‘For this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began. Luke 15:24
This week in our Bible study together, we have been studying a story that Jesus told in Luke 15 about a father and two sons. The younger son in the story asked for his inheritance from his father early and completely wasted it. After losing everything and having no food to eat, he decided to return home to his father. Can you imagine what was going through this younger son's mind as he was on his way home to go back to his dad whom He had greatly sinned against? He was probably expecting a lecture or an agreement to come back home, but only as a hired servant because he felt that he had given up his role as a son. I am confident, however, that he was not expecting his dad to not only forgive him and accept him back as a son, but also throw a party in celebration.
Jesus told three parables in Luke 15 to show how God the Father celebrates when anyone turns to Him; the last parable was the story of the prodigal son. The first parable Jesus told was about a sheep that was lost and how a shepherd left his 99 other sheep to find his lost sheep and celebrated when he found that lost sheep. The second parable was about a woman who lost a silver coin, looked everywhere for it, and then celebrated when it was found. Jesus explained that just like the shepherd rejoiced when he found his sheep and the woman rejoiced when she found her coin, all of heaven celebrates when a lost person returns to Christ.
After telling the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin in Luke 15, Jesus told the parable of the prodigal son, which we have been studying together this week. We saw yesterday in our Bible study that the father embraced his younger son and welcomed him back to his house as he returned home. His response went beyond just embracing and welcoming his son back, which would have been more than enough. He also threw a party. After embracing his son and restoring him, the father told his servants, “Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.” When his son returned home after deeply disrespecting him and most certainly breaking his heart, the father threw a lavish party. Why? His son was home. That, my friends, was worth celebrating.
All three parables in Luke 15 teach us of the joy and celebration in heaven when any person turns back to Christ. God is always ready and waiting for anyone to turn back to Him, and when they do, He celebrates. The question for us today is, do we have the same burden for the lost? Are we seeking out the lost and hurting around us, sharing the message of the hope that can be found in Christ, and celebrating when they turn to Him? May we celebrate along with our Heavenly Father with each person who turns back to Him.
Who do you know who needs to hear the good news that God celebrates every time someone turns to Him? Reach out to that person today. Share with them what you learned in your Bible study today. Remind them that God is ready and waiting to celebrate when anyone turns to Him.
Luke 15:1-11
Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. 2 This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them! 3 So Jesus told them this story: 4 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. 6 When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away! 8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”
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