20250308

Cain or Christ?

1 John 3:11-24 (JDV)

1 John 3:11 Because this is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should care about one another,
1 John 3:12 unlike Cain, who was from the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous.
1 John 3:13 Do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.
1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death to life because we care about our brothers and sisters. The one who does not care stays in death.
1 John 3:15 Everyone who hates his brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has permanent life staying in him.
1 John 3:16 This is how we have come to know care: He gave up his throat for us. We should also give up our throats for our brothers and sisters.
1 John 3:17 If anyone has this world’s goods and sees a fellow believer in need but withholds compassion from him – how does God’s care stay in him?
1 John 3:18 Little children, let us not care in mere word or speech, but in action and in truth.
1 John 3:19 This is how we will know that we belong to the truth and will reassure our hearts before him
1 John 3:20 whenever our hearts condemn us; because God is greater than our hearts, and he knows all things.
1 John 3:21 Dear friends, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have confidence before God
1 John 3:22 and receive whatever we ask from him because we keep his commands and do what is pleasing in his sight.
1 John 3:23 Now this is his command: that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and care about one another as he commanded us.
1 John 3:24 The one who keeps his commands stays in him, and he in him. And the way we know that he stays in us is from the Breath he has given us.

Cain or Christ?

John uses the Old Testament story of Cain and Abel to teach his readers that they should keep caring for each other. Cain refused to care about his brother. In fact, he murdered him. Abel demonstrated his faith in the short life he had, and he will be raised to permanent life when Jesus returns. But Cain stayed in death, and will not experience the believer’s resurrection. No murderer has permanent life staying in him.

But John does not carry out the illustration into an allegory. He does not call on his readers to be like Abel. Instead, he challenges them (and us) to be like Jesus, who gave up his throat (surrendered his life) in our place. His act of caring is our example. This is how we demonstrate that we are living with the promised inheritance of permanent life. He gave up his throat for us. We should also give up our throats for our brothers and sisters.

John concludes by making the command obvious. No more comparisons. No more illustrations. Now this is his command: that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and care about one another as he commanded us.