Advent Midweek
“The Shepherds of Advent”
Genesis 4:1-12
Dearly beloved, before you go with haste to Bethlehem and kneel down with the shepherds at the Christ-child’s manger, I invite you to journey with me back into the Old Testament as we ponder the shepherds of Advent.
The time is several thousand years before the birth of Christ. The location is somewhere outside of the Garden of Eden. Take a closer look. Do you see that young man? He is the one we’re interested in this evening. He is not a farmer like his father or older brother, but a shepherd. His life consists of paying careful attention to himself and to all the flock of which he is the overseer. It also happens to be the Sabbath Day. So this shepherd and his brother are at the altar.
Big brother Cain presents his offering to the LORD. As Cain is a farmer, a worker of the ground, he comes to the altar with an offering of the fruit of the ground. But for Cain and his offering the LORD has no regard.
Why not? Because Cain approaches the LORD without the righteousness of Jesus Christ. He brings his offering, not in grateful response to the promised Messiah, but either out of simple ritual or as a good work to earn God’s favor. Either way, Cain refuses to see that God desires
“mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings” (Hosea 6:6). Cain fails to understand that the promised Messiah will not come
“to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). In short, Cain comes before God covered not with the righteousness of our Advent King, but with his own self-righteousness. That is why the LORD has no regard for Cain and his offering.
Little brother Abel also presents his offering to the LORD. As Abel is a shepherd, a keeper of sheep, he comes to the altar with the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. For Abel and his offering the LORD has regard.
Why does the LORD have regard for Abel and his offering? Because Abel knows and believes and takes to heart that one is declared righteous before God through the promised Seed of the woman, who will one day crush the serpent’s head by laying down His life for the sheep. With faith in God’s promise, Abel presents his offering. The author of Hebrews confirms this.
“By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts” (Hebrews 11:4). Notice those words “by faith.” By faith Abel comes before God, covered with the righteousness of our Advent King. That’s why the LORD has regard for Abel and his offering.
As you can imagine, Cain gets angry. So the LORD says to him:
“Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”Sin crouches at the door of Cain’s heart. Jealousy. Hatred. Rage. Vengeance. Will he rule over it? Will he hold his anger in check? Will the Old Adam in him, by contrition and repentance, be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires?
You’ve been in Cain’s shoes before. On a daily basis one sin or another lies at the door of your heart and desires you. Greed. Lust. Anger. Resentment. Pride. Covetousness. How have you fared? How many times has sin ruled over you?
Following the Divine Service that Sabbath Day, the two brothers take their leave of the holy place. To the younger, the older speaks deceptive words, something like: “Little brother, I hold no grudge against you, even though the LORD accepted your offering and rejected mine. Come, let us go out to the field, just the two of us.”
Out there, in the field, Cain rises up against his brother Abel and kills him. Faithful Abel is dead. His sheep are without their shepherd. Stricken, smitten, and afflicted, see him lying in the field. His lifeblood pours forth from his veins and soaks the earth beneath him. Then the LORD says to Cain:
“Where is Abel your brother?” He answers:
“I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” To which the LORD replies:
“What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.”I bet you didn’t know blood could do that. That blood could cry out to God. It can. In that open field, Abel’s blood cries out to the Maker of heaven and earth. It cries out to the Shepherd who later will allow His blood to be shed—both as punishment for the sin of the world and as life to all who believe on His name.
Like faithful Abel, faithful Jesus would also die. Stricken, smitten, and afflicted, see Him dying on the tree. See His lifeblood pour forth from His veins and soak the earth beneath Him. But remember, blood means life. Even in death.
“The life of the flesh is in the blood,” the LORD declared to Moses,
“and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life” (Leviticus 17:11).
Abel’s blood had no power to atone for sin. The same is true of the blood of bulls and goats and lambs all throughout the Old Testament. But the blood of Jesus,
that blood is full of life—forgiving life, redeeming life, atoning life, everlasting life!
While the voice of Abel’s blood cried out to the LORD for vengeance, the voice of Jesus’ blood continues to cry out—to the end of time—something wonderful.
It cries out:
“It is finished!” (John 19:30).
It cries out:
“Forgiveness of sins!” (Matthew 26:28).
It cries out:
“Eternal redemption!” (Hebrews 9:12).
You need to hear the voice of Jesus’ blood, dear friends, for His blood is exactly what a Cain like you needs! Not that you are a murderer with your hands, but you are certainly a murderer with your thoughts, your words, and your deeds. What’s more, the punishment you deserve because of your sin—the punishment of hell—is greater than you are able to bear.
Repent! Repent of your sin! Repent of allowing sin to rule over you! And then listen to the voice of Abel’s blood, which leads you first to Bethlehem, then to the Jordan River, and ultimately to the foot of the cross on Golgotha. He who was first worshipped by shepherds as a little Baby grew up and became the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for you, His sheep.
Today, in Word and Sacrament, Christ’s blood speaks louder and better than Abel’s blood. For Christ’s blood speaks…
- not vengeance, but absolution;
- not condemnation, but forgiveness;
- not retaliation, but redemption;
- not pay back, but pardon.
As the author of Hebrews writes, in Christ the world now has
“the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel” (Hebrews 12:24).
Although Abel’s biography is but a few short verses in Holy Scripture, his legacy, his purpose, his importance, continues to lives on. After all, Abel was the very first shepherd and the very first martyr. Both pointing you forward to Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd of the sheep, the Savior whose blood was shed to save sinners.
Therefore, wait in joyful anticipation and prepare your heart this Advent season for the coming of your Redeemer. After all, the blood He shed in death is the same blood that grants you life—eternal life. Unlike Cain, Jesus
is His brother’s keeper. Your keeper. He covers you with His life-giving blood in Holy Baptism and keeps you safe from the devil, the world, and your sinful flesh.
That is what Abel’s blood proclaims to you this evening!
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
