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Some thoughts about three parables Jesus told about things that were lost.
Luke 15:4 "What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?
Luke 15:5 "When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
Luke 15:6 "And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'
Luke 15:7 "I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
What was the context for this parable? Why did Jesus tell it?
Luke 15:2 Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them."
The thing I notice about the sheep here. Jesus didn't get a new sheep. He found an "old" sheep. One that was already part of the flock.
Shepherds don't go searching for sheep that don't belong to them. Now I don't want to carry this metaphor too far. Obviously the kingdom of God can grow and more and more people get saved everyday. That isn't the point. The point is.. sheep get lost sometimes. Sheep that are already part of the flock. Yes, Jesus will go look for them.. I'm not denying that either. But the point here is... they got lost.. at least for a while. Does this mean they are lost in the mountains somewhere? Of course not... they got spiritually lost for a while.
Luke 15:8 "Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?
Luke 15:9 "When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!'
Luke 15:10 "In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
Another parable is the same chapter. I guess we could call Luke 15 the "lost" chapter. Not because we can't find it, but because it has three stories about lost things. Now we have a woman who lost a coin. Just like the shepherd that lost one of His sheep. This woman lost one of her coins. She didn't go looking for a new coin she never had before. This was a coin that she already had for a while. Yes, like the shepherd, she found it. But the point is.. it was lost for a while. Coins can get lost... just like sheep can.
The third parable here, the prodigal son. It's a well known story.. I won't post it all here. But again.. something got lost.
Luke 15:21 "And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'
Luke 15:22 "But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet;
Luke 15:23 and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate;
Luke 15:24 for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.' And they began to celebrate.
But just like the lost sheep, and the lost coin.. this wasn't a "new" son. This was a son the Father already had. That son got lost.
He got lost to the point that the Father says "this son of mine was dead". Now yes, he was "brought to life" again, (restored to the Father). But the point here is.. he was lost for a while.. dead for a while. Sons of the Father can become lost and dead.. at least temporarily.
This last parable is slightly different from the other two.. in that the Father didn't go searching for the lost son. The son eventually came to his senses. In verse 21 the son repents... it would seem that when we sin against God, even after being His son for a while.. we still need to repent sometimes. Yes the son came back. But the point remains.. he was lost for a while.. he was spiritually dead for a while.
When Judas betrayed Jesus in the garden, Jesus told the mob to let the other disciples go.
John 18:8 Jesus answered, "I told you that I am He; so if you seek Me, let these go their way,"
John 18:9 to fulfill the word which He spoke, "Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one."
Jesus never lost Judas, but did Judas die saved?
Luke 15:4 "What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?
Luke 15:5 "When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
Luke 15:6 "And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'
Luke 15:7 "I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
What was the context for this parable? Why did Jesus tell it?
Luke 15:2 Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them."
The thing I notice about the sheep here. Jesus didn't get a new sheep. He found an "old" sheep. One that was already part of the flock.
Shepherds don't go searching for sheep that don't belong to them. Now I don't want to carry this metaphor too far. Obviously the kingdom of God can grow and more and more people get saved everyday. That isn't the point. The point is.. sheep get lost sometimes. Sheep that are already part of the flock. Yes, Jesus will go look for them.. I'm not denying that either. But the point here is... they got lost.. at least for a while. Does this mean they are lost in the mountains somewhere? Of course not... they got spiritually lost for a while.
Luke 15:8 "Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?
Luke 15:9 "When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!'
Luke 15:10 "In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
Another parable is the same chapter. I guess we could call Luke 15 the "lost" chapter. Not because we can't find it, but because it has three stories about lost things. Now we have a woman who lost a coin. Just like the shepherd that lost one of His sheep. This woman lost one of her coins. She didn't go looking for a new coin she never had before. This was a coin that she already had for a while. Yes, like the shepherd, she found it. But the point is.. it was lost for a while. Coins can get lost... just like sheep can.
The third parable here, the prodigal son. It's a well known story.. I won't post it all here. But again.. something got lost.
Luke 15:21 "And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'
Luke 15:22 "But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet;
Luke 15:23 and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate;
Luke 15:24 for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.' And they began to celebrate.
But just like the lost sheep, and the lost coin.. this wasn't a "new" son. This was a son the Father already had. That son got lost.
He got lost to the point that the Father says "this son of mine was dead". Now yes, he was "brought to life" again, (restored to the Father). But the point here is.. he was lost for a while.. dead for a while. Sons of the Father can become lost and dead.. at least temporarily.
This last parable is slightly different from the other two.. in that the Father didn't go searching for the lost son. The son eventually came to his senses. In verse 21 the son repents... it would seem that when we sin against God, even after being His son for a while.. we still need to repent sometimes. Yes the son came back. But the point remains.. he was lost for a while.. he was spiritually dead for a while.
When Judas betrayed Jesus in the garden, Jesus told the mob to let the other disciples go.
John 18:8 Jesus answered, "I told you that I am He; so if you seek Me, let these go their way,"
John 18:9 to fulfill the word which He spoke, "Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one."
Jesus never lost Judas, but did Judas die saved?
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