Gospel Commentary

Listen to Dr. Warren Gage & Pastor Robey Barnes discuss the story of Cain & Abel, and how it teaches the gospel by pointing us to the suffering and glory of Jesus!

Find the Gospel in the Story

In Luke 24, Jesus taught his disciples that every story in the Bible points directly to him! He explained that we simply need to look for the gospel pattern of "suffering followed by glory." That is, we need to look for something that points to his suffering on the cross, followed by something that points to the glory of his resurrection! Use the gospel chart below to help you find "the story within the story!" 

Gospel Study Notes

In Genesis 3:15, after the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden, God said that he would put enmity between the Seed of the Woman and the seed of the serpent. That enmity would ultimately find its expression in the conflict between Jesus, the Seed of the Woman, and the religious leaders in Jerusalem, the “brood of vipers” (Matthew 12:34), who would persecute him unto death. Yet we see that great conflict anticipated in human history as early as the story of Abel and his treacherous brother, Cain. Abel’s sacrifice, which was found acceptable before the Lord, identified him as belonging to the line of faith who trusted in the promise of Jesus, the Seed of the Woman. Meanwhile, Cain’s lethal enmity toward his brother revealed his true nature as a seed of the serpent (1 John 3:12). The story of Cain murdering Abel is thus the first enactment in human history of the prophecy of Genesis 3:15 that would ultimately culminate in the crucifixion of our Lord. 

In the story, Abel’s blood is theologically significant for two primary reasons. First, Abel’s blood clearly implies that there is life after death as early as this passage in Genesis. When God confronts Cain, he tells him that his brother’s blood is crying out (in present tense) to him from the ground (Gen 4:10). Second, the apostle who writes Hebrews chooses to frame his entire discussion of the history of the faithful with the blood of Abel. The list of heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11-12 begins with Abel’s righteous blood that cries out for justice (Heb 11:4). It then concludes with a discussion of the blood of Abel, in which the apostle reminds us that Jesus’ blood “speaks a better word than that of Abel” (Heb 12:24). While Abel’s righteous blood cried out to the Lord for justice against his sinful brother, the righteous blood of Jesus instead cries out to the Lord for mercy for his sinful brothers (Heb 12:24)! 

Finally, we should note the importance of the story ending with Cain founding a city. St. Augustine observed that throughout history there has always been a perennial conflict between two alternative visions of a city: the city of God and the city of man. The city of God is promised to us from the beginning. It is the city that God envisioned in the garden when he commanded Adam to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth with a righteous seed. After Adam and his descendants fell into sin, however, that city, the Heavenly City, could ultimately only be achieved by the Lord Jesus, who would to come to earth as a new Adam (Rom 5:14). The author of Hebrews tells us quite clearly that Abel and all of the other patriarchs were looking by faith to that Heavenly City, even though they died without receiving the promises (Heb 11:13-16).

When Cain founds his own city in Genesis 4:17, we find the origins of an alternative vision, the city of man. The city of man seeks to replicate the city that God promised, but it is a parody of paradise—entirely without God. Nowhere do we see this more clearly than in the nature of the city’s founding. In deep irony, the city that Cain establishes, the city which is meant to represent the great community of man, is founded by a man who murdered his brother. In stark contrast, the Heavenly City, the great work of Christ and the hope of all the faithful, is founded by a man who chose to lay down his life for his brothers! 

Gospel Takeaways

The story of Abel shows us the extent of the murderous hatred that the enemies of the gospel have toward those who believe. The persecution of the enemy is to the death. But in the face of persecution and suffering in this present life, we are able to persevere in hope of the glorious prospect of the Heavenly City, which we will one day inherit, just as the apostle assures us in Hebrews 11:1-12:24.