A Certain Man Had Two Sons or the Story of Three Sons – Luke 15:11-31
These 31 verses from the Bible book of Luke that tell us of a -
· younger son who ‘traveled to a far country and wasted his possessions with prodigal living’ (15:13), and an
· older son who ‘never disobeyed his father’s orders’ (15:29), neither of which however, would have any hope for an eternal relationship with God except for
· The Son who is telling the story.
Firstly, we want to be deeply impressed with this One who is the storyteller, as we discover in the book of Luke that He is –
The Son of the Highest - (1x) Luke 1:32
The Son of God - (7x) Luke 1:36, 38; 4:3, 9, 41; 8:28; 22;70
The Son of Man - (26x) Luke 5:24; 6:5,22; 7:34; 9:22,26,44,56,58; 11:30; 12:8,10,40; 17:22,24,26,30; 18:8, 31; 19:10; 21:27,36; 22:22,48,69; 24:7;
The Son of the Highest is a reminder that Jesus is absolutely unique, none being higher in Person or Position or Power that He will display someday soon.
The Son of God reminds us that Jesus is The Son from all eternity, being co-eternal and co-equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and the Person of the Godhead who -
· Perfectly executed the mind of the Father in creation - ‘For… all things have been created through Him and for Him’, (Colossians 1:13-16),
· Perfectly executed the mind of the Father in redemption - ‘the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.’ (Colossians 1:13,14), and will in a future day will
· Perfectly execute the mind of the Father in regards to the coming judgments as - ‘the Father judges no one, but as committed all judgment to the Son, (John 5:22)
The Son of Man is a reminder that this Person of who is The Son, stepped into the world He created, taking on the life of humanity, going to the Cross, and remaining a man forever,
· To ‘seek and to save the lost’. (Luke 19:10)
· Having ‘the authority to forgive sins’, (Luke 5:24),
· To ‘suffer many things…be killed and be raised the third day’. (Luke 9:22),
· Now is ‘seated at the right hand of the Power of God’. (Luke 22:66), and
· Soon ‘is coming [back] at an hour that you do not expect’. (Luke 12:40)
What is striking about the younger son who we might call the ‘bad kid’, while he cared nothing about a relationship with the Father, was deeply interested in the benefits and privileges that came along with being a son through creation, and no had no shame in in asking his father to –
· ‘give me the share of the estate that I have coming to me.’ (15:12) and upon receiving it would
· ‘travel to a distant country where he squandered his estate in prodigal living’ (15:13). Thank God for that moment in time
· ‘when he came to his senses’, (15:17), and
· ‘he got up and went to his Father.’ who when
· ‘He saw him, ‘ was filled with compassion, ran and threw his arms around his neck and kissed him,’ (15:20, 21), and then
· slaughtered the fatted calf, and they began to celebrate’. (15;23, 24), a celebration that will continue on eternally.
The older son who we might call the ‘good kid’, like the younger son also cared nothing about a relationship with the Father, but was also deeply interested in the benefits and privileges that came as a result of being a son through creation. When the Father heard that the older son would not come into the celebration, he went out to him and invited him in to also participate in the eternal relationship that is made possible through the Cross Work of The Son. Sadly there is no record that he ever did.
We do not know if you are like that the younger son who has lived a prodigal life, but have repented, and been brought back into an eternal Relationship with his Father based on the Cross Work and Resurrection of The Son, or if you are like the older son of whom there is no record of repenting from his self-satisfied ways. Either way, would encourage you to turn to back to God today and based on the Cross Work and Resurrection of Jesus Christ The Son –
· confess – I have sinned (15:21) and
· ask - ‘God [to] be merciful to me, the sinner’. (18:13).
The God of creation is able to save you and to make this eternal relationship possible, because of the Cross Work and Resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ.
Author: Sid Osborn