Sermon Snippet – The Scarlet Lifeline
INTRODUCTION – Matthew 20:28 proclaims, “The Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Here, “for” means more than on behalf of (although it is true that Jesus died on behalf of all people to offer His benefits to us). The fuller meaning of “for” is in place of, as a substitute. This doctrine of the Savior’s substitutionary atonement is found throughout the Bible, including in Genesis, and is often called the scarlet thread.
1. ADAM AND EVE
Following the sin of Adam, the entire creation was altered, and life was about to become difficult. Genesis 3:21 tells us that God made a practical provision for Adam and Eve: “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.” Implied here was the death of animals, for “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a. God Himself would have had to sacrifice these animals in place of Adam and Eve. How profoundly sad it is to think of the Creator having to take the lives of even a few animals! Hebrews 9:22 reminds us that “without shedding of blood is no remission [forgiveness].” None of us like to talk about the ”shedding of blood,” especially when it is used, as here, to denote death. All of this points us to the promise of a Savior, as indicated in Genesis 3:15.
2. ABEL AND CAIN
We are all sadly familiar with the account of these two brothers. Genesis 4:3-5 reveals that God’s way of worship – not man’s way – requires a sacrifice. Hebrews 11:4 states, “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.” It was “more excellent” because it was a substitutional sacrifice, like that of Jesus Christ.
3. NOAH
Perhaps you remember the Sunday school song that says, “The animals came in by twosies.” This description is accurate to a point, but Genesis 7:2 commands Noah, “Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his family: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.” “By sevens” is literally “seven seven,” probably indicating seven pairs. The designation as either clean or unclean has nothing to do with diet; that distinction came centuries later in the mosaic Law. Here, it involves sacrifice, as Genesis 8:20 clarifies. The earth had been wiped clean by the Flood, but even this family of faith still needed substitutionary atonement. The response of God in verse 21 confirms that we all require a sacrifice for us, in our places.
4. ABRAHAM AND ISAAC
In this most emotional and poignant of Biblical stories (Genesis 22:1-18), we find tremendous theological teaching, for God provided a ram to Abraham “in the stead of his son” (verse 13). Even our best cannot atone for our sins; it must be God’s best.
CONCLUSION – We have briefly considered part of what is called the scarlet thread that winds through all of Scripture. Let us consider even a stronger term. Imagine that you have committed a heinous sin against someone. You then realize that the wronged person is pursuing you, and you flee, only to fall over a cliff. You manage to grab a small outcropping, but your grasp is tenuous and temporary. Suddenly, a rescuer appears from above, rappelling down the sheer precipice and coming alongside. However, this is the very person that you have so grievously hurt! He removes the harness, places you securely in it, … and plunges to his death thousands of feet below as you are lifted to safety. This analogy is imperfect, of course, but the savior of this story is the Savior, Jesus Christ. The scarlet thread has become the scarlet lifeline, for His death on the Cross is in our places – in my place and in your place. God has given us His best; He has given Himself.