Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

The Story of Scripture is the story of redemption.

It is the story of how God through Jesus Christ created and redeemed a people for Himself for His own eternal glory and our eternal good.
Like all good stories the narrative of Scripture has a plot, a main protagonists, a main antagonist, supporting characters, tension and conflict and finally the ultimate resolution of the conflict. Unlike all other stories the story of Scripture takes several thousand years to unfold.
As I said the plot of the bible is the redemption of God’s people. We use the term redemption because it means to secure or obtain something or someone by paying a price. Thus, all the little stories within the Old Testament in one way or another speak of, highlight, or point to the greatest act of redemption in history. It was this act of redemption in which Jesus Christ paid the price required to set all His people free from the penalty, power and eventually the presence of sin.
Consequently, when we read the stories of Scripture our goal is to discover what is says and how it points to the main theme of redemption. This is crucial because though the plot of Scripture is the redemption of God’s people, the goal of redemption is the worship, adoration, praise and glory of God and the Lamb Jesus Christ. In fact that is main chorus of the hosts of heaven as they surround the throne of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
 And they sang a new song, saying,
"Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth." Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!" And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" and the elders fell down and worshiped. Rev. 5:9-14.

Now since the main plot of Scripture is the redemption of God’s people and the bible like most other stories has a main protagonist then it follows that Jesus Christ must be the protagonist and main character of Scripture. In other words Jesus Christ just isn’t the protagonist and main character of the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, He is the protagonist and main character of all of the books and stories of Scripture. Jesus Himself said that to His disciples as recorded in Luke 24.
Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.Luke 24:44-47

Note carefully what Jesus is saying in this short but crucial passage. First, He declares that the entire Old Testament Scripture was written about Him. Now Jesus is either the biggest egomaniac that has ever lived (imagine someone reading American history and sincerely stating that it was telling his or her personal story) or He is the point, main theme, subject, substance, center and culmination of the grand story of Scripture.
The second point Jesus made is that the plot of that story and His life was the redemption of His people through His sinless life, sacrificial death and victorious resurrection.

Of course like all compelling stories the narrative of Scripture has an antagonist, someone who opposes the main plot which is the redemption of God’s people. Satan is the antagonist, adversary and enemy of God, His plan, His Son and His people. While Satan doesn’t mind you being religious or moral healthy or wealthy, he is adamantly opposed to you being redeemed and understanding and living out the blessings of your redemption.

As with other good stories Scripture has a host of supporting characters. But they are just that, supporting characters. They are important and of course of great value to their creator and redeemer, but the story isn’t about them. Ultimately, the story of Abraham is not about his faith as much as it’s about the object of his faith with is the God of the covenant promise. The story of Moses is ultimately not about the great man of God who delivered God’s people from the slavery to the Egyptians, but about the One who is greater than Moses, Jesus Christ who has freed us from our slavery to the penalty and power of sin. The story of Joshua is not ultimately about a military man of God who led God’s people into a land of promise, but about the One who leads us into the permanent place of blessing in which the Lord Himself will live with us forever.
The blessing behind each supporting character in the story of Scripture is how he or she through their lives and actions somehow shed light our great redeemer and cause of our worship and wonder, Jesus Christ.

The tension and conflict of Scripture occurs as God goes about the business of fulfilling His one plan to secure one people through one man Jesus Christ.
The resolution of the story occurs at the cross of Calvary where Jesus dies to pay the cost for the sins of all His people and the empty tomb that signified that He physically rose from the grave thus proving that the Father had accepted His sacrifice and would now grant forgiveness to everyone who believed in Jesus Christ.

Before we go on, do you see your need for redemption? Have you come to realize and believe that you have failed the standard of perfect obedience that God demands of everyone who would avoid His righteous and just punishment? Do you recognize and believe that you cannot rely on your own goodness or the fact that you’re not as bad as some other people are? Do you see and believe that you can’t hide behind the excuse that you were born poor, were not as well educated as other people, grew up in the hood or in general had a hard life? Do you understand, accept and are willing to stake your one and only eternal soul on the truth that when Jesus Christ died He died for your sin so that if you believe in Him you won’t die eternally, but instead enjoy eternal, joy filled, peaceful and completely satisfying life?

Now turning to our story about Cain you may be asking yourself how in the world could Cain and this story of his life in any way highlight, point to and illustrate the Person and work of Christ?

The answer is relatively simple though I will take some time to explain it. Cain shows us why Jesus is absolutely necessary for our rescue from the penalty of sin. For where Cain obviously did not overcome the crouching tiger and hidden dragon of sin, Jesus did. Where Cain followed the temptations of his sinful nature to disastrous consequences, Jesus resisted the temptation He faced with glorious implication. The rest of the message will tell how the Lord did this and why we therefore continue to express our praise to Him as the Lamb worthy of our worship and lives.

Jesus mastered sin and became the perfect and complete sacrifice for the sin of His people.
Following the rebellion of Adam God instituted a system of sacrifice as an expression of grace to Adam and his race. At this point in history the sacrificial system allowed people to exist on God’s earth, approach Him and even enjoy a covenantal, worshiping relationship with Him. Adam had clearly taught his children who were now full grown men the details and importance of the sacrificial system.
They had to be brought according to the exact way prescribed by God.
The sacrifice had to be the very best the worshiper had.
The sacrifice had to be with a willing heart.
The worshiper had to believe that God would accept the right sacrifice brought the right way.

Both Cain and Abel therefore knew what they were to bring and the attitude with which they were to bring it. It’s here at the point of their offering that the tension of our story manifests itself. Both Cain and Abel have brought their offering. Both it appears are standing before God to see if He will accept their offering. It is here that the Scripture states
And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. Gen. 4:4b-5.
There’s a good deal of speculation concerning why God didn’t accept Cain’s offering. Some of it centers on the fact that Cain brought an offering from the fruit of the ground instead of using some of his produce to obtain a suitable lamb from his brother and then bringing a blood sacrifice. While that has some merit I don’t believe that was the case.

The Scripture points out that Cain was a farmer and Abel a shepherd. It seems reasonable that the Scripture mentions that to alert us as to why he brought the kind of offering he did. Moreover, as the history of redemption progresses we find fruit offerings not only acceptable but even required by God.
"Speak to the people of Israel, saying, On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths to the Lord. On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. For seven days you shall present food offerings to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall hold a holy convocation and present a food offering to the Lord. It is a solemn assembly; you shall not do any ordinary work. Lev. 23:34-36.
On that basis I don’t believe Cain’s offering was rejected because it wasn’t a blood sacrifice.
A closer look at the language of the passage may reveal that it was the quality of the offering that disclosed the attitude of Cain’s heart that was the issue. While the Scripture pointedly notes that Abel brought the firstborn of his flock and the fat or best portions it merely states that Cain brought some fruit of the ground. It seems likely that Cain brought a sorry, sloppy, shoddy offering that consisted of leftovers from his harvest.

That’s sad because it could be that Cain and Abel’s offering were to be brought together since they symbolized two important aspect in our covenantal relationship with the Lord.
The fruit, grain or harvest offering was given in thanks to God and in acknowledgement that He is the One who provides for all of our physical, economic, social, psychological and emotional needs. It was the offering that moved me to remember that though I had to work hard for my daily necessities that work had to be blessed by God. I owed my existence to His gracious, sovereign and providential control.
But there was something else behind the offering of the first fruits as it was called. The first fruit of a harvest was the very first grains or samples of the harvest that was given to God as thanksgiving for the rest of the harvest. First fruits served as an example of the abundant harvest that God had granted His people.

Abel’s offering of course symbolized the reality that because of our sin we deserved death. Our sin was so bad that God had to uphold His holiness by executing the penalty which meant that our blood and the life that flows with that blood had to empty from us causing our death. However, since God has chosen to be gracious He allowed the believing sinner to present a sacrifice on his own behalf. This sacrifice would be his substitute and die in his place.

Here we can see how Jesus is our perfect sacrifice. He is the One who stood in our place, became our substitute and died for us. On the cross it was His blood that was spilled out, His life that was taken away. He was stricken, smitten and afflicted for us. However since He lived a sinless life, the Father accepted His sacrifice and raised Him up from the dead so that Jesus is now very much alive.
His new resurrected body and life are now said to be the first fruits of the redemption of the people of God. We therefore believe, are convinced and have staked our one and only eternal soul on the truth that since Jesus rose from the grave all who place their faith in Him will themselves be raised from the grave with new, glorified bodies which will enjoy the blessings of God’s presence on a new heaven and earth forever.

Joyfully in Christ,
Pastor Lance