The Tragedy of the Older Brother and the Hope of Christ

In this message, we look at the tragedy of the older brother and the beauty of the true Older Brother—Jesus.Obadiah 10–14 highlights God’s judgment against Edom, a nation that stood by and gloated as Israel was attacked. Rather than helping their brother nation, they betrayed and exploited them. This warning echoes a deep biblical pattern—the failure of older brothers throughout Scripture to love and protect.From Cain and Abel, to Esau and Jacob, to Joseph and his brothers, this theme climaxes in Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son. But where others failed, Jesus succeeds.He is the true Older Brother—the one who doesn’t stand aloof but steps in, who doesn’t attack but defends, who runs to embrace, restore, and heal.This sermon challenges us to examine our hearts for any older brother tendencies—pride, resentment, or self-righteousness—and calls us to live in the grace of Christ, who rescues, restores, and redefines what it means to be part of God’s family.🏠 Visit our websitehttps://www.thecitychurch.org.uk🎧 Find our sermon library herehttps://subsplash.com/thecitychurch/sermonsABOUT THE CITY CHURCHOur vision is to invite everyone to encounter Jesus - no matter who you are or where you’ve come from, the message of hope that Jesus gives is for all people.https://www.thecitychurch.org.uk/We are based in Canterbury in the UK, and we’d love to have you join us for a Sunday service or connect in by watching our livestream every Sunday morning at 10:30am.https://www.thecitychurch.org.uk/sundaysFIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIAFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecitychurchincanterburyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecitychurchincanterburyTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thecity.churchYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_w9wZs7dNkCLQmvGrLZg0g