THE TALKING BLOOD
Heb. 12:24
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: WHY THE DELAY
1. Sadie is 65 years old and has always remained childless, yet she desperately wanted a baby of her own. So with the help of modern science and a fertility specialist, Sadie got her miracle baby.
2. When she got home, all her friends and relatives come to see her and meet the newest member of her family.
3. But when they asked to see the baby, Sadie says, "not yet." A little later they again ask to see the baby and again Sadie says, "not yet."
4. Finally they ask, "So when can we see the baby?"
Sadie replies, "When the baby cries." "Why do we have to wait until the baby cries?" they say.
5. Sadie replies, "Because I forgot where I put it."
B. TEXT
The Lord said, “Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.” Gen. 4:10. “By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. Heb. 11:4. “…to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” Heb. 12:24.
C. THESIS
1. Of all substances blood is the most mysterious, and in some senses the most sacred. Scripture teaches us that "the blood is the life of the creature" (Lev. 17:11) —that life lies in the blood.
2. Blood, therefore, is the mysterious link between matter and spirit. How it is that the soul should in any degree have an alliance with matter through blood, we cannot understand; but certain it is that this is the mysterious link which unites these apparently dissimilar things together, so that the soul can inhabit the body, and the life can rest in the blood.
3. God has attached awful sacredness to the shedding of blood. Under the Jewish dispensation, even the blood of animals was considered as sacred. Blood might never be eaten by the Jews.
4. Blood was accepted by God as the symbol of the atonement. "Without shedding of blood there is no remission of sin” because blood has such an affinity with life.
5. And since God accepts no sacrifice for sin except blood, this indicates that there must be a life offered to him, and that his great and glorious Son must surrender his life as a sacrifice for his sheep.
6. We have in these verses "blood" mentioned—two-fold blood. We have the blood of murdered Abel, and the blood of murdered Jesus. They both continued to speak after their deaths.
7. We’re going to look at the three ways Abel’s & Christ’s blood speak, and then how the various wounds of Christ speak to us.
8. The title of tonight’s message is ‘The Talking Blood.’
I. THE 3 WAYS THE BLOOD SPEAKS
A. IT SPEAKS IN HEAVEN
1. It is clear that Cain brought his sacrifice of the fruit of his crops – the efforts of his works, while Abel brought an offering said to be “by faith” (Heb. 11:4). This alludes to his knowledge that God would provide a substitutionary sacrifice for the sin of mankind, which Abel’s sacrifice was a type.
2. Abel was a holy man for the Bible said Cain recognized but it was said that Cain knew, "his brother’s deeds were righteous."
3. When the two brothers went to sacrifice, Abel’s sacrifice was accepted by God by the falling of sacred fire while Cain’s sacrifice remained untouched & unreceived.
4. Cain’s envy turned to hatred for his brother and finally to murder. Cain attacked Abel and stained the ground with his blood.
5. And then a cry was heard in heaven. God said, “Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground” Gen. 4:10. That cry was "Revenge! Revenge! Revenge!"
6. HUMOR: THE MOOD RING
a. Tamara was talking to her best friend Rachel. “Is that a new ring I see you’re wearing, Rachel?”
b. “Yes it is, Tamara,” replied Rachel. “My husband Max bought it for me. It’s special. I call it my mood ring.”
“Why do you call it that?” asked Tamara.
c. “Well, when I'm in a good mood it turns green and when I'm in a bad mood, it leaves a red mark on his forehead.” That’s revenge!
7. Contrast that with the blood of Christ. See Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, hanging on a tree, murdered by his own brothers.
8. He believes; he dies; and then a cry is heard in heaven. And what is that cry? Not revenge, but the voice cries, "Mercy! Mercy! Mercy!" Thus the blood of Christ "speaks better things than the blood of Abel."
9. SEVERALCONTRASTS:
a. Abel’s blood cries for vengeance upon one man; Christ's blood cries "Mercy!" for all people.
b. Abel’s blood cries for revenge for one transgression; Christ blood cries for the forgiveness of many transgressions.
B. IT SPEAKS TO THE WHOLE WORLD
1. Prophets are a speaking people. They speak by their actions and their words as long as they live, and when they’re buried they speak by their example which they have left behind.
2. Abel speaks by his blood to us. And what does it say? When Abel offered up his victim upon the altar he said to us, "I believe in the sacrifice that is to be offered for the sins of men." Abel sealed his testimony with his own blood. But Christ's blood "speaks better things than that of Abel."
3. Abel’s blood ratified his testimony and Christ's blood has ratified his testimony too. But Christ's testimony is better than that of Abel. For what is the testimony of Christ? It's the covenant of grace – that everlasting covenant.
4. He came into this world to tell us that God had from the beginning chosen his people – that he had ordained them to eternal life, that He had made a covenant with His Son Jesus Christ that if He would pay the price they should go free. If He would suffer in their place, they should be delivered.
5. And Christ cried just as he died, "It is finished!" The covenant purpose was finished – "to finish transgression and to put an end of sin, to atone for wickedness, and to bring in everlasting righteousness" Daniel 9:24.
C. IT SPEAKS TO THE CONSCIENCE
1. Abel’s blood spoke in the conscience of Cain. Hardened though he was, yet he was not so deaf in his conscience that he could not hear the voice of blood.
2. He saw his brother's blood trickling from the wounds and flowing down in rivulets. The red glare came into his eyes. His conscience said to him, "What have you done that you should take your brother’s life?"
3. A cold chill ran through him. He said, "Whosoever finds me will kill me." And though God promised him that he should live, he was always afraid. He thought everyone knew his crime; it wore it as a badge of shame. The very earth cursed him. His crime refused to let him sleep. It spoke in his heart. All because the blood of Cain spoke.
4. Now see the sweet change as we listen to the blood of Christ. It "speaks better things than the blood of Abel."
II. HOW THE WOUNDS OF CHRIST SPEAK TO US
Friends, have you ever heard the blood of Christ in your conscience? It's a sweet soft voice calling "Come to Me!" The blood of Jesus still speaks; what does his blood say to us? Look at the 5 wounds Jesus’ blood issued from:
A. HIS BACK
1. It’s difficult for us to imagine the extent of the torture Jesus endured during the scourging at the hands of the trained Roman soldiers. The victims were often whipped into unconsciousness.
2. Some men actually died, although the scourge or were trying to only whip them within a hair’s breath of their lives so they could still be hung on the cross. Some men have been known to bite their fingers off with the pain. Why did Jesus have to go through this?
3. God's word tells us that with his stripes, we are healed! The blood that flowed from the back of our Lord speaks to our hurts and pains.
4. People carry pains of all kinds! Emotional pain, physical pain, mental anguish. His blood says to you, "I can touch you, mend you, heal you! I took that pain!"
B. HIS HEAD
1. Luke’s Gospel tells us that while Jesus prayed in the garden just prior to His arrest, that He was in such travail of soul that sweat drops like blood fell from his Head.
2. We also know that He was mocked by the governor's soldiers with a crown of thorns. The blood that flowed from His head speaks to the troubled mind – the mind wracked by fear or guilt!
3. A few years ago, we had a young man from Teen Challenge give his testimony. He shared how after he gave his life to Christ and was being discipled, some of his old friends told him that he was being brain-washed.
4. He told them, "That's good; my brain needed washing." If you're burned out, stressed out or strung out, I've got good news for you: the blood of Jesus Christ has never lost its power! Whatever your need, remember that he was hung up for our hangups!
C. HIS HANDS
1. The Scripture tells us that 5-inch long iron spikes were pounded through his hands into the cross. The blood coming from his hands speaks about the things we do: our jobs, our careers and locations. The things that we put our hands to.
2. Is God able to take hands that stole or shed blood or worked some other kind of evil and change the things we do? He can and He does! By miracle of His grace, He can anoint our hands to bring help and healing to others!
3. I remember the story of a farmer who was as lost as they come in his pre-Christian days. While trying to milk
the cows, he would cuss and swear at the animals nonstop. As you might expect, the cows were usually rather uncooperative and the farmer would get even madder and more abusive.
4. One day, he heard the gospel and got saved. The change in his life was almost instantaneous. Even the cows noticed. The abusiveness was gone. So was the terrible vocabulary.
5. His cattle never milked better! Imagine that! Are you willing to let God give you hands that bless and heal others?
D. HIS FEET
1. The nails also went through the feet of our Lord as He was fastened to the old rugged cross. I believe that the blood from the feet of Jesus speaks to our walk – the direction our life is taking.
2. Eph. 2:1-3 describe those who don't know Christ. Before we were saved we walked 1). according to the course of this world; 2). according to the Prince of the power of the air; 3). according to the dictates of our own desires.
3. Jesus said, "Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction and many go that way." Many beat a path to hell. His blood speaks to our need for direction in life.
4. If you've asked Him into your heart, don't be surprised if His blood touches your feet. Now you're free to "walk in newness of life," "walk in love," "walk in the Spirit," and "walk in the light."
E. HIS HEART
1. After Jesus died on the cross, the Roman officials wanted to make sure that He was dead. So a spear was thrust through His side into His heart.
2. The blood that came from His side was mixed with water. This speaks of our desires. The prophet Jeremiah declared, "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it?"
3. God can! He knows of the human heart has to be changed. The only way to change a life is to change what that person wants! Maybe this is the greatest miracle of
all.
4. Ezekiel spoke of a day when God would change people's hearts by giving them a new one: "A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away from you the stony heart out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."
5. I remember the story of a gospel singer who was attempting to reach a friend for Christ. His friend couldn’t bring himself to believe in the miracles of the Bible.
6. "Do you really believe that Jesus actually changed the water into real wine?" The singer replied, "Yes I do and I'll tell you something else: when I gave my life to the Lord, He changed my wine money into food, clothing, and furniture!"
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION: NO GREATER LOVE
1. The Ninety-Mile beach is a beautiful beach on the North island of New Zealand. Surrounded by dunes, flat sand and an active Tasman Sea, it attracts all kinds of people.
2. However it is far from being a safe place, especially if someone decides to swim in the sea, as did the grandson and granddaughter of a fisherman aged 55, that fatal day on Dec 29, 2009.
3. Both of these kids encountered trouble while swimming. The current was too strong for them, and before they knew it they had swallowed a good quantity of saltwater.
4. Without hesitation, their grandfather jumped into the water to come to their rescue. A beachgoer was able to rescue the granddaughter, but the grandson was in real trouble as the current had him in its grip.
5. The only thing the grandfather could do was to hold his grandson above the water, while his own head was underwater, waiting for a rescuer.
6. After some tough minutes, the grandson was saved, but the grandfather didn't make it. He sacrificed his life for those he loved. [Rob Chaffart]
B. THE CALL
1. THE BLOOD SPEAKS! What does it say? It declares that there is forgiveness and peace and the way has been made to God. If shouts to us from the cross that you can be free from the power of sin and have real lasting joy!
2. Above all it says, "I LOVE YOU!" Are you here tonight and you would like to answer the speaking blood by a confession or commitment? Raise your hands.
3. THE LORD’S SUPPER.
[This message is adapted from C.H Spurgeon’s, “The Voice of the Blood of Christ.”]
