The Talking Blood

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."