Below are notes to a sermon preached Sunday morning, July 06, 2003, at Gospel Light Baptist Church, Albany, Georgia.
JESUS THE MORE EXCELLENT SACRIFICE
By Michael D. O’Neal Pastor, Gospel Light Baptist Church Albany, Georgia
Scripture Reading: Genesis 4:1-7
Text: Genesis 4:4
Genesis 4:4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
Introduction: Last week I preached to you from this chapter about how Cain and Able were types, or prophetic pictures, of the Jews and Jesus. We believe the events of Genesis 4 were real, not myths, genuine, not legends. They really happened. However, we ALSO believe that from Genesis to Revelation, the things God recorded in this Bible point to His Son, Jesus Christ.
Remember that Jesus told the religious people of the day:
John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
Remember that after His resurrection Jesus had an intense Bible study with two of His discouraged disciples:
Luke 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
While I believe in the historical account of Genesis 4, I also believe in the prophetic or typical significance of the chapter. I know it was about two specific men, Cain and Abel, but I ALSO know that a discerning Christian can look at this passage and see GLORIOUS illustrations of our Savior. Don’t you see Him? Well, may the Lord use His scriptures, His Spirit, and His servant to declare His SON to His saints today from this passage.
Let me begin by saying that Jesus is pictured not only by Abel, the first shepherd in the Bible, a man who satisfied God by His sacrifice, a man who was murdered by his own brother, a man who spoke to God from the ground by His blood, but that Jesus is even more so pictured by Abel’s OFFERING.
Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
The entire book of Hebrews shows that Jesus is better than anything, especially the things of the law, and especially in His own sacrifice or offering for sin.
Hebrews 10:10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Hebrews 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
This morning I want to show you what made Abel’s sacrifice accepted by God and how that sacrifice points to our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. John the Baptist got to see Jesus literally, but I am going to show Him to you figuratively, and declare WITH John
John 1:29 … Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
I. THE LAMB WAS SUPPLIED BY GOD
Genesis 22:8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
A. One offering came from the ground and had a curse on it
B. One offering came from GOD and had CHRIST on it!
II. THE LAMB WAS SLAIN
Leviticus 14:13 And he shall slay the lamb in the place where he shall kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the holy place: for as the sin offering is the priest’s, so is the trespass offering: it is most holy:
Revelation 5:6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
A. The Lamb was slain for our guilt
B. The Lamb was slain and will appear in Glory
III. THE LAMB WAS A SUBSTITUTE FOR A SINNER
Genesis 22:13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
A. The Lamb is the answer for sin – Romans 6:23
B. The Lamb is available for all sinners – 1 Corinthians 15:3; 1 Timothy 2:5-6
IV. THE LAMB SHED ITS BLOOD
Revelation 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
1 Peter 1:18-19 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
A. The blood brings remission
B. The blood brings redemption
C. The blood brings reconciliation
V. THE LAMB SATISFIED GOD
Genesis 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
A. The fire signified God’s satisfaction with Old Testament sacrifices
B. “Finality” signified God’s satisfaction with the New Testament sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ
- No more sacrifices
- Jesus sat down, unlike priests
VI. THE LAMB SHUT OUT OTHER METHODS
Genesis 4:5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
A. Even methods that are sincere
B. Even methods that seem right
VII. THE LAMB SHOWED THE COMING SAVIOR
Isaiah 53:6-7 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
According to a Spirit-filled soul-winner named Phillip (Acts 8:35, that passage is about JESUS!)