WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.599 So we're going to be in very familiar territory today as we read our Bibles. 00:00:08.700 --> 00:00:11.480 We're going to be in Luke's Gospel, chapter 15. 00:00:12.339 --> 00:00:16.160 If you've got a Bible, do take the time to get it. 00:00:16.780 --> 00:00:18.620 It'll be helpful for us as we look through it. 00:00:18.620 --> 00:00:23.580 Let me say again, also to the boys and girls, you will know these stories. 00:00:23.579 --> 00:00:33.679 So listen in, stick with us and you'll discover some wonderful truths as we think about these familiar stories. 00:00:33.820 --> 00:00:39.179 So Luke chapter 15 and at verse 1. 00:00:40.560 --> 00:00:44.519 Let's read and hear God's word together. 00:00:45.200 --> 00:00:49.299 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering round to hear Jesus. 00:00:49.299 --> 00:00:54.579 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, this man welcomes sinners and eats with them. 00:00:55.299 --> 00:00:56.959 Then Jesus told them this parable. 00:00:57.539 --> 00:01:00.599 Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. 00:01:01.159 --> 00:01:06.120 Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 00:01:06.439 --> 00:01:10.179 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. 00:01:10.739 --> 00:01:16.519 Then he calls his friends and neighbours together and says, rejoice with me, I have found my lost sheep. 00:01:16.519 --> 00:01:22.519 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner. 00:01:22.519 --> 00:01:26.739 I tell you that in the same way, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who do not need to repent. 00:01:27.439 --> 00:01:30.039 Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. 00:01:30.399 --> 00:01:34.140 Doesn't she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 00:01:34.859 --> 00:01:40.719 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbours together and says, rejoice with me, I have found my lost coin. 00:01:40.719 --> 00:01:47.400 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. 00:01:48.039 --> 00:01:51.260 Jesus continued, there was a man who had two sons. 00:01:51.799 --> 00:01:56.140 The younger one said to his father, father, give me my share of the estate. 00:01:56.500 --> 00:01:58.939 So he divided his property between them. 00:01:59.640 --> 00:02:08.400 Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth and wild living. 00:02:08.400 --> 00:02:14.159 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country and he began to be in need. 00:02:14.640 --> 00:02:20.040 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 00:02:20.640 --> 00:02:25.960 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 00:02:26.700 --> 00:02:34.240 When he came to his senses, he said, how many of my father's hired servants have food to spare and here I am starving to death. 00:02:34.240 --> 00:02:40.820 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him, father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 00:02:41.320 --> 00:02:43.460 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. 00:02:44.060 --> 00:02:46.000 Make me like one of your hired servants. 00:02:46.620 --> 00:02:48.600 So he got up and went to his father. 00:02:49.140 --> 00:02:54.260 But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him. 00:02:54.800 --> 00:02:58.160 He ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 00:02:58.159 --> 00:03:02.400 The son said to him, father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 00:03:02.799 --> 00:03:05.079 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. 00:03:05.879 --> 00:03:09.439 But the father said to his servants, quick, bring the best robe and put it on him. 00:03:09.960 --> 00:03:12.159 Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 00:03:12.379 --> 00:03:13.900 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. 00:03:13.939 --> 00:03:17.759 Let's have a feast and celebrate for this son of mine was dead and is alive again. 00:03:18.060 --> 00:03:19.859 He was lost and is found. 00:03:20.359 --> 00:03:21.500 So they began to celebrate. 00:03:22.319 --> 00:03:24.159 Meanwhile, the elder son was in the field. 00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:26.919 When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 00:03:26.919 --> 00:03:30.159 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 00:03:30.659 --> 00:03:35.500 Your brother has come, he replied, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound. 00:03:36.079 --> 00:03:39.000 The elder brother became angry and refused to go in. 00:03:39.459 --> 00:03:41.299 So his father went out and pleaded with him. 00:03:41.659 --> 00:03:46.879 But he answered his father, look, all these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. 00:03:47.359 --> 00:03:51.419 Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 00:03:51.419 --> 00:03:58.500 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him. 00:03:59.239 --> 00:04:04.019 My son, the father said, you are always with me and everything I have is yours. 00:04:04.479 --> 00:04:10.019 But we had to celebrate and be glad because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again. 00:04:10.500 --> 00:04:13.919 He was lost and is found. 00:04:13.919 --> 00:04:20.240 So our question today is what gives Jesus joy? 00:04:20.919 --> 00:04:27.879 And the answer that we see from these parables is that Jesus has joy in saving sinners. 00:04:28.379 --> 00:04:30.819 Joy, of course, big theme at Christmas. 00:04:31.620 --> 00:04:36.599 The angels, we remember, to the shepherds, they brought good news of great joy for all the people. 00:04:36.600 --> 00:04:46.240 And we've seen just some of the joyful worshippers that we meet as Jesus, the son of God, is born into our world. 00:04:46.300 --> 00:04:48.480 So we see the shepherds and we've seen the Magi. 00:04:49.020 --> 00:04:53.820 But then you go to the temple and you see Simeon and Anna, those elderly worshippers, 00:04:53.920 --> 00:04:58.100 and they have joy that God's saviour has been revealed to them. 00:04:59.140 --> 00:05:03.240 Usually we think about Christmas and we think instinctively of joy, don't we? 00:05:03.240 --> 00:05:07.139 A joy of family and friends, of gifts given and received. 00:05:07.519 --> 00:05:11.340 And of course, this year has perhaps been quite a different set of experiences. 00:05:12.139 --> 00:05:15.480 And that's maybe brought quite a different range of emotions. 00:05:16.560 --> 00:05:21.060 But that's why it's important for us to fix our eyes again on Jesus. 00:05:21.819 --> 00:05:26.220 To see that the coming of Jesus is the coming of unbreakable joy. 00:05:26.579 --> 00:05:28.340 Joy that will never end. 00:05:28.339 --> 00:05:39.539 Here in Jesus is the promise of salvation, the promise of eternal life, knowing God now and for life in eternity. 00:05:40.839 --> 00:05:45.099 So as we began the year looking to Jesus, we'll finish the year looking to Jesus. 00:05:45.219 --> 00:05:49.000 And I hope every day of our life is about looking to Jesus. 00:05:49.519 --> 00:05:53.579 Today, let's see what joy, let's see what brings Jesus joy. 00:05:53.579 --> 00:05:57.139 And let's see how that's tied to why Jesus came. 00:05:58.159 --> 00:06:01.680 Jesus came to be the saviour of the world. 00:06:02.019 --> 00:06:09.379 And Jesus has joy as saviour in taking those who were lost and making them found. 00:06:09.939 --> 00:06:13.039 As we see in our stories. 00:06:13.699 --> 00:06:16.180 Jesus has joy in saving sinners. 00:06:16.259 --> 00:06:20.219 So we come to these three stories that belong together. 00:06:20.220 --> 00:06:24.760 And the third of which is sometimes described as the most famous story ever told. 00:06:25.940 --> 00:06:36.780 Perhaps even people who don't read their Bibles will still know the idea of the prodigal son or the lost son. 00:06:37.280 --> 00:06:42.460 But before we get into the stories, let's have a think about why the stories are told. 00:06:42.459 --> 00:06:48.819 So boys and girls, you can have a look at verses 1 and 2 of chapter 15. 00:06:48.959 --> 00:06:53.139 And you will see three characters that are involved there. 00:06:53.560 --> 00:06:58.799 Real life people who then are included in Jesus' stories. 00:06:59.719 --> 00:07:02.000 So we meet Jesus. 00:07:02.839 --> 00:07:05.299 And we see people are gathering to hear him. 00:07:05.419 --> 00:07:08.459 And we see that Jesus is welcoming sinners. 00:07:08.459 --> 00:07:11.799 Jesus has come to seek and to save the lost. 00:07:12.239 --> 00:07:16.439 And he's showing hospitality and kindness to sinners. 00:07:17.180 --> 00:07:22.359 And this surprises, even shocks some of the people around. 00:07:22.639 --> 00:07:23.859 So there is Jesus. 00:07:24.259 --> 00:07:27.799 There are the people described as tax collectors and sinners. 00:07:27.800 --> 00:07:35.400 They were known by the Pharisees and the religious folks as outsiders. 00:07:36.720 --> 00:07:44.460 Morally, socially, religiously considered to be unclean and unworthy. 00:07:45.460 --> 00:07:49.580 They were like the bad guys, as the religious folks thought. 00:07:49.579 --> 00:08:02.159 But it's really interesting to see that when Jesus comes, announcing his kingdom, bringing a message of God's grace, undeserved kindness and favour, they are so glad to hear this different message. 00:08:03.079 --> 00:08:03.979 So there's the sinners. 00:08:04.319 --> 00:08:06.560 And we'll see how they come to be included in the story. 00:08:06.860 --> 00:08:08.819 But then there's also the third group. 00:08:08.899 --> 00:08:10.860 There's the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, isn't there? 00:08:10.879 --> 00:08:11.579 And they're muttering. 00:08:12.360 --> 00:08:14.620 We see them often complaining and grumbling about Jesus. 00:08:14.620 --> 00:08:28.720 They would be regarded by themselves, certainly, but also by others, as the insiders, morally, upright, socially, at the top of the tree, religiously seen to be the best of the best. 00:08:29.379 --> 00:08:33.120 If you were to ask them the question, have you passed the test of God's law? 00:08:33.840 --> 00:08:36.120 Have you been righteous so that God would accept you? 00:08:36.159 --> 00:08:37.320 They would say yes. 00:08:37.799 --> 00:08:41.740 Jesus has a different answer, but they would say yes. 00:08:41.740 --> 00:08:49.799 And Jesus takes these himself and the tax collector of sinners and the Pharisees and the teachers of the law and he includes them in the stories. 00:08:49.940 --> 00:08:54.159 Now, some interesting points to notice about these stories. 00:08:55.100 --> 00:08:58.200 First one, you may not have sort of put two and two together with this. 00:08:58.759 --> 00:09:02.180 Jesus shares the joy of heaven. 00:09:03.440 --> 00:09:08.360 Jesus' mission, verse two, is to welcome sinners and to eat with them. 00:09:08.360 --> 00:09:09.940 And Jesus does that gladly. 00:09:10.120 --> 00:09:11.720 Jesus does that joyfully. 00:09:11.740 --> 00:09:16.759 And that connects with the point of his story. 00:09:16.899 --> 00:09:23.720 So, verse seven, I tell you, in the same way, there'll be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than 99 who don't need to. 00:09:24.080 --> 00:09:30.039 Verse 10, I tell you, there's rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. 00:09:30.320 --> 00:09:34.159 When Jesus welcomes sinners, heaven has joy. 00:09:35.100 --> 00:09:38.419 The joy of Jesus is the joy of God. 00:09:38.419 --> 00:09:43.579 The actions of Jesus are the actions of God and they lead to joy in heaven. 00:09:43.579 --> 00:09:51.979 The point implied Jesus is God and he's doing the will of God as he welcomes, saves sinners. 00:09:52.039 --> 00:09:53.339 And that brings him joy. 00:09:53.500 --> 00:09:55.000 It brings heaven joy. 00:09:55.000 --> 00:10:02.460 Another thing that is important for us to notice about these stories is that Jesus writes himself into his own stories. 00:10:02.759 --> 00:10:05.340 You'll sometimes find that with film directors. 00:10:05.480 --> 00:10:12.840 We were watching an old Hitchcock movie, To Catch a Thief, and there was a scene where Cary Grant was at the back of a bus and who was sitting beside him. 00:10:12.879 --> 00:10:16.080 It was Alfred Hitchcock, the director, making a cameo appearance. 00:10:16.080 --> 00:10:18.740 Well, where is Jesus in the stories he tells? 00:10:19.280 --> 00:10:20.639 He is the central figure. 00:10:22.139 --> 00:10:25.660 You read about this seeking shepherd, you need to think about Jesus. 00:10:26.120 --> 00:10:31.720 Think about this determined woman who's seeking carefully for the lost coin, you need to think about Jesus. 00:10:31.960 --> 00:10:36.700 And the loving father who throws a feast for the lost son, that's Jesus. 00:10:36.700 --> 00:10:42.660 And the point is, each of those characters ends up with joy. 00:10:43.300 --> 00:10:43.720 Joy. 00:10:44.500 --> 00:10:48.300 Jesus is showing us his heart as he tells these stories. 00:10:48.640 --> 00:10:52.400 The theme of our stories reveal joy. 00:10:52.700 --> 00:10:58.160 Now, normally, perhaps, if we were to be asked, what are these stories about? 00:10:58.160 --> 00:10:59.840 What are these stories about? 00:11:00.220 --> 00:11:04.740 We might say, well, they are about things that are lost, that then are found. 00:11:04.740 --> 00:11:07.899 And that's, of course, vital. 00:11:08.879 --> 00:11:17.360 But we also want to make sure that we see that when Jesus puts the emphasis on joy, that we see that as well. 00:11:18.019 --> 00:11:24.799 That we see that the emphasis on celebration and joy when something that is lost is found. 00:11:24.799 --> 00:11:32.100 Because at the centre of the good news is the seeking love of God. 00:11:32.100 --> 00:11:45.800 When we think about the joy in the stories, we're giving glory to God because we see the love of God in Jesus in rescuing, saving sinners. 00:11:45.799 --> 00:11:50.639 So don't miss the joy of Jesus at the heart of Christianity. 00:11:51.259 --> 00:11:57.599 There is always a danger that God is misrepresented in our words or in our thoughts. 00:11:58.259 --> 00:12:02.099 That we can think about God as being less than generous. 00:12:02.979 --> 00:12:05.639 That we can think of God as less than kind. 00:12:05.639 --> 00:12:13.600 Or, on the other hand, we can undervalue, take for granted the love of God. 00:12:15.500 --> 00:12:20.899 Whereas here, in the stories of Jesus, and especially when we think about the lost son, 00:12:20.899 --> 00:12:31.779 we see the wonder of the love of God that he would save sinful people like us. 00:12:32.600 --> 00:12:37.579 There is the wonder of Christmas that we rightly celebrate God becoming one of us. 00:12:37.659 --> 00:12:40.919 But we tie that together with the wonder of the cross. 00:12:41.059 --> 00:12:47.100 That Jesus, the perfect son of God, willingly and joyfully came to die for sinners. 00:12:47.100 --> 00:12:53.200 He came to take our place, to be counted among sinful people. 00:12:53.540 --> 00:12:58.560 And that by faith in Jesus, we could be counted righteous and brought home to God. 00:12:58.600 --> 00:13:05.440 Though by rights, we should be separated from God, judged by him for all eternity. 00:13:05.440 --> 00:13:15.680 Now, let's shift for a moment from Jesus to the audience that Jesus has of use. 00:13:15.740 --> 00:13:19.560 Remember, there's the tax collectors and the sinners and the Pharisees and the teachers of law. 00:13:19.720 --> 00:13:25.560 Now, Jesus tells the stories to make clear to both groups. 00:13:26.940 --> 00:13:27.580 One point. 00:13:28.520 --> 00:13:30.940 All people are sinners. 00:13:30.940 --> 00:13:36.120 Regardless of who we are, all of us are sinners. 00:13:37.120 --> 00:13:42.260 In our thoughts and our words and our actions, we do not perfectly obey God's commands. 00:13:43.180 --> 00:13:46.260 We do not perfectly match God's standards. 00:13:47.040 --> 00:13:50.760 We do not perfectly love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. 00:13:50.840 --> 00:13:53.940 And we do not love our neighbour as ourselves. 00:13:53.940 --> 00:14:02.740 We may have some days that are better than others, but we never have a perfect day and we absolutely never have a perfect life. 00:14:02.820 --> 00:14:07.720 So we are, by nature and by our actions, sinners. 00:14:10.040 --> 00:14:12.820 And Jesus speaks to an audience who have very different views. 00:14:12.820 --> 00:14:20.240 So the guys that are called sinners, well, they know this because they're hearing people call them that all the time. 00:14:20.860 --> 00:14:24.120 They are kept at a distance because they seem to be unclean. 00:14:24.440 --> 00:14:25.280 Whoa, stay away from them. 00:14:25.340 --> 00:14:26.180 They're bad news. 00:14:27.060 --> 00:14:28.360 Jesus doesn't do that, of course. 00:14:29.860 --> 00:14:38.260 They were living in a system where they were told that to be close to God, you had to keep a set of rules and they were failing miserably. 00:14:38.259 --> 00:14:45.159 And this is what happens when you have religion without Jesus, religion without God's grace. 00:14:46.659 --> 00:14:55.360 When you have a system that's based on your own goodness or your own effort, you'll have one group that's full of pride and they're really judgmental. 00:14:55.620 --> 00:15:03.759 And another group like these tax collectors who are despairing because they know they're never good enough and they're never presented with real hope. 00:15:03.759 --> 00:15:06.799 But Jesus, he brings hope. 00:15:06.799 --> 00:15:15.379 Unlike all the false religion of Jesus day and around the world, Jesus and Jesus alone brings hope. 00:15:16.699 --> 00:15:20.219 B.B. Warfield, an old American theologian said, 00:15:20.219 --> 00:15:34.039 A sinner may be too vile, horrible, for any and everything else, but he cannot be too vile for salvation. 00:15:34.039 --> 00:15:38.819 Because our salvation is not about our goodness. 00:15:39.259 --> 00:15:44.240 It's all about God's goodness, God's grace and kindness in sending Jesus. 00:15:44.240 --> 00:15:59.740 So Jesus speaks to the sinners and he will say to them through the stories, you are the lost sheep, you are the lost coin and you are the lost son, the younger son. 00:16:00.700 --> 00:16:03.019 But he does that in such a way that gives them hope. 00:16:03.019 --> 00:16:10.740 So let's look, boys and girls, look with me at the details in our Bible passage. 00:16:10.740 --> 00:16:14.879 Look, for example, at verse number 12. 00:16:15.019 --> 00:16:18.480 How does this younger son treat his father? 00:16:19.539 --> 00:16:20.180 He says, 00:16:20.179 --> 00:16:36.859 So he treats his father in a shameful way, saying, 00:16:36.860 --> 00:16:38.139 Dad, I can't wait till you're dead. 00:16:38.220 --> 00:16:39.759 I want my share of the money now. 00:16:40.840 --> 00:16:47.360 He treats his father in a really destructive way because the dad probably has to sell off some of the family land. 00:16:48.180 --> 00:16:52.419 He finds himself much more poor at the hands of his son. 00:16:53.300 --> 00:16:55.259 And then this son goes off and lives recklessly. 00:16:55.500 --> 00:16:58.840 He lives a wild life, lives an immoral life, spends all the money. 00:16:58.840 --> 00:17:06.880 Interesting detail in verse 13, we're told he set off for a distant country, sometimes known as a far country. 00:17:07.579 --> 00:17:12.299 And for people who knew their Bibles and Jesus' audience probably did know their Bibles, 00:17:12.579 --> 00:17:18.799 when they hear far country, they might think, for example, of when Adam and Eve had been in the Garden of Eden, 00:17:18.799 --> 00:17:22.660 but when they sinned, they were sent out of the Garden. 00:17:22.660 --> 00:17:30.680 Or when the people of God had been living in Israel, but then because of their sin, they were sent away out of the country. 00:17:31.080 --> 00:17:34.420 They were sent into exile in the far country. 00:17:35.200 --> 00:17:39.820 So that image of being in a distant or a far place is an idea of being far from God. 00:17:42.060 --> 00:17:47.000 Boys and girls, look at verse 15 and we'll find this young son's job. 00:17:47.120 --> 00:17:50.519 So a famine comes and he's desperately in need. 00:17:50.519 --> 00:17:53.099 So he goes to work on a pig farm. 00:17:53.960 --> 00:17:58.639 And in verse 16, he longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating. 00:17:58.779 --> 00:18:02.000 Now, to a Jewish person, pigs were unclean animals. 00:18:02.680 --> 00:18:06.799 So he has made himself unclean by working with them. 00:18:06.940 --> 00:18:11.879 And he has fallen so low in his life that he even wants to eat what the pigs are eating. 00:18:11.879 --> 00:18:13.339 He is lost. 00:18:14.700 --> 00:18:20.379 And yet, our theme, the lost can be found. 00:18:20.519 --> 00:18:22.879 The lost is found. 00:18:23.680 --> 00:18:26.920 And as his story goes, and we'll think about it shortly, 00:18:27.519 --> 00:18:32.400 there is a movement for him from the far country to home, isn't there? 00:18:32.400 --> 00:18:39.619 And when he comes home, he is treated with honour and his father meets him with joy. 00:18:39.619 --> 00:18:47.639 And this is a reminder that Jesus brings that there is no hole so deep, 00:18:47.739 --> 00:18:54.639 there is no place that we can go that is so awful that God's love can't reach. 00:18:55.699 --> 00:19:04.539 Our hope is that in Jesus we have a saviour who loves to save sinners and he is strong and mighty to save. 00:19:04.539 --> 00:19:07.980 So there is no one who is beyond hope. 00:19:07.980 --> 00:19:14.620 So he brings that message to those tax collectors and those known as sinners. 00:19:15.579 --> 00:19:17.039 But remember the other audience? 00:19:17.299 --> 00:19:20.460 There's also the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. 00:19:20.640 --> 00:19:22.860 The ones who said, of course we are God's people. 00:19:22.960 --> 00:19:24.160 Of course we are the good guys. 00:19:24.259 --> 00:19:27.299 But here's the thing about these Pharisees. 00:19:27.299 --> 00:19:32.639 We see them all through their life as they are fighting with Jesus. 00:19:32.940 --> 00:19:34.240 They hate it. 00:19:35.000 --> 00:19:40.139 I absolutely hate it when Jesus shows the grace and kindness of God to others. 00:19:40.659 --> 00:19:41.740 Always complaining. 00:19:42.680 --> 00:19:46.759 And another thing about them, they don't see their need of forgiveness. 00:19:47.779 --> 00:19:50.559 They're like the people who think that they're righteous so they don't need to repent. 00:19:50.680 --> 00:19:52.579 They don't need to turn away from sin to God. 00:19:53.079 --> 00:19:53.919 So they're proud. 00:19:54.740 --> 00:19:56.920 They're full of their own self-importance. 00:19:57.000 --> 00:19:57.940 They're very self-righteous. 00:19:58.039 --> 00:20:01.380 And Jesus tells these stories with a real sting in the tail. 00:20:01.700 --> 00:20:08.019 I want to see, I want us to see that these Pharisees are in each of the three stories. 00:20:08.440 --> 00:20:13.580 But Jesus is building up towards what we might call a sting in the tail. 00:20:14.920 --> 00:20:17.279 So you can imagine them as they hear the first story. 00:20:17.360 --> 00:20:20.039 There's a hundred sheep and one gets lost. 00:20:20.279 --> 00:20:21.640 We wouldn't be the lost ones. 00:20:21.640 --> 00:20:23.880 So we must be the ninety-nine who are safe. 00:20:24.660 --> 00:20:28.019 Or the parable of the ten silver coins and one goes missing. 00:20:28.100 --> 00:20:29.500 Well, of course, we are good. 00:20:29.600 --> 00:20:30.460 So we don't go missing. 00:20:30.600 --> 00:20:32.800 So we're the nine who are safe. 00:20:33.380 --> 00:20:39.039 And then Jesus starts telling a story about a father with two sons and one son goes wild. 00:20:39.120 --> 00:20:42.759 And so they're thinking, yeah, we're the good son that stays at home. 00:20:43.380 --> 00:20:45.300 But what's the punchline in the story? 00:20:45.299 --> 00:20:52.440 It's the so-called good son who stays at home who ends up being lost. 00:20:54.440 --> 00:21:05.599 Here Jesus is saying, you can be in the father's house, but you can be every bit as lost as the reckless, wretched son living in the pigsty. 00:21:05.599 --> 00:21:06.859 You can be close to home. 00:21:06.859 --> 00:21:11.919 You can be close to home and yet far from home. 00:21:11.920 --> 00:21:26.600 If you don't know your father's heart and you've never experienced that sense of your own need to be forgiven and to receive grace. 00:21:26.599 --> 00:21:35.500 The theme of seeking love that's there in the parable of the lost sheep and the lost coin is also here in this parable. 00:21:35.599 --> 00:21:42.459 But notice the seeking is for the older brother, the one who probably never thought he had a problem in the first place. 00:21:42.460 --> 00:21:46.940 So again, boys and girls, look at verse 28. 00:21:48.640 --> 00:21:53.220 The older brother has now heard that the younger son is home and the dad's having a party. 00:21:53.720 --> 00:21:58.019 The elder brother became angry and refused to go in. 00:21:58.980 --> 00:22:00.100 So what does his father do? 00:22:00.200 --> 00:22:03.180 His father went out and pleaded with him. 00:22:03.240 --> 00:22:04.500 He is seeking love. 00:22:04.500 --> 00:22:10.859 And even when he answers his dad badly, showing he doesn't understand his father's heart. 00:22:11.559 --> 00:22:12.299 Verse 31. 00:22:12.579 --> 00:22:16.200 My son, you are always with me and everything I have is yours. 00:22:16.259 --> 00:22:21.259 But we had to celebrate and be glad because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again. 00:22:21.319 --> 00:22:24.380 He was lost and is found. 00:22:25.079 --> 00:22:28.380 Jesus, one at the same time, explodes their pride. 00:22:29.839 --> 00:22:32.500 You think you're safe, but actually you're lost. 00:22:32.500 --> 00:22:35.259 You think you're righteous, but actually you're a sinner. 00:22:35.700 --> 00:22:46.819 But at the same time, he is pleading with them to receive the invitation to be forgiven, to know God's grace and to be brought home. 00:22:49.160 --> 00:22:53.440 Because everybody is a sinner in God's eyes. 00:22:53.519 --> 00:22:55.839 So to go back to their accusation. 00:22:56.400 --> 00:22:56.819 Verse 2. 00:22:56.880 --> 00:23:00.220 Remember the accusation, the muttering of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. 00:23:00.220 --> 00:23:04.079 This man welcomes sinners and eats with them. 00:23:04.680 --> 00:23:06.380 This is actually good news. 00:23:06.460 --> 00:23:07.900 And they need to understand this is good news. 00:23:08.259 --> 00:23:10.160 This is the only hope for all people. 00:23:10.259 --> 00:23:20.000 Though we do not deserve God's kindness, Jesus joyfully is ready to welcome us and invite us home to God. 00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:28.799 Now let's go back to Jesus' portrait of himself, his self-portrait in these stories. 00:23:30.160 --> 00:23:32.859 Because they help to answer the question, what is God like? 00:23:33.660 --> 00:23:36.539 Is God mean-spirited or is God generous? 00:23:37.240 --> 00:23:41.400 Let God, let the Bible, let Jesus answer the question for us. 00:23:41.400 --> 00:23:48.340 And what we discover in these stories is a joyful, generous, gracious God who loves to save sinners. 00:23:49.420 --> 00:23:54.380 And one way of showing this are the exaggerated details. 00:23:55.600 --> 00:23:59.060 Now boys and girls, I want you to see this and to think about this. 00:23:59.100 --> 00:24:02.440 Because I know you get invitations to parties. 00:24:02.560 --> 00:24:06.900 Now maybe not recently, but normally you get invitations to parties. 00:24:07.759 --> 00:24:09.040 So think about invitations. 00:24:09.039 --> 00:24:12.539 The stories begin with normal details. 00:24:12.680 --> 00:24:17.279 You can imagine if you've got a hundred sheep, it's quite normal that one might go missing. 00:24:17.379 --> 00:24:20.779 Or if you've got ten coins, you might expect that one might go missing. 00:24:20.859 --> 00:24:22.359 That seems quite normal. 00:24:22.619 --> 00:24:26.920 But here's the bit that's not normal, and we're supposed to notice this. 00:24:29.019 --> 00:24:33.899 It's not normal to throw a party when you find a lost sheep. 00:24:34.519 --> 00:24:38.740 It's not normal to invite your neighbours, to invite the community to come and celebrate. 00:24:38.740 --> 00:24:40.240 Because you find a lost coin. 00:24:41.319 --> 00:24:42.400 This should grab us. 00:24:42.480 --> 00:24:48.519 We get invitations for some things, but I'm going to guess you've never had a party invitation 00:24:48.519 --> 00:24:52.099 because a friend found something that they'd lost. 00:24:53.279 --> 00:24:54.019 Probably not. 00:24:54.019 --> 00:24:58.400 And the reaction, in a sense, seems really over the top. 00:25:00.680 --> 00:25:07.200 But not when we understand that it's a picture for us of God's seeking love. 00:25:08.259 --> 00:25:15.960 When we see it as a picture of Jesus' joy and heaven's joy in the lost being found. 00:25:15.960 --> 00:25:24.039 It's a sign of just how great God's love and kindness is to a lost world. 00:25:25.259 --> 00:25:30.240 The other religious leaders, the Pharisees and the tax collectors, the ones who are muttering 00:25:30.240 --> 00:25:33.559 that Jesus is showing grace and forgiveness and a welcome, 00:25:34.500 --> 00:25:37.559 they kind of remind me of the Grinch. 00:25:38.220 --> 00:25:43.220 I don't know if you've read the Grinch or watched the Grinch who stole Christmas. 00:25:43.220 --> 00:25:48.920 Well, the Grinch was really miserable, wasn't he, in the face of joy and happiness 00:25:48.920 --> 00:25:52.360 when he saw the Whos in Whoville having a great time. 00:25:52.920 --> 00:25:59.259 And Dr. Seuss says, speculates, perhaps it's because his heart was two sizes too small. 00:26:00.339 --> 00:26:02.319 Well, that's certainly true of the Pharisees. 00:26:02.860 --> 00:26:05.220 Their heart for other people is too small. 00:26:06.240 --> 00:26:10.400 Their heart is too small to receive God's love and God's forgiveness 00:26:10.400 --> 00:26:12.259 because they think they don't need it. 00:26:12.840 --> 00:26:15.980 And they pictured God having a small heart 00:26:15.980 --> 00:26:20.800 and being really judgmental and not being generous with his grace. 00:26:20.880 --> 00:26:22.460 And maybe we can do that too. 00:26:22.560 --> 00:26:24.500 Maybe there are some people that we write off as saying, 00:26:24.540 --> 00:26:26.440 God won't be interested in that kind of person. 00:26:26.440 --> 00:26:33.759 But the truth from Jesus is that when we trust in Jesus as Saviour, 00:26:34.200 --> 00:26:36.360 heaven is full of joy. 00:26:36.359 --> 00:26:43.500 Regardless of who we are, if we trust in Jesus, heaven rejoices. 00:26:45.500 --> 00:26:54.379 And in case we miss that theme, let's see the exuberant joy of the Father in our story. 00:26:54.479 --> 00:26:58.159 So remember, the younger son who comes to his senses, 00:26:58.339 --> 00:27:02.419 realising, here I am in a pigsty and I'm starving to death. 00:27:02.420 --> 00:27:04.240 I should go home. 00:27:04.420 --> 00:27:11.220 And as he goes home, this shameful, stinking, rebel son returns. 00:27:13.340 --> 00:27:14.320 Verse 20. 00:27:14.820 --> 00:27:18.720 While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. 00:27:19.320 --> 00:27:21.960 He ran to his son through his arms around him and kissed him. 00:27:23.300 --> 00:27:25.440 So we see the love, the compassion, the joy. 00:27:25.539 --> 00:27:27.779 We see the best homecoming party ever. 00:27:27.779 --> 00:27:33.240 However, the prodigal son is welcome with open arms. 00:27:33.920 --> 00:27:35.940 No expense is spared. 00:27:36.539 --> 00:27:40.000 Boys and girls, look at the details of what he's given. 00:27:40.220 --> 00:27:41.299 The best robe. 00:27:41.619 --> 00:27:42.359 Verse 22. 00:27:43.019 --> 00:27:43.940 What else is there? 00:27:44.420 --> 00:27:47.240 There's a ring on his fingers, sandals on his feet. 00:27:47.839 --> 00:27:49.799 And then no expense is spared. 00:27:51.339 --> 00:27:53.619 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. 00:27:53.619 --> 00:27:56.000 No honour is held back. 00:27:56.159 --> 00:27:58.059 Joy overflows. 00:27:58.179 --> 00:27:59.539 And this is a picture of Jesus. 00:28:00.279 --> 00:28:09.359 This is a picture of God's heart when spiritually lost, spiritually dead men and women and boys and girls are found by God's grace. 00:28:09.479 --> 00:28:12.619 Are made alive by God's grace. 00:28:12.939 --> 00:28:16.259 Because Jesus has joy in saving sinners. 00:28:16.399 --> 00:28:18.939 And this, this is the coming of unbreakable joy. 00:28:18.940 --> 00:28:19.019 Why? 00:28:20.860 --> 00:28:24.620 Sometimes when we read stories, I guess we identify with one character more than another. 00:28:24.700 --> 00:28:26.880 Who are you in this story? 00:28:30.019 --> 00:28:42.600 In a sense, it doesn't matter because whoever you are, Jesus is teaching, wherever you are, whether you're in the pigsty, feeling ashamed, whether you're at home, but feeling sort of legalistic and proud. 00:28:42.599 --> 00:28:52.199 The message is the same, that we are sinners, but we have a saviour who loves to save sinners, who came into the world to save sinners. 00:28:53.099 --> 00:28:57.039 So whoever we are, we are called to trust him today. 00:28:57.039 --> 00:29:12.879 To trust that when he died on the cross, he was taking my sin and my shame and paying the penalty and facing the punishment that I deserve, so that by looking to him and trusting in him, I can be forgiven and have eternal life. 00:29:13.420 --> 00:29:17.440 That we can know his joy as ours by faith in him. 00:29:17.440 --> 00:29:24.600 And for those of us who are already Christians, for those of us who are part of the church, let the joy of Jesus be our joy. 00:29:25.480 --> 00:29:33.799 Let it be our hope to see how great God's grace is, so that we'd have hope for ourself and we'd also have hope as we pray for others. 00:29:33.799 --> 00:29:46.619 And that the joy of Jesus and his gladly coming to be saviour, that would be our story, it would be our testimony, that would be the message we would share with the world. 00:29:47.859 --> 00:29:54.399 Now, we've seen the joy of Jesus in saving sinners. 00:29:54.519 --> 00:29:59.240 I wouldn't see the cost that Jesus joyfully paid to save sinners. 00:29:59.240 --> 00:30:07.000 Very briefly, this is one last but massive truth to draw from Jesus as he pictures himself as the loving father in this story. 00:30:07.099 --> 00:30:10.140 So remember, back at the beginning, we read Hebrews 12. 00:30:10.299 --> 00:30:19.920 Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy, here's our word, who for the joy set before him, endured the cross, scorning its shame. 00:30:19.920 --> 00:30:33.800 And what Hebrews is saying, and what Luke 15 prepares us for, is that Jesus will joyfully pay the price so that lost, spiritually lost people can be found, so that sinners can be saved. 00:30:33.840 --> 00:30:36.200 Now, how do we see it in the story? 00:30:36.900 --> 00:30:43.480 We see it because we have a father who bears the cost in the lost son coming home. 00:30:44.759 --> 00:30:46.440 There's pictures of the cross here. 00:30:46.440 --> 00:30:48.600 We see costly grace. 00:30:49.140 --> 00:30:53.460 The father bears the cost in giving the son what he doesn't deserve. 00:30:54.460 --> 00:31:03.400 As the son is honoured and welcomed, the father is having to bear in himself shame. 00:31:04.160 --> 00:31:07.740 And remember that at the cross, what's Jesus doing? 00:31:07.900 --> 00:31:09.740 Jesus is bearing shame for us. 00:31:09.740 --> 00:31:20.960 Jesus is taking the curse of God for sinners so that we can be honoured, so that we might know God's blessing. 00:31:22.099 --> 00:31:33.940 The lost son in our story, coming back filthy and in rags, he's clothed with honour, which is a wonderful picture of what Jesus does for us at the cross. 00:31:33.940 --> 00:31:39.740 Jesus, we know, we know would be stripped and disgraced at the cross. 00:31:40.779 --> 00:31:52.160 As part of this great exchange where he takes our sin so that by faith in Jesus, we are clothed in his righteousness. 00:31:52.160 --> 00:32:01.820 In our story, we see the most valuable thing that the father has, is killed, is given, the fattened calf. 00:32:02.320 --> 00:32:17.560 And Jesus came to give himself, to give his own life as a sacrifice so that sinners like you and like me can be welcomed as children of God by trusting in him. 00:32:17.559 --> 00:32:23.960 So remember, Jesus endured the cross joyfully, knowing it would accomplish salvation. 00:32:25.159 --> 00:32:37.899 And know that today, if you're not a Christian, Jesus pleads with you to come home to him, to find joy in him. 00:32:37.900 --> 00:32:42.340 So will you have faith in Jesus? 00:32:44.400 --> 00:32:52.519 Trust that he will not reject you if you come to him, but rather he will welcome and love you and bring you home to God. 00:32:53.620 --> 00:32:56.960 He would have joy in saving you. 00:32:58.280 --> 00:33:01.100 Ask him to be your saviour. 00:33:01.099 --> 00:33:31.079 Ask him to be your saviour. 00:33:31.099 --> 00:33:44.240 ��