What is this? What is this cry that we hear?

(Charles Spurgeon)

"Now Cain said to his brother Abel, 'Let's go out to the field.' And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him." Genesis 4:8

"The blood of sprinkling, that speaks better things than that of Abel." Hebrews 12:24

"The sprinkled blood which speaks [of mercy], a better and nobler and more gracious message than the blood of Abel [which cried out for vengeance]." Hebrews 12:24 (NLT)

There is a cry heard in Heaven; the angels are astonished; they rise up from their golden seats and inquire, "What is that cry?"

God looks upon them, and says, "It is the cry of blood; a man has been slain by his fellow; a brother is slain by him who came from the womb of the same mother, has been murdered in cold blood, through malice. One of My saints has been murdered, and here he comes."

And Abel entered into Heaven, blood-red, the first of God's elect who had entered Paradise, and the first of God's children who had worn the blood-red crown of martyrdom.

And then the cry was heard, loud and clear and strong; and thus it spoke: "Revenge! Revenge! Revenge!" And God Himself, rising from His throne, summoned the culprit to His presence; questioned him, condemned him out of His own mouth, and made him henceforth a fugitive and a vagabond, to wander over the surface of the earth, which was to be sterile to his plough.

And now, beloved, contrast the blood of Christ with this. There is Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God; He hangs upon a tree; He is murdered-murdered by His own brethren. He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him-but put Him to death.

He bleeds; He dies; and then a cry is heard in Heaven.

The astonished angels again start from their seats, and they say, "What is this? What is this cry that we hear?" And the mighty Maker answers yet again, "It is the cry of blood; it is the cry of the blood of My only-begotten and well-beloved Son!"

And God, uprising from His throne, looks down from Heaven and listens to the cry. And what is the cry? It is not revenge; but the voice cries "Mercy! Mercy! Mercy!" Did you hear it? It said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!"

"The sprinkled blood which speaks [of mercy], a better and nobler and more gracious message than the blood of Abel [which cried out for vengeance]." Hebrews 12:24 (NLT)