The One Year Bible Club with Teaching
Commentary by Nick Boork
April 12
Luke 15:1-32
Commentary by Nick Boork
April 12
Luke 15:1-32
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April 12 - Luke 15:1-32
Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying:
4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. 8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ 10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
11 Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. 17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’ 20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.
25 “Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’ 28 “But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. 30 But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’ 31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32 It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’”
OKAY, HERE'S MY TEACHING COMMENTARY
In this portion of Scripture Jesus tells three parables that teach us about God's love for lost people. Jesus told these parables in response to the criticism of the scribes and Pharisees that accused Him of being a friend to sinners. The first parable He told was about a sheep that got separated from the rest of the flock. The shepherd looked for the sheep, found it and put it on his shoulders and brought it home. The second parable He told was about a woman who lost a valuable coin. Jesus said that the woman lit a lamp and swept the floor in search of the coin until she finally found it. Jesus said there would be joy in heaven over one sinner that found their way back to God.
The third parable is commonly known as the parable of the prodigal son. I love this parable because I identify with it so much. You have to get the picture correctly here. Jesus says there was a father with two sons and one of the sons asked his father to receive his inheritance early. You see the son had everything but he thought he was not free to fulfill his own plans and felt the need to get away from the control of his father. His father gave him his inheritance because of his great love for him. God knows that people are going to do whatever they chose and He continues to love us even when we chose to go in another direction. Jesus said not long after receiving his inheritance he left his father and went off to a foreign country and spent his inheritance living in luxury from one party to another. He thought he made plenty of friends by spending his money on them but when his money ran out and economic recession hit he was broke and all his friends left him.
Now he was destitute and he actually needed to take a job and the only job he could get was feeding pigs on somebody's farm. While he was trying to earn a desperate living he became so hungry! He thought to himself; my father has plenty of employees back home and they're eating hot bread and lack nothing. The son probably thought long and hard about the decision to return to his Father. He realized how foolish he had been by departing from his father doing his own will and living in sin. He decided to return to His father and ask forgiveness.
As soon as his father saw him in the distance walking on the road he ran to him and embraced Him. The son confessed he had sinned against Heaven and his father. The remorse and sorrow the son showed was genuine. He knew that his choices had led him into the depths of moral depravity, bondage and now he was bankrupt. All he had to offer his father was repentance. His father totally forgave him and completely restored him giving him new clothes, sandals and a ring representing his identity as his son. This great parable teaches God’s love for sinners and how He longs to restore them to Himself and His house, the local Church.
WHAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE?
1. The three parables teach us how God is searching for lost people.
2. People are very valuable to God.
3. No matter how far we go away from God He always loves us.
4. Just like the prodigal son, we too need to come to our senses and realize that outside of a right relationship with God life is empty spiritually.
5. Only the love of God our Father can satisfy our deepest emotional needs for love and identity.
6. Complete spiritual restoration is coming to a place of surrender to God, a renewed identity as a child of God and finally taking your place in the family again, the local church. The son returned to his Father and his place in His House.
Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying:
4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. 8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ 10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
11 Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. 17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’ 20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.
25 “Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’ 28 “But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. 30 But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’ 31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32 It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’”
OKAY, HERE'S MY TEACHING COMMENTARY
In this portion of Scripture Jesus tells three parables that teach us about God's love for lost people. Jesus told these parables in response to the criticism of the scribes and Pharisees that accused Him of being a friend to sinners. The first parable He told was about a sheep that got separated from the rest of the flock. The shepherd looked for the sheep, found it and put it on his shoulders and brought it home. The second parable He told was about a woman who lost a valuable coin. Jesus said that the woman lit a lamp and swept the floor in search of the coin until she finally found it. Jesus said there would be joy in heaven over one sinner that found their way back to God.
The third parable is commonly known as the parable of the prodigal son. I love this parable because I identify with it so much. You have to get the picture correctly here. Jesus says there was a father with two sons and one of the sons asked his father to receive his inheritance early. You see the son had everything but he thought he was not free to fulfill his own plans and felt the need to get away from the control of his father. His father gave him his inheritance because of his great love for him. God knows that people are going to do whatever they chose and He continues to love us even when we chose to go in another direction. Jesus said not long after receiving his inheritance he left his father and went off to a foreign country and spent his inheritance living in luxury from one party to another. He thought he made plenty of friends by spending his money on them but when his money ran out and economic recession hit he was broke and all his friends left him.
Now he was destitute and he actually needed to take a job and the only job he could get was feeding pigs on somebody's farm. While he was trying to earn a desperate living he became so hungry! He thought to himself; my father has plenty of employees back home and they're eating hot bread and lack nothing. The son probably thought long and hard about the decision to return to his Father. He realized how foolish he had been by departing from his father doing his own will and living in sin. He decided to return to His father and ask forgiveness.
As soon as his father saw him in the distance walking on the road he ran to him and embraced Him. The son confessed he had sinned against Heaven and his father. The remorse and sorrow the son showed was genuine. He knew that his choices had led him into the depths of moral depravity, bondage and now he was bankrupt. All he had to offer his father was repentance. His father totally forgave him and completely restored him giving him new clothes, sandals and a ring representing his identity as his son. This great parable teaches God’s love for sinners and how He longs to restore them to Himself and His house, the local Church.
WHAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE?
1. The three parables teach us how God is searching for lost people.
2. People are very valuable to God.
3. No matter how far we go away from God He always loves us.
4. Just like the prodigal son, we too need to come to our senses and realize that outside of a right relationship with God life is empty spiritually.
5. Only the love of God our Father can satisfy our deepest emotional needs for love and identity.
6. Complete spiritual restoration is coming to a place of surrender to God, a renewed identity as a child of God and finally taking your place in the family again, the local church. The son returned to his Father and his place in His House.
ORDINATION
We provide Ministry Credentials and Ordination through Diamond Ministerial Association. Click to learn more and apply! http://www.diamondinstitute.org/ordination
ONLINE COURSES
For Bible courses and ministry resources see our online school Diamond Institute. Enroll free today and get access to our free and pay as you go courses. http://www.diamondinstitute.org/enroll
We provide Ministry Credentials and Ordination through Diamond Ministerial Association. Click to learn more and apply! http://www.diamondinstitute.org/ordination
ONLINE COURSES
For Bible courses and ministry resources see our online school Diamond Institute. Enroll free today and get access to our free and pay as you go courses. http://www.diamondinstitute.org/enroll