Sunday, April 1, 2018 Easter Sunday The Prodigal Father Happy Easter! Today, before we get to Jesus resurrection, we are going to look at another resurrection story. Not a physical resurrection, but a resurrection nonetheless. The story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) is one of the most well-known stories from the Bible. It is used both in and out of the church to address topics like: How to raise your kids How to treat your parents How to spend your money Or how not to spend it! What does prodigal really mean? Most of the time we equate the word prodigal with someone who leaves, either physically or by abandoning the families values and beliefs. However, the word prodigal is actually not related to the leaving, it is related to something else. It has to do with spending habits, not the proximity to ones former home or former set of ideals. The word only appears once in the story, in relation to the living habits of the lost son. The word is translated in various ways: NIV - wild ESV - reckless NASB - loose KJV - riotous prodigal ˈprädəɡəl adjective spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant New Oxford American Dictionary Now to the story 11 Jesus continued: There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, Father, give me my share of the estate. So he divided his property between them. 13 Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild [prodigal] living. (Luke 15:11-13)
This would have been heartbreaking and humiliating for the father. Although the father was devastated, he relented, divided up his property, and gave it to his two sons. 1. The Father Loves the Son In His Leaving God gives us free will. Free will means that we have a choice to follow God or no follow God. God wanted people to choose to love and obey him. The father loves his son even in the midst of rejection and heart-break. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. (Luke 15:14-16) Sin may be pleasurable, but the pleasure is fleeting (see Hebrews 11:25) The son found out that the life he desired was not so desirable after all. 2. The Father Loves the Son While He is Gone The father does not just love his son enough to let him go, he loves him while he is gone. He continues to look for him, day after day. He never stops hoping that his son will return to him. This is how God loves us! He loved us enough to give us the freedom to leave, but while we are running around in a foreign land, spending freely and leading ourselves into destruction, He never stops loving us. He never stops pursuing us. 17 When he came to his senses, he said, How many of my father s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men. 20 So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 The son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. 22 But the father said to his servants, Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. So they began to celebrate. (Luke 15:17-24) The son finally comes to his senses and realizes what his actions have led to. He realizes that he has been wrong and that it s time to go home. He hopes for enough mercy from his father to allow him to come home. 3. The Father Loves the Son When He Returns The father s response goes beyond mercy. The father extends grace! Mercy = compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm. Grace = unmerited favor The father shows grace by giving the son what he doesn t deserve he restores his place in the family, he puts a robe and ring on him, he throws an extravagant party for him. He didn t deserve any of that, but the father gives freely. He is the prodigal father! He spent extravagantly and some would say recklessly on his wayward son. What does this have to do with Easter? The cross was God s prodigal moment. He gave extravagantly, and some would say recklessly, to bring his children back home. Jesus resurrection does 3 things: 1. Clothes us in righteousness Like the father put a robe on his son, Jesus puts His righteousness on us. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor. 5:21) Righteous = Right With God
2. Makes us Sons and Daughters The father put a ring on his son s finger, signifying his return to his place in the family. He would not come back as a slave, but as a son with all the rights and privileges that come with it. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband s will, but born of God. (John 1:12-13) 3. Raises the Dead to Life We said that the story was about a resurrection, of sorts, and here is why. In the final verse (v. 32) the father says that his son was dead but is now alive, he was lost but is now found. He wasn t physically dead of course, but as far as his family knew, he was dead. When he returned home, it was as if had risen from the grave! 1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions it is by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:1-2, 4-5) Jesus resurrection provides a way for us to begin a new life in Him. We are spiritually dead before we come to know Christ. The only way to be resurrected from our death is to receive the gift of life that Jesus offers. The Rest of the Story There is more to the story of the prodigal son. He and the father are not the only characters. There is still another son that must be looked at. 25 Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 Your brother has come, he replied, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound. 28 The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, Look! All these years I ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!
31 My son, the father said, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. (Luke 15:25-32) The other son is often commended for his loyalty to his father, and certainly there is something to be said for his obedience. But notice a few things about this brother: 1. He was angry 2. He was entitled 3. He was outside We are all in one of three places today: 1. We are in the house - like the younger son, you have recognized that you were far from God and have returned by faith and were welcomed into the house. 2. We are in a far country - you haven t returned yet. You may still be out there, living your life, enjoying your freedom, finding happiness and pleasure in whatever we can find. 3. We are just outside the house - like the older son, you are standing just outside the house while the father pleads with you to come in. You have done what is right, you re a good person, and maybe you even think you deserve a little something from God for not going rogue like so many others. But, like the older son, you re still outside your pride is keeping you from accepting the Father s invitation to come in. How can we respond? 1. You can stay outside! God still gives free will. It is your choice to come in or stay out and God will not force you to come inside. 2. You can come home! Whether you are a million miles away or standing right outside the door, you are invited to come home. This can be your resurrection Sunday as you take the step from death to life, from darkness to light. Just like the prodigal father, God has spent extravagantly to make a way for you to come home He has given everything! How do you come home? Recognize your sin - like the son, we must recognize I have sinned (v. 18)
Return home - just recognizing he had sinned was only the beginning for the son, he had to leave his life and return home. We call this repenting, when we turn from our lives of sin and turn back to God. If you want to know more about salvation, please contact us at the church office at (904) 737-2141 or by email at info@sanjosebaptist.com. If you did made a decision today, we would love to know about so please get in touch with us so we can celebrate with you!