The book of Hebrews chapter 12. In verse 18, the writer begins a comparison
between living under the old covenant and living under the
new. And we see this at the beginning
of 18 and then again at the beginning of verse 22. But at the beginning
of verse 18, we look first, writing to New Testament believers, and
verse 18 begins with these words, for ye are not come. And then the things named in
verses 18 to 21 is where we don't live under the new covenant. as believers in the Lord Jesus
Christ, which was the case in the Old Testament. For you are
not come unto the Mount that might be touched and that burned
with fire, that's Mount Sinai, nor unto blackness and darkness
and tempest, the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words. which
voice they that heard entreated that the word should not be spoken
to them anymore. For they could not endure that
which was commanded. And if so much as a beast touched
the mountain, it shall be stoned or thrust through with a dart.
And so terrible was the sight that Moses said, I exceedingly
fear and quake. That's where we don't live. Mount
Sinai, where the law and the commandments were given and were
sounded forth the instruction that that law and commandments
must be kept and obeyed perfectly. Now he says to New Testament
believers here, for ye are not come to that mountain. Thank
God. And then the other side of the
picture. Verse 22, but ye are come unto
Mount Zion, not Mount Sinai, where that covenant was made
between God and men through Moses, a covenant of works, but ye are
come unto Mount Zion, a new covenant, not between God and men, but
between God and His Son. You see, under the old covenant,
all men who were included in that covenant were responsible
to live up to the law and the commandments perfectly. Of course,
that didn't happen. It couldn't happen. But the New Testament, the new
covenant between the father and the son, meant that God's son
must meet the standard. the perfection God required of
His people, and that He did perfectly. In living a sinless life, and
this is something we don't mention too often, but it needs to be
understood, living a sinless life, a pure life, Christ could
have been accepted, received back into the glory He had with
the Father, at any time without dying. He had made the grade. But to do that, he would have
had to ascend back alone and cut us loose. But you see, he
never came into this world to cut us loose and ascend back
alone. He came into this world to do
whatever it took. to take us back with him. This
is precious truth. He could have sinned himself
at any time, but to take us with him, he'll have to die a sacrificial
death on our behalf, offer himself sinless and spotless, shed his
blood, be crucified, buried Conquer death, hell, and the grave. Rise
again and ascend back into glory, having paid the sin debt for
everyone given him from eternity. Let me read on, verse 22. And
he now names a list of things we are come unto in Christ. And note the are come is past
tense. It's a done deal. I pity folk
who think that Christianity, belonging to the Lord, serving
the Lord, worshiping the Lord, is something that's going to
be better on Algendra. Honey, it's good right now. It's
good right now. We are come unto Mount Zion and
unto the city of the living God and the heavenly Jerusalem. This
is not a place. This is a people he's talking
about. We're already come to this. The church, the redeemed,
and to an innumerable company of angels. You don't see them,
do you? Well, they're here. The book
said we are come this far to the general assembly and church
of the firstborn, which are written in heaven. And to God, the judge
of all, and the spirits of just men made perfect. And to Jesus, he says, we are
come to all these. And to Jesus, the mediator of
the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh
better things than that of Abel. Now this entire list is worthy
of our study and meditation, but I'm coming this morning to
look particularly at verse 24. And to Jesus, the mediator of
the new covenant and to the blood of sprinkling, and particularly
this last statement, which says that the blood of Christ speaketh
better things than that of Abel. The blood of Christ has more
valuable things to testify of than the blood of Abel has. So
our subject this morning is the better blood. The better blood. When we hear the term blood of
Christ, let me say this before we move on. When we hear this
term, blood of Christ, Sometimes people are referring only to
his literal blood. But in the New Testament, the
term often includes the entire work of redemption. It means
not just his blood, but his blood sacrifice, his blood offering,
his death, the shedding of his blood, all the work of redemption.
And we must consider this because Christ lived a sinless life,
pure, holy, perfectly obedient. He fulfilled the law. He pleased
the Father. He qualified as the Lamb without
blemish and without spot. And he did all that before he
shed his blood. This perfect life. That's what made the crucifixion
such an awful crime on man's part. They were crucifying the
only one who had ever walked this earth without sin. It's true. We couldn't be saved
apart from Christ's shed blood. At the same time, apart from
a sinless life, his blood would have been no different than anybody
else's. So it's all important. So we don't just worship his
blood. I mean, there's some folks, and
I certainly don't mean to be irreverent here, but there's
some folks that just every other breath, it's his blood, the blood,
the blood, the blood. Well, we don't worship the blood.
We worship him. The sinless, righteous son of
God. whose redemptive work involved
and included the shedding of his blood. And because it was
sinless blood, then it is the better blood, better than Abel's. Jesus Christ is the only truly
innocent man who was ever put to death in this world. I realize many have been executed innocent of the specific crime
for which they were executed. But by nature, none of Adam's
race is innocent. Not even infants, not even the
unborn, not even the precious grandmothers, none are innocent. Paul said, Romans 3, that the
whole world guilty before God, but Christ is the only one, the
innocent one, the one with the better blood. Now, from the time
Abel was born, Genesis 4 verse 2, till his brother Cain killed
him, six verses later, Genesis 4 verse 8, We do not read in that time that
Abel had committed any sin. And yet he is a sinner. A sinner
by nature. As a child of Adam. Had he not
been a sinner, he couldn't have died. No matter what Cain done
to him. Because death is the wages of
sin. You may ask then, how could Christ
die who was sinless, who knew no sin? Well, Paul tells us clearly,
2 Corinthians 5.21, for he, God the Father, hath made him, Jesus
Christ, to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be
made the righteousness of God, or that we might be made the
righteousness which God required in him. Peter said, 1 Peter 1.18,
for as much as you know that you are not redeemed with corruptible
things as silver and gold can't buy you in. or from the vain conversation
of your fathers, the manner of living, the lifestyle of your fathers, religious or
non-religious, vain traditions, but with the precious blood of
Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. Christ's blood
is the better blood. And it is this blessed assurance,
I'll say to you this morning, it is this blessed assurance
that Christ died for me and brought home to my heart by His Spirit,
by the Holy Ghost, that He paid for my sin, that He satisfied
fully the justice of God for me. This is the hope that first
brought peace to my heart. This is the hope that sustains
the peace in my heart. Oh my, all these years this has
been it. What Christ has done for me.
I promise you as soon as I start comparing myself To many, many,
many great Christians I've known, it's depression city for me right
quick. This comparing business, don't
get it when you're not perfect. But it is this Christ and His
atoning blood, what He's done for me, that sustains me. This is my only answer to the
hounds of hell that attack my soul. over sins and faults and
failures that would condemn me and torture my conscience. My
only answer, Christ has paid my debt. Christ's blood was shed
for me. This is my protection against
the fiery darts of the wicked. This is my preparation to face
each new day. to bathe my heart and mind in
this truth that Christ died for me. His blood is the better blood,
sufficient for me. The blood that ran in Abel's
veins is the blood that ran in Adam's veins. And it's the same
blood that runs in your veins and my veins. Oh, but the blood
of Christ is the better blood. Much, much better. Perfect. Remember in that passage we heard,
read in our hearing this morning, Genesis 4.10, God told Cain,
the voice of thy brother's blood. This is after he'd killed Abel.
He said, the voice of thy brother's blood. Did you know blood has
a voice? It speaks. The voice of thy brother's blood
crieth unto me from the ground. It has some things to say, but
our verse in Hebrew says the blood of Christ has better things
to say. Better things. Now let's just
consider some of these about seven things in this comparison
wherein Christ's blood is the better blood. And this should
be precious to all our hearts this morning. Christ's blood
speaks of a brother's love. Abel's blood speaks of a brother's
hatred. Totally opposite. Cain was the
firstborn of Adam and Eve. He is Adam reproduced. He had
younger brothers, first Abel, Seth, and then others, but Cain
is the firstborn of Adam. Well, Christ Jesus is the firstborn
of the church, the redeemed. Romans 8.29, that he might be
the firstborn among many brethren. God wants a whole family, a whole
house full of young'uns just like his firstborn. And that's
what Romans 8.29 says we're headed toward. The blood of Abel poured from
his body because of hatred from his brother. But the blood of
Christ was shed because of love for his brethren. The only word Cain had for Abel
was hatred. The only word Christ had for
us was love. Cain's vow was, I'll have your
blood. Christ's vow was, I'll give my
blood." Revelation 1-5, unto him that
loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood. 1 John 4-10, herein is love. Not that we loved God, but that
he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation. for our sins. And that word perpetuation
means expiation, atonement. It means satisfaction on God's
side. Christ satisfied the justice
of God. He exhausted the wrath of God
against all for whom he died. You can't give this to the world
The Scripture says clearly in John 3 that they abide even now
under the wrath of the Almighty. But for believers, for God's
children, for God's elect, for those whom Christ died, God's
wrath is exhausted. There is no more wrath. There
is, Romans 8.1, there is therefore now no condemnation to them that
are in Christ Jesus. What Cain did to Abel was in
hatred, but what Christ did for us was in love. What an opposite. What an opposite. Number two,
the blood of Abel speaks peace departing from the human family. The blood
of Christ speaks peace returning. Abel's blood was the first human
blood to fall on earth's soil. We heard that in the reading,
Genesis 4. Cain committed the first murder. He broke the ice, so to speak. He pioneered the murderous career
of Adam's race to kill each other. When Cain slew Abel, it never
sat well in heaven. It never sat well with God. God
approached Cain concerning what he had done. Cain never approached God. He's
just like his father Adam. When he messed up, he never approached
God. He went and hid. God came to Adam and said, what
have you done? God had to come to Cain. What
have you done? It's always God has to do the coming. Sinful
man won't. So Abel died. And when he did,
earthly peace is gone and bloodshed is begun. And from then till
now, this earth has been a huge sponge for human blood. It's become one giant graveyard. Peace departed. But when Christ came, peace returned
for his own. Remember what the angelic host,
Luke chapter 2, were saying? praising God and saying, Glory
to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward
men. Oh, those angels weren't singing
and praising God and saying to us, Good luck to you. Oh, no.
Not luck, but they were saying on earth peace. On earth, he
who is peace is born. this night in the city of David. Oh, and when he shed his blood
and died, you know this story, the veil of the temple was rent
in twain from top to bottom. The way was opened up. And we
who believe have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
for he is our peace. He is our peace. Now, in our
lives here in this world, we may not have much peace, it seems
like, or hardly any. People say to me, if I could
just get some peace somewhere, somehow. In this world of chaos,
it may not be so. But thank God, wherever you're at in life's
situations, There's peace for God's child. This blessed assurance, we have
peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. And Christ said
before we left, peace I leave with you, my peace I give it
to you. Not as the world giveth, what good is that? But my peace,
my peace, bless his holy name. All right, number three. Abel's
blood cried for vengeance. Christ's blood for mercy. Abel's blood cried for vengeance
on the guilty. Christ's blood cried for mercy
on the guilty. The blood of Abel cries out,
How long, O Lord? Will this injustice prevail? How long? Revelation 6, 9 and 10, I saw
unto the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word
of God and for the testimony which they had. And they cried
with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord? Holy and true. Dost thou not avenge our blood
on them that dwell on the earth, crying out for vengeance? But
this better blood, the blood of Christ, is not seeking vengeance,
but granting mercy. Ephesians 2, 4, But God, who
is rich in mercy for His great love wherewith He loved us, Paul
said Galatians 2.20, He loved me and gave himself for me. Ephesians 5.25, Christ loved
the church and gave himself for it. Oh, He loves His people. Romans 5.8, while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us. Number four, Abel's blood speaks of condemnation. Christ's
blood speaks forgiveness. Abel's blood spoke, cried out judgment upon Cain. And Christ's blood speaks forgiveness
to us. Abel's blood said, Cain must
be cursed. Christ's blood says we must not
be. He bore our curse. Abel's blood excluded Cain from
God's blessing. Christ's blood secured for us
God's blessing. Cain will never have spiritual
life. He'll never know God. Christ
will never be precious to him. And this world that you and I
live in is full of canes on every corner. How sad that is. But
the Lord's people, the redeemed, God's elect, have God's blessing. Have spiritual life in Christ
Jesus. We have fellowship with him.
And how precious this is to us. He loved us. He gave Himself
for us. He laid down His life. He shed
His blood for us. Number five, Abel's blood speaks
death. Christ's blood speaks life. Abel's blood speaks death to
Cain. Ezekiel 18, verse 4, The soul
that sinneth, it shall die. Romans 6.23, the wages of sin
is death. But Christ's blood speaks life. John 11.25, I am the resurrection
and the life. He that believeth in me, though
he were dead, and because of sin we all were, dead in trespasses
and sin, And though sin has done its work in us, though we were dead, yet shall
he live and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never
die. Number six, Abel's blood tortures
conscience. Christ's blood silences conscience. Abel's blood tortures the conscience. Men must live and die without
God, without hope, and a conscience that can never be silenced. Think about that. Old preacher Kierkegaard said
every heartbeat of everyone in hell and when
going to hell, every heartbeat is saying eternity, eternity,
eternity. What are you going to do without
God and without hope for eternity? Think about the Hollywood crowd.
Think about your favorite movie stars. What are they doing? You
know what they're doing? They're trying to entertain us.
They're trying to silence conscience. And they make millions doing
it. Their job is to entertain, make us happy. Forget about God
so you can laugh your way all the way to hell. That's what
it's about. But they cannot silence conscience.
Oh no. The clock keeps ticking. Eternity. Eternity. Eternity. Oh. Every last one of us has sinned enough to go to hell
10,000 times and that forever. Oh, but we're talking about the
better blood and to have our consciences silenced and cleansed, not by the blood of Abel, but
by the blood of Christ, the better blood. And one last thing, number
seven. Abel's blood speaks alienation
and loneliness forever. There's no fellowship in hell.
A lot of people, but no fellowship.
But Christ's blood speaks reconciliation and fellowship. God told Cain,
Genesis 4, 12, a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be
in the earth. A refugee, hiding out, a man without a country, nowhere
to run, wandering, leading an unsettled and irresponsible life,
all alone in this world, mixing and mingling with thousands and
yet alone. That's the condition of Adam's
race without Christ. But for the Lord's people, we're
part of a family. Christ's blood has reconciled
us to God. He's our Father. And we're brothers
and sisters. How blessed. We're not alone.
We're not alone. Like the Israelites in Egypt,
the blood You know the story was on the front of their houses
with the door shut. Scripture is very clear about
that. Shut the door. Well, Christ's blood has shut
us in. Safe from the judgment, safe
in Him, safe with Him, In that prayer, John 17, 24, Father, I will that they whom
thou hast given me, that's the redeemed, the church, God's elect,
I will that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am. Well, where was he? He was fixing to get crucified,
but that's not what he's talking about. where I am physically. What does he mean that they be
with me where I am? Well, he prayed, and now I am
no more in the world. This was before the cross. And
yet he prays as if he's already conquered, died, buried, resurrected,
and ascended. He said, I am no more in the
world. And by His shed blood, we are
with Him. We spoke last Sunday on Christ's
Word from the cross to that one thief. You remember. Today, shalt
thou be with me in paradise. Not away from me, but with me. With me in oneness. with me in acceptance with my
Father, with me in all things. Today shalt thou be with me in
paradise." Now sometimes people call the Garden of Eden paradise. But what Christ was saying to
that thief was, today you'll be with me not just in a restored
Garden of Eden, Man fell in the Garden of Eden. But Christ himself is the paradise
wherein none can fall. You're going to be with me. With
me. Revelation 2, 7, He that hath
an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which
is Christ. He's the tree of life. which
is in the midst of the paradise of God. To be with Him is paradise. So today in Christ we are not
fugitives and vagabonds like Cain was and all the Cains are,
but rather we are part, as it talks about in this text, we
are part of the general assembly and church of the firstborn,
which are written in heaven. We're safe, secure, satisfied
in Christ our Lord. He's the mediator of the new
covenant and through his blood, the blood of sprinkling on the
mercy seat of heaven. The blood that speaketh better
things than that of Abel, the better blood of Christ our Lord. Thank you. Let's stand together.