Buildup to Easter, Week Two: Cain and Abel

This is the second week in The Sunday School Zone Buildup To Easter and falls during the week beginning on Sunday, February 18, 2024. The story of Cain and Abel reveals that evil is growing and having an impact that goes beyond Adam and Eve both in its reach and also in its intensity. The sin committed by Adam and Eve in the garden may seem small, but evil is now growing and it’s growing rapidly. Within just one generation, sin has progressed to the murder of a sibling. Adam and Eve ate the fruit in the naive belief that “it was desirable for obtaining wisdom” (Gen. 3:6). It hasn’t turned out that way. Such is the power and consequence of evil.

When We Minimize The Seriousness Of Evil

We sometimes prefer not to think about sin and evil. But ignoring the power of evil isn’t healthy. The story of the Fall and the story of Cain and Abel (not to mention Noah and the Tower of Babel) are carefully placed at the beginning of the biblical story precisely so we would understand what the rest of the story is about… Evil is destroying God’s good creation, including people, but God has a plan to fix the problem. When we minimize the seriousness of evil by ignoring it, we also minimize God’s solution to the problem.

Personalize It

As Christians, we have to live with the awareness that we carry within us an awful sinful nature that reflects the same sinful nature that allow Cain to strike down his brother. We are capable of committing horrific sin and hurting people all around us. But we also live with the awareness that Jesus is the “seed” of Genesis 3:15 and has, therefore, crushed the power of evil when He died on the cross. Jesus then overcame death when God raised Him from the dead. This same power lives within us as Christians. We still battle with the power of evil in our lives, but we also carry the Spirit of Jesus who strengthens us and helps us gain victory over the sinful nature.

By looking at the story of Adam and Eve’s sin and now the story of Cain and Abel, we should have a greater awareness that sin is powerful and is in us. This is important to recognize. But the Easter season also reminds us that Jesus has defeated evil and overcome death in the resurrection. Now the power of the resurrection is residing in God’s people. Easter is the season during which we celebrate the fact that Jesus is alive and He is alive in us!

Prayer

Lord, it’s easy for our human arrogance to convince us that we’re better than we are and that the sin and evil in us (and our children) isn’t that great. Please open our eyes to the truth of this story. We and our kids are like Cain. We pursue self-gratification and self-advancement. We need Your solution to the problem that is in us. Thank You for providing the solution in the death of Jesus. – Amen

For Your Kids

You can find a number of free, printable activities related to Cain and Abel on the site. Encouraging kids to study this story during the Easter season can help them place the crucifixion and resurrection in its larger biblical context. Other activities and resources related to Easter can also be found on the site.

This has been the week of Sunday, February 18: Cain and Abel for The Sunday School Zone Buildup To Easter. To see all weeks, go here.