Did you recognize that the primary recorded person in human history to die was a person named Abel? He was the second-born son of Adam and Eve. He was murdered by his older brother, Cain.
Genesis 4:3–8 records this story: “In the course of time Cain dropped at the Lord an offering of the fruit of the bottom, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very indignant, and his face fell. The Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you indignant, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And in the event you don’t do well, sin is crouching on the door. Its desire is for you, but you could rule over it.’ Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And once they were in the sphere, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.”
Cain murdered his brother. Let that sink in.
The first death in human history was a murder—one brother killed the opposite. And since then, people have been murdering one another, and in some way, a way, each murder has something to do with the plan of God for humanity.
Cain was jealous that God accepted Abel’s offering and life. Cain’s solution was, “I’ll kill Abel and take away him from my life.”
This is similar thing the gunman decided to do to Charlie Kirk. The suspected gunman’s roommate had one query: “Why?”
“I had enough of his hatred,” Tyler Robinson allegedly wrote back. “Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”
This is what Cain thought of Abel, too. Cain blamed Abel for God’s disapproval of his life and lifestyle. Hatred produces murder. Cain murdered Abel because God didn’t approve of Cain.
The gunman murdered Charlie for a similar reason. Sadly, this kind of thing has been happening for the reason that starting of time.
The critics of Charlie Kirk have attempted to discredit his death by highlighting his shortcomings. This is all the time the enemy’s first ploy.
The enemy seeks to cover the message of God by discrediting the messenger who carries the message of God to others. But this doesn’t stop God’s message—and neither does it stop the messenger of God, either.
Roughly 4 thousand years after the death of Abel, the New Testament speaks of Abel’s death by the hands of his brother’s hatred:
“Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I’ll send them prophets and apostles, a few of whom they may kill and persecute,’ in order that the blood of all of the prophets, shed from the inspiration of the world, could also be charged against this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I let you know, it can be required of this generation. Woe to you lawyers!” (Luke 11:49–52).
Jesus said, “From the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, it can be required of this generation.”
Jesus spoke of Abel’s blood to His current generation in the primary century. Most consider Jesus was saying, “From the primary murder within the Bible, due to Abel’s faith, to the last murder—Zechariah, for his faith—this current generation who refuse to consider in Jesus might be responsible.”
We know that after this, the leaders sought to murder Jesus, and eventually, they were successful in doing so through the betrayal of Judas.
After the death of Jesus, the enemy thought he had defeated God’s plan again. However, Jesus’ death was different—it modified the scorecard of eternity. Jesus was murdered like Abel, like Zechariah, like Charlie Kirk, but Jesus’ death had a distinct ending. After three days, He arose from the grave. He conquered death—perpetually. Death was not Jesus’ everlasting enemy but His last enemy.
Jesus’ resurrection modified all the things for anyone and everybody who was murdered for his or her faith prior to His resurrection—from Abel to Zechariah.
The author of Hebrews speaks of Abel’s death and faith in God: “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. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks” (Hebrews 11:4).
Did you catch that last part? Through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. That’s what faith in Jesus does for you and me—it gives us a voice after death among the many living.
This week would have been my mother’s seventy-ninth birthday. Sadly, she was killed by a drunk driver. The courts called it manslaughter since it was not premeditated and targeted, but I call it murder.
For greater than thirty-three years, I even have grieved the death of my mom. But due to her faith, I don’t grieve as one who has no hope for her. Her voice is louder in my life today than it was thirty-three years ago when she was killed. Why? Because she was—and is—an individual of religion in Jesus, and her faith in Him continues to be speaking through me for others to listen to, see, and experience too, in the event that they so select.
The same is true of Abel.
The same is true of Charlie Kirk.
The same will be true of you, too—due to Jesus.
The enemy has been inciting others to hate people of religion for the reason that starting of time.
In the recent movie about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, there may be a scene where, just before his execution, Bonhoeffer gave his journals to a Nazi guard to deliver to his mother. Bonhoeffer said, “Tell my momma I couldn’t discover a strawberry, but my words did.” When Bonhoeffer was a little bit boy playing hide-and-seek along with his older brother, his mom playfully told him that if he ate a strawberry, he can be invisible to his brother. A number of many years later, he used that analogy to cover—then deliver—his words to the world.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer died for his faith, but his words continue to exist today within the book The Cost of Discipleship. His famous quote: “When God calls a person, he calls him to return and die.”
Charlie Kirk’s life on earth was measured in thirty-one short years and he leaves behind a grieving wife, Erika, and two young children—but his faith and words continue to exist, like Abel.
Charlie’s faith, like Abel’s, continues to talk.
It is my prayer that we live our lives by faith in Jesus in order that, long after we’ve got died, our faith still speaks to the living.
Thank you, Charlie, for giving us a modern-day example of Abel to follow.
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