the first born of his flock the best of what
he had. It was an act of pure faith. With
(07:39):
a steady hand, he slid the lamb's throat and let
it bleed onto the altar. He offered the best parts
of the lamb to God and sang a song silently
to him. The purity of Abel's faith shone through Cain
watched from a distance and waited for something to happen.
He waited for God to move, and sure enough, God did.
(08:01):
An indescribable shift occurred in the atmosphere around Abel. The
favor of God was upon him. On that hill, it
seemed as though a sliver of Eden was reclaimed for
humanity through Abel, not Cain. Abel descended the mountains surrounded
by a holy glow of God's love and affirmation. He
was like a trickling stream, joyfully falling from the hills.
(08:25):
Cain emerged from his hiding place with his mouth agape.
Rage wailed up within him. He was not angry at Abel,
he was angry at God. Cain was supposed to be chosen,
not able, he was supposed to be blessed. Cain's entire
body shook with jealous rage. Then, interrupting the tense silence,
(08:45):
God spoke, Why are you so angry, Kane?
Speaker 1 (08:49):
Why has your face? Father? The voice said. Cain scoffed.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
Oh, now you show yourself.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
He replied crossly.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Cain's mind raced with hatred and contempt. He didn't understand
why God had blessed Abel instead of him. He was
the oldest, He was the one whose name held a promise.
God's voice resonated within, warning, Kin, if.
Speaker 6 (09:11):
You do well, will you not be accepted? Bewarded Kane,
Sin is crouching at the threshold of your heart. It
desires to destroy you, but you must overcome it.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
If I do well, Kane replied sarcastically. If I do well,
Cain stormed down the hill, determined to leave a distance
between him and the Lord. God's word was not a
comfort to Cain, but salt to his wounded pride. The
further he descended the hill, the darker his heart became.
Rage against God was boiling over in his heart.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
If it is blood you want, Kin whispered, then it
is blood you'll get.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Cain sauntered to the pasture where Able tended his sheep.
The sun began to set and a dark red hue
covered the horizon. Sin was stock looking at the borders
of Cain's heart, ready to pounce. Cain mimicked Sin's predatory
movement as he approached his brother Abel. He picked up
a stone and held it firmly in his hand. Abel
(10:12):
heard something behind him and turned to see his brother
coming Kine.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
Abel shouted, oh.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
My dear brother, I must tell you what happened at
the Altar of God today. But before Abel could utter
another word, Cain pounced. He struck his brother on the temple,
sending him flying to the floor. Abel bounced back up
and tried to run, but Cain grabbed him by the
foot and dragged him back. Abel struggled, throwing sand in
Kane's face. Cain yelled and threw both of his fists
(10:38):
down at Abel. His anger was not directed towards Abel, no,
it was directed the Lord. Blow after blow, Cain threw
spite at God by striking his innocent brother. When Abel
was too weak to struggle, Cain pressed his thumbs against
his throat and finished what he started. Abel's life left him.
Cain removed his hands, roll his neck back, and exhaled quietly.
(11:02):
He dared not look up at Heaven, but he dared
not look down at his slain brother. Cain found himself
suspended in a place between guilt and indignation. He buried
his brother in that field and stormed back to his
home to rest. Abel had been buried, but his blood
cried out from the ground. God had seen it all,
and he would not let Cain go unpunished. One day
(11:26):
he would end the hatred that consumed Cain. He would
send his redeemer to rid the world of sin once
and for all.
Speaker 4 (11:36):
The story of Cain and Abel can potentially leave us hopeless.
This story highlights the contempt that persists in people to day.
Like many of us, Cain didn't think it was fair
that Abel received a blessing from God instead of him
were given hence as to why Abel's sacrifice was accepted,
(11:57):
such as it being the first born of his flock,
but the reason for God's blessing is not as important
as the reaction from Cain. Cain's response to someone else
having what he thought was his revealed his corrupt heart.
Make no mistake, Cain's crime was not primarily against Abel. No,
(12:20):
Cain was aiming his fist straight at God. Many people
do this today. They're angry at God and believe they've
been cheated by him somehow, so they take it out
on others, often innocent people. We see this manifested in
random acts of violence, online bullying, and even more sinister
(12:44):
acts like school shootings. Eve gave Cain a name that
essentially meant here he is. She thought Cain was the
promised child to redeem humanity and kill sin. But Cain
wasn't the promised child. After all, he was an embodiment
of the evil that took over humanity. So who was
(13:04):
the promised child? If not Cain, then who. Let's transport
ourselves to a different time and place, where the grassy
plains of Bethlehem swayed to the evening breeze on a
starlit night, surrounded by philth the promised child was born.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
The stable was dark, only slightly lit by the oil lamp.
Hanging over Mary and Joseph. Mary's quiet and determined breaths
echoed through the stable. Beads of sweat like pearls descended
down her brow.
Speaker 5 (13:39):
Ah Is this a blessing or a curse?
Speaker 2 (13:43):
She murmured to herself. However, she knew it was a blessing.
She knew what awaited her on the other side of
her anguish God had foretold this day, and she was
determined to step into the promised hope. At her side
was Joseph, reassuring and steady. Hour after hour, Mary strained. Finally,
(14:04):
her shrieks of distress were replaced with the tender whimplers
of her new born son. Joseph wrapped him in his
arms and wiped him with woven wood.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
We already know his name, he said to Mary.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Mary reached for her son and cradled him in her arms.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
She stroked his face.
Speaker 5 (14:21):
His name will be Jesus, she whispered, Ah, the Lord's saves.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
Mary pressed Jesus against her chest and cried joyfully. God
had promised that one day the work done by the
serpent long ago would be undone. As she cradled her son,
she knew he would be their promised deliverer, Jesus's ascension
as the hope of humanity began. He was God's true
and favored hero, destined to reclaim Eden for all human kind.
(14:51):
Jesus would grow to serve those around him. His life
would be laid down for the ransom of many. Through
his own sacrifice. The blessing God gave him would be
imbued unto others. He was God's only begotten son, the
first born of creation. Through him, Eden.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
Would come again.
Speaker 4 (15:15):
The promised redeemer prophesied to crush the head of the
serpent was not Cain. Cain was corrupted by the same
sin that removed Adam and Eve from the garden. He
was filled with pride and entitlement and quickly gave him
to hatred. Jesus, however, was born into the world of corruption,
(15:36):
yet untainted by it. The circumstances of his birth reveal
the grand picture of his life. Although he was born
in a dark place surrounded by filth, he was pure
and undefiled. He lived sinless, overcame hatred, and laid down
(15:56):
his life for others. Contrast that to the story worry
of Cain, who, out of jealousy, murdered his brother. While
Cain took someone's life to steal away a blessing, Jesus
gave his life to give away a blessing. There's another
picture of Jesus in this story, the first born lamb
(16:17):
that Abel brought as a sacrifice. Colossians chapter one tells
us that Jesus is the first born of all creation.
John chapter one and Revelation chapter thirteen tell us that
Jesus is the lamb of God, slain for the world's sins.
The first born lamb that Able brought to God foreshadowed
(16:37):
the sacrifice God would bring to redeem us all and
get us back into paradise. Jesus is the greater Cain
who overcame evil instead of succumbing to it. Jesus is
the greater Able whose death brought life. Jesus is the
(16:58):
greater Lamb whose sacrifice brought a blessing to one and all.
Next episode, we'll immerse ourselves in a dark story. Floods rise,
people perish, and the judgment of God reigns down relentlessly.
Yet there's a beautiful promise at the end of it all,
a rainbow signifying God's redemptive work. Join us next time.
(17:22):
To discover how Jesus is the greater Noah,
Let us pray by faith. Able offered to God a
more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he had testimony
given to him that he was righteous, God testifying with
respect to his gifts, and through it, he, being dead,
still speaks Hebrews eleven four. Dear Lord, you are worthy
(00:22):
of my continual devotion. I want my faith to be
like Abels, who gave the best of what he had
in faith. I want to give you my best, Lord,
not my leftovers. I want the sacrifice of my time, talent,
and treasure to be acceptable to you. Increase my faith, Lord,
and give me more opportunities to take leaps of faith,
(00:43):
so that my life can also be like Abels speaking
to generations after me in Jesus's name, Amen, thank you
for praying with me today. Stay tuned now for another
episode of Stories of the Messiah with Rabbi Schneider.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
God's voice resonated within warning Cain, if you do well,
will you not be accepted? Bewarded kin Sin is crouching
at the threshold of your heart. It desires to destroy you,
but you must overcome it. If I do well, Cain
replied sarcastically. If I do well, Cain stormed down the hill,
(01:32):
determined to leave a distance between him and the Lord.
God's word was not a comfort to Cain, but salt
to his wounded pride. The further he descended the hill,
the darker his heart became. Rage against God was boiling
over in his heart.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
If it is blood you want, kin whispered, then it
is blood you'll get.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
Hello and welcome to another episode of the Jesus Podcast.
I'm Ethan with pray dot com and it's my joy
to be with you here today. If you've enjoyed our
journey thus far, consider leaving us a review and sharing
it with a friend. We want the story of the
Bible and the hope of Jesus to be spread worldwide.
This podcast is meant to showcase the greatest heroes of
(02:18):
the Bible, so we can understand that their stories are
but fractured images of the Gospel. We can appreciate the
stories of people like Noah, Moses, and David, but ultimately
we must see that they are not the real heroes
of God's story. Jesus is today. We traveled back in
time to when humanity was in its infancy. Adam and
(02:44):
Eve are east of Eden, pining After paradise, they have
two children, Cain and Abel, who are the first to
be born into a world riddled with sin. We'll see
that sin doesn't take long to corrupt their hearts. Is
overcome with hatred and jealousy. Abel is murdered, and we
are left wondering if hope is lost for humanity can
(03:08):
Enabel's story doesn't seem to have any bright spots, But
if we look closer, we'll hear whispers of a greater
hero than Cain. So let's immerse ourselves now. In the
cinematic retelling of Cain and Abel.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
The cave was dark, only slightly lit by the firelight
near them. Eve's quiet and determined breaths echoed through the night.
Beads of sweat like pearls descended down her brow. Adam
knelt beside Eve as her hands and knees pressed against
the floor.
Speaker 5 (03:40):
Is this death? Is this what God spoke of?
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Eve said, with labored breathing, Adam's lower lip quivered, Nor,
We've I believe missus life? And with that final encouragement,
Eve let out a mighty cry, giving birth to a son.
Adam wrapped him in his arms, and why and with
woven wool. We must name him as God named me,
Adam said to Eve. Eve rolled on to her back
(04:07):
and reached for her son. She cradled him in her
arms and stroked his face.
Speaker 5 (04:11):
His name shall be Kin, she whispered, for through him
I have received help from the Lord.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Eve pressed Cain against her chests and cried tears of joy.
God had promised Eve that through her offspring, the work
done by the serpent would be undone. He promised that
a hero would come from her line. As she cradled
Cain in her arms, she believed wholeheartedly that he would
be their promised deliverer. Thus Cain's ascension as the hope
(04:40):
of humanity began. His younger years was bent saturated in
the belief that he was the favored hero of God,
destined to reclaim Eden. Years later, Eve felt the pangs
of childbirth again to bring forth her second son, Abel.
Adam held Abel into the air and whispered to God,
we are multiplying, Lord, just as you asked. The two
(05:01):
boys grew strong under their parents care. Adam taught Cain
how to till the land and the reason for his struggle.
He taught Abel how to tend to the live stock.
Abel learned to care for the sheep with dignity as
a fellow creature and heir of the land. Most importantly,
Adam taught his sons how to sacrifice to the Lord.
He would take them up the mountain, bringing sacrifices to
(05:24):
the Lord together. One day, you will make your offerings
to the Lord, he said, you will join us in
our mission to reclaim our relationship with God. When the
boys were of age and they had become men, it
was time for them to march up the mountain on
their own and make an offering to the Lord. Cain
scanned the crops he had grown. His parents had told
(05:44):
him stories of the Sacred Garden, the paradise they tragically lost.
He had done his best to master the land in
a way that it flourished, but to no avail. The
earth was against him, in competition with him. Yet there
was beauty in the struggle, not that Kin recognized it.
He was less concerned about the art of cultivation and
more concerned with the input output relationship of farming. He
(06:08):
put in the work, and the land.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
Gave him crops.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
He saw his sacrifice to God in a similar manner.
I will give an offering, and God will give a blessing,
he thought to himself. He picked some of the berries
he had grown in a small garden, along with wild
grains he had grown at the base of the mountain.
He collected them in a basket, scaled the hill, and
placed them at the altar before the Lord. He looked around,
awaiting a sign that God had accepted his gift. Yet
(06:34):
there was nothing, just the silence of the land, accompanied
by the slight breeze whistling through the hills.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Where are you, Cain.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Whispered, hoping God would somehow appear to him. Cain was
unsure what he was looking for, but knew he would
know it when.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
He saw it.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
There was only silence, no explanation as to why his
offering was not met with an opening of the heavens
or adorning of blessing. Just Cain drug his feet down
a small path and sat on a stone, waiting for
God to bless him. As he waited, Cain heard the
faint bleating of a lamb in the distance. Abel was
(07:11):
scaling up the hill, carrying the first born lamb from
his flock on his shoulders.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
A dagger was strapped to his side.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Tears rolled down Abel's face as he placed the new
born lamb on the altar. He stroked its head and
sang it a song. Abel loved every one of his
beloved sheep. He had a tender heart and understood the
value of the life he would offer God. Abel brought
the first born of his flock the best of what
he had. It was an act of pure faith. With
(07:39):
a steady hand, he slid the lamb's throat and let
it bleed onto the altar. He offered the best parts
of the lamb to God and sang a song silently
to him. The purity of Abel's faith shone through Cain
watched from a distance and waited for something to happen.
He waited for God to move, and sure enough, God did.
(08:01):
An indescribable shift occurred in the atmosphere around Abel. The
favor of God was upon him. On that hill, it
seemed as though a sliver of Eden was reclaimed for
humanity through Abel, not Cain. Abel descended the mountains surrounded
by a holy glow of God's love and affirmation. He
was like a trickling stream, joyfully falling from the hills.
(08:25):
Cain emerged from his hiding place with his mouth agape.
Rage wailed up within him. He was not angry at Abel,
he was angry at God. Cain was supposed to be chosen,
not able, he was supposed to be blessed. Cain's entire
body shook with jealous rage. Then, interrupting the tense silence,
(08:45):
God spoke, Why are you so angry, Kane?
Speaker 1 (08:49):
Why has your face? Father? The voice said. Cain scoffed.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
Oh, now you show yourself.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
He replied crossly.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Cain's mind raced with hatred and contempt. He didn't understand
why God had blessed Abel instead of him. He was
the oldest, He was the one whose name held a promise.
God's voice resonated within, warning, Kin, if.
Speaker 6 (09:11):
You do well, will you not be accepted? Bewarded Kane,
Sin is crouching at the threshold of your heart. It
desires to destroy you, but you must overcome it.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
If I do well, Kane replied sarcastically. If I do well,
Cain stormed down the hill, determined to leave a distance
between him and the Lord. God's word was not a
comfort to Cain, but salt to his wounded pride. The
further he descended the hill, the darker his heart became.
Rage against God was boiling over in his heart.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
If it is blood you want, Kin whispered, then it
is blood you'll get.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Cain sauntered to the pasture where Able tended his sheep.
The sun began to set and a dark red hue
covered the horizon. Sin was stock looking at the borders
of Cain's heart, ready to pounce. Cain mimicked Sin's predatory
movement as he approached his brother Abel. He picked up
a stone and held it firmly in his hand. Abel
(10:12):
heard something behind him and turned to see his brother
coming Kine.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
Abel shouted, oh.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
My dear brother, I must tell you what happened at
the Altar of God today. But before Abel could utter
another word, Cain pounced. He struck his brother on the temple,
sending him flying to the floor. Abel bounced back up
and tried to run, but Cain grabbed him by the
foot and dragged him back. Abel struggled, throwing sand in
Kane's face. Cain yelled and threw both of his fists
(10:38):
down at Abel. His anger was not directed towards Abel, no,
it was directed the Lord. Blow after blow, Cain threw
spite at God by striking his innocent brother. When Abel
was too weak to struggle, Cain pressed his thumbs against
his throat and finished what he started. Abel's life left him.
Cain removed his hands, roll his neck back, and exhaled quietly.
(11:02):
He dared not look up at Heaven, but he dared
not look down at his slain brother. Cain found himself
suspended in a place between guilt and indignation. He buried
his brother in that field and stormed back to his
home to rest. Abel had been buried, but his blood
cried out from the ground. God had seen it all,
and he would not let Cain go unpunished. One day
(11:26):
he would end the hatred that consumed Cain. He would
send his redeemer to rid the world of sin once
and for all.
Speaker 4 (11:36):
The story of Cain and Abel can potentially leave us hopeless.
This story highlights the contempt that persists in people to day.
Like many of us, Cain didn't think it was fair
that Abel received a blessing from God instead of him
were given hence as to why Abel's sacrifice was accepted,
(11:57):
such as it being the first born of his flock,
but the reason for God's blessing is not as important
as the reaction from Cain. Cain's response to someone else
having what he thought was his revealed his corrupt heart.
Make no mistake, Cain's crime was not primarily against Abel. No,
(12:20):
Cain was aiming his fist straight at God. Many people
do this today. They're angry at God and believe they've
been cheated by him somehow, so they take it out
on others, often innocent people. We see this manifested in
random acts of violence, online bullying, and even more sinister
(12:44):
acts like school shootings. Eve gave Cain a name that
essentially meant here he is. She thought Cain was the
promised child to redeem humanity and kill sin. But Cain
wasn't the promised child. After all, he was an embodiment
of the evil that took over humanity. So who was
(13:04):
the promised child? If not Cain, then who. Let's transport
ourselves to a different time and place, where the grassy
plains of Bethlehem swayed to the evening breeze on a
starlit night, surrounded by philth the promised child was born.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
The stable was dark, only slightly lit by the oil lamp.
Hanging over Mary and Joseph. Mary's quiet and determined breaths
echoed through the stable. Beads of sweat like pearls descended
down her brow.
Speaker 5 (13:39):
Ah Is this a blessing or a curse?
Speaker 2 (13:43):
She murmured to herself. However, she knew it was a blessing.
She knew what awaited her on the other side of
her anguish God had foretold this day, and she was
determined to step into the promised hope. At her side
was Joseph, reassuring and steady. Hour after hour, Mary strained. Finally,
(14:04):
her shrieks of distress were replaced with the tender whimplers
of her new born son. Joseph wrapped him in his
arms and wiped him with woven wood.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
We already know his name, he said to Mary.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Mary reached for her son and cradled him in her arms.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
She stroked his face.
Speaker 5 (14:21):
His name will be Jesus, she whispered, Ah, the Lord's saves.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
Mary pressed Jesus against her chest and cried joyfully. God
had promised that one day the work done by the
serpent long ago would be undone. As she cradled her son,
she knew he would be their promised deliverer, Jesus's ascension
as the hope of humanity began. He was God's true
and favored hero, destined to reclaim Eden for all human kind.
(14:51):
Jesus would grow to serve those around him. His life
would be laid down for the ransom of many. Through
his own sacrifice. The blessing God gave him would be
imbued unto others. He was God's only begotten son, the
first born of creation. Through him, Eden.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
Would come again.
Speaker 4 (15:15):
The promised redeemer prophesied to crush the head of the
serpent was not Cain. Cain was corrupted by the same
sin that removed Adam and Eve from the garden. He
was filled with pride and entitlement and quickly gave him
to hatred. Jesus, however, was born into the world of corruption,
(15:36):
yet untainted by it. The circumstances of his birth reveal
the grand picture of his life. Although he was born
in a dark place surrounded by filth, he was pure
and undefiled. He lived sinless, overcame hatred, and laid down
(15:56):
his life for others. Contrast that to the story worry
of Cain, who, out of jealousy, murdered his brother. While
Cain took someone's life to steal away a blessing, Jesus
gave his life to give away a blessing. There's another
picture of Jesus in this story, the first born lamb
(16:17):
that Abel brought as a sacrifice. Colossians chapter one tells
us that Jesus is the first born of all creation.
John chapter one and Revelation chapter thirteen tell us that
Jesus is the lamb of God, slain for the world's sins.
The first born lamb that Able brought to God foreshadowed
(16:37):
the sacrifice God would bring to redeem us all and
get us back into paradise. Jesus is the greater Cain
who overcame evil instead of succumbing to it. Jesus is
the greater Able whose death brought life. Jesus is the
(16:58):
greater Lamb whose sacrifice brought a blessing to one and all.
Next episode, we'll immerse ourselves in a dark story. Floods rise,
people perish, and the judgment of God reigns down relentlessly.
Yet there's a beautiful promise at the end of it all,
a rainbow signifying God's redemptive work. Join us next time.
(17:22):
To discover how Jesus is the greater Noah,
Host
Zak Shellabarger
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