Unfailing Love

‘If Christ had not gone to the cross and suffered in our stead, the just for the unjust, there would not have been a spark of hope for us. There would have been a mighty gulf between ourselves and God, which no man ever could have passed.' J.C. Ryle, The Cross

Today I want to tell you a story about bad choices, hard consequences, unfailing love and redemption.

There were once two brothers, Cain and Abel.  They knew God very well because they were the first of the children born to Adam and Eve who had walked in the Garden with the Lord. Adam and Eve had chosen to go their own way and because of their choices, they had to leave the Garden.  But God still loved them, as He loved Cain and Abel.

As part of their new way of life outside the Garden, the brothers would offer a particular sacrifice to the Lord – to remind them that rebellion leads to death and as a love offering.  God had asked them to bring a lamb.  Abel, wanting to please God had bought the best lamb from his flock, Cain grew abundant crops and could have traded some of his produce for a lamb to bring to God.  But he refused. He wanted to do things his way so he bought some grain.

Abel's sacrifice was blessed, Cain's was not. Rather than learn from this and resolve to bring a better sacrifice next time, Cain grew angry.  He was angry with God and jealous of his brother, murderously jealous.  Rather than taking responsibility for his own actions and resolving to please the Lord, he turned the full force of his rage toward his brother.  Eventually he lured Abel to a secret place and killed him. He plotted and planned and committed the first murder recorded in the Bible. Rebellion leads to death.

Later, the Lord asked Cain where Abel was – an opportunity for Cain to take responsibility for his actions – instead Cain chose to retort with the infamous words ‘Am I my brother's keeper?'. I don't know where he is, he is not my responsibility, why should I tell you. With these words, Cain cut all relationship with God and his family. From this moment onwards he wandered the land, cursed, afraid and alone.  Rebellion leads to death.

But the Lord is not cut off, His love is everlasting and He is able to bring new life from death.  Many years later, Jesus is invited to a wedding in the land of Canaan. The land where Cain who shed his brother's blood had wandered restless and alone.  Now Jesus walks here. He is at a wedding, a place where God, family and love are celebrated. On that day He turns water into wine.

Wine, that will come to signify the blood He poured out on the cross. Wine as a symbol of His sacrifice that will once and for all destroy the hold of the death that comes from rebellion.  His blood in place of the lamb's, His blood in place of Abel's.  His blood so that those who wander the land, afraid and alone can come home.

Rebellion leads to death. He has offered us His love. He has offered us His life. What will we choose?

‘For this is the original message we heard: We should love each other. We must not be like Cain, who joined the Evil One and then killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because he was deep in the practice of evil, while the acts of his brother were righteous.' 1 John 3 v11-13a, The Message