Recap

prodigal: “recklessly extravagant” Both sons were lost The Father sacrificed greatly to offer

reconciliation Hope for all sons to recognize their need for

forgiveness and run to the Father The Church is elder and younger brothers

returning to the heart of the Father and learning to bless each other

Luke 15

1 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 loses one of them, 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 don’t need saving!

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 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.”

 11 To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. 12 The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his life between his sons.

 13 “A few days later this younger son packed all his wealth and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in extravagant

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living. 14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. 15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. 16 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

17 “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, 19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’

 20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long

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way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’

 22 “But his father said to the 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.23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, 24 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.

 25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, 26 and he asked one of the servants what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother is

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back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him with peace.’

 28 “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, 29 but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. 30 Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’

 31 “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. 32 We had to celebrate. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”

Comparing the Parables

Similarities Something is lost, found, and then there is a

celebration

Differences 1st & 2nd: someone sought after and found what was

lost 3rd: younger son runs off, but NO ONE GOES AFTER

HIM!!!

WHO WILL SEEK AND SAVE THE LOST BROTHER?

Comparing the Parables

Similarities Something is lost, found, and then there is a

celebration

Differences 1st & 2nd: someone sought after and found what was

lost 3rd: younger son runs off, but NO ONE GOES AFTER

HIM!!!

WHO WILL SEEK AND SAVE THE LOST BROTHER?

“Jesus does not put a true elder brother in the story, one who is willing to pay any cost to seek and save what was lost. It is heartbreaking. The younger son gets a Pharisee for a brother instead.

But we do not.

…By putting a flawed elder brother in the story, Jesus is inviting us to imagine and yearn for a true one.” – Tim Keller in Prodigal God

Jesus is the True Elder Brother True Elder Brother WITH the heart of the

Father

BIG IDEA TODAY: Jesus is to us what the elder brother in the parable should have been; and we are called to imitate Him

Jesus as the True Elder Brother Jesus is truly at home with the Father

Perfect relationship – the Trinity

Jesus as the True Elder Brother Jesus is truly at home with the Father

Perfect Relationship – the Trinity

John 17:21-23,25-26[I pray] 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me…. 

   25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

Jesus as the True Elder Brother Truly at home with the Father

Perfect relationship – the Trinity Truly humble

Cares supremely about pleasing the Father

Jesus as the True Elder Brother Truly at home with the Father

Perfect relationship – the Trinity Truly humble

Cares supremely about pleasing the Father

Phil 2:6-86 [Jesus] Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be held onto;  7rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!

Jesus as the True Elder Brother Truly at home with the Father

Perfect relationship – the Trinity Truly humble

Cares supremely about pleasing the Father Left the comfort of the Father’s house to

seek the lost Luke 20:19 – “The Son of Man came to seek

and to save the lost.” Came from heaven to earth

Jesus as the True Elder Brother Sacrificed greatly to bring back the lost

Left Heaven; Died on a cross Restores us to the Family at his own expense

Mediates between the Father and the lost sons Shows us the Father

Jesus as the True Elder Brother Sacrificed greatly to bring back the lost

Left Heaven; Died on a cross Restores us to the Family at his own expense

Mediates between the Father and the lost sons

John 1:1,14,18In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth… 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.”

Jesus as the True Elder Brother Sacrificed greatly to bring back the lost

Left Heaven; Died on a cross Restores us to the Family at his own expense

Mediates between the Father and the lost sons

John 1:1,14,18In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth… 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.”

Hebrews 1:33 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

Jesus as the True Elder Brother Sacrificed greatly to bring back the lost

Left Heaven; Died on a cross Restores us to the Family at his own expense

Mediates between the Father and the lost sons Shows us the Father Intercedes for us

Jesus as the True Elder Brother Sacrificed greatly to bring back the lost

Left Heaven; Died on a cross Restores us to the Family at his own expense

Mediates between the Father and the lost sons Shows us the Father Intercedes for usRom 8:34:

“34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”

Jesus as the True Elder Brother Sacrificed greatly to bring back the lost

Left Heaven; Died on a cross Restores us to the Family at his own expense

Mediates between the Father and the lost sons Shows us the Father Intercedes for usRom 8:34:

“34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”

Rom 8:26: “26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”

Jesus as the True Elder Brother Sacrificed greatly to bring back the lost

Left Heaven; Died on a cross Restores us to the Family at his own expense

Mediates between the Father and the lost sons Shows us the Father Intercedes for us Great High Priest

Jesus as the True Elder Brother Sacrificed greatly to bring back the lost

Left Heaven; Died on a cross Restores us to the Family at his own expense

Mediates between the Father and the lost sons Shows us the Father Intercedes for us Great High Priest

Heb 4:14-15 14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.”

Jesus as the True Elder Brother Sacrificed greatly to bring back the lost

Left Heaven; Died on a cross Restores us to the Family at his own expense

Mediates between the Father and the lost sons Shows us the Father Intercedes for us Great High Priest

Jesus truly IS our elder brother!

Jesus as the True Elder Brother Sacrificed greatly to bring back the lost

Left Heaven; Died on a cross Restores us to the Family at his own expense

Mediates between the Father and the lost sons Shows us the Father Intercedes for us Great High Priest

Jesus truly IS our elder brother!

Rom 8:29“29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”

Jesus as the True Elder Brother Sacrificed greatly to bring back the lost

Left Heaven; Died on a cross Restores us to the Family at his own expense

Mediates between the Father and the lost sons Shows us the Father Intercedes for us Great High Priest

Jesus truly IS our elder brother We are fully adopted sons and daughters Siblings and co-heirs WITH CHRIST!!!

Jesus as the True Elder Brother Sacrificed greatly to bring back the lost

Left Heaven; Died on a cross Restores us to the Family at his own expense

Mediates between the Father and the lost sons Shows us the Father Intercedes for us Great High Priest

Engaged in the Family Jesus truly IS our Elder Brother! We are fully adopted sons – co-heirs WITH

CHRIST!!!

How Should We Respond?

1. Recognize the depths of our lostness

2. Respond to Jesus’ invitation to return to the Father

3. Rejoice in the extravagant love of the Father

4. Accept our new restored position in the Family

5. Become more and more like our True Elder Brother

6. Risk reaching out to our other lost brothers