Title: The Son That Rejoiced Not (All Happy but One)
Text: Luke 15: 1-32
Date: February 24, 2012
Place: Children’s Study
Luke 15: 1: Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. 2: And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
When these sinners came to hear the gospel from Christ, he received them and ate with them. But the Pharisee’s and scribes rejected both Christ and them.
Luke 15: 3: And he spake this parable unto them,…
We may have thought of this as more than one parable but really this is one parable showing us 5 aspects of one truth the Lord is teaching.
Divisions: 1) The Shepherd Rejoicing; 2) The Woman Rejoicing; 3) The Son Who Was Dead and Made Live, Lost and Found Rejoicing 4) The Father Rejoicing; 5) The Son Who Rejoiced Not
I. THE SHEPHERD REJOICING
Luke 15: 3: And he spake this parable unto them, saying, 4: What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
The focus is the shepherd. Christ is the Shepherd.’ Those given him of the father are his sheep.
John 10: 11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
All the sheep of God—his elect—went astray.
Isaiah 53: 6: All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Christ came to seek AND TO SAVE his lost sheep—UNTIL HE FIND IT (Luke 19: 10) He finds each one.
1 Peter 2: 24: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 25: For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
Luke 15: 5: And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6: And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
In the next verse the Lord makes a statement of truth about this part of the parable.
Luke 15: 7: I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
Joy in heaven—Christ is in glory—he rejoices over one sinner that repenteth. Who gets the glory for repentance, who do we rejoice in? The Shepherd called his friends and neighbors together saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. Christ the Shepherd gets the glory, not the sheep, not the sinner. All the sinner did was go astray.
· The Shepherd owned the sheep—in eternity
· The Shepherd sought the sheep—fulness of time
· The Shepherd found the sheep—he always does: Noah, Abraham, Peter, Paul, some here today, none are lost in Christ, they have all already been brought home in him.
· The Shepherd laid the sheep on his shoulders—on the cross, the government is on his shoulder to be the Gospel, he finished the work of the Gospel, he brings the Gospel to each of his sheep.
· The Shepherd carried the sheep all the way home—from the wilderness to glory
Most think they are just and have no need of Christ the Shepherd doing this great work for them. Are you among the 99 or are you one of these lost sheep? The Pharisees thought themselves just—and in need of no repentance—they could not rejoice with Christ.
Application: Until we are the lost sheep found, we can’t rejoice with Christ over his marvelous works. But all heaven is full of lost sheep who have been found and brought home and all heaven rejoices in Christ for one sinner that he brings to repentance—so first we see heaven rejoicing with Christ the Great Shepherd over his sheep.
II. THE WOMAN REJOICING
Luke 15: 8: Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?
In this woman—we see a picture of the Holy Spirit of God working through Christ’s church in this earth, through his gospel. Woman was given by God through Adam to be a helpmeet to the first Adam. Christ is the last Adam. Christ’s bride is born through the blood of Christ, born of the Holy Spirit, called by his grace and used of him while she remains in this earth in the house of which Christ is Head.
We are searching for a piece of lost silver. A coin is a dead, lifeless thing—so are God’s elect as we are born into this world. But God’s elect are precious to his bride even as they are to our Shepherd. We don’t know where the elect are, they are lost. We have no sufficiency in ourselves to find or regenerate one of these lifeless coins. But by the grace of God we are given light.
The woman had a candle. Our Light is Christ. The house is illuminated by the holy Spirit of God like a candle being lit. The gospel of Jesus Christ and him crucified is the light by which the lost are sought and found.
2 Corinthians 4: 3: But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 5: For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6: For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7: But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
A man does not light a candle to put it in hiding. Ye are the light of the world. Walk as children of light. Shine forth this light like a candle in a dark world. The woman did not take the candle and hide it. We do not walk in front of a candle we walk behind it, following—children of light follow Christ the Light, we walk AFTER the Spirit. We do not hide the gospel, we declare it plainly before all. It is the light that will illuminate and make the lost coin to shine in the darkness.
She had a broom by which she swept the house. Our gospel sweeps like a broom. The Holy Spirit stirs up dust by this gospel. This is the gospel of judgment and righteousness accomplished by Christ alone. Through the gospel the Holy Spirit “sweeps away the refuge of lies”—the water of the word overflows all the hiding places.
· It makes the self-wise angry
· It makes the self-righteous angry
· It makes the self-sanctified angry
· It makes those who are trying to buy redemption by the corrupt silver of their works angry
But by this Word the Holy Spirit breaks the stout heart of the child of grace. And by this same gospel the lost, valuable coin called the elect child of God is found.
Luke 15: 9: And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.
Again the Lord gives a word of truth about what he just said.
Luke 15: 10: Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
It seems to me these angels of God are the believers in the church who rejoice with one another over Christ who has saved another lost piece of his treasure. When speaking about the Shepherd, the Lord said, “rejoicing shall be in heaven”; here he says “there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” When we think of angels we think of heaven—there are angels in heaven. But the church of God in heaven and in earth—every believer that makes up his bride—are angels of God. Every saved sinner in heaven and earth rejoices in Christ when calls out another one of his lost sheep.
So we have Christ rejoicing, we have the woman and all her friends and neighbors—the saints in heaven and earth--rejoicing with Christ.
III. THE SON WHO WAS LOST REJOICING
Luke 15: 11: And 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 falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
This boy illustrates a lost sheep of Christ, a dead and lifeless sinner—we actively got ourselves lost by our own sin (we strayed like a lost sheep). At the same time we were lifeless and dead in our sins (like a coin.) The younger boy took all that his father gave him and wasted it all.
Luke 15: 13: And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. 14: And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
Application: If you join with the people of this world in riotous living and you will waste all. God must intervene and cause a mighty famine in our souls, so that we are in want.
Luke 15: 15: And 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 fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
This son tried in vain to save himself not by joining with citizens of his father’s country, but of that far country. Merely trading your riotous living for more honorably living will not feed you. Join with this world’s religion and they will put you to work to save yourself. But all you will get are husks which swine eat. No man will or can give us the Bread from heaven but Christ Jesus our Prophet, Priest and King.
Luke 15: 17: And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
The Spirit of God must quicken us, wake us up and bring us to see ourselves. He saw the goodness of his father providing for his servants and he saw his own emptiness--the goodness of God leads a sinner to repentance.
Luke 15: 18: I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
He saw that his sin was against his Father and before his father. We have to be given a new heart to realize that “against God and God only have I sinned and done this evil in your sight”
Luke 15: 19: And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
He no more saw any merit himself to make him worthy to be called a son. He was made willing to ask mercy and was willing to merely be a servant. All this was done in his heart before he ever moved a muscle. First, he came to himself then he came to his father--Luke 15: 20: And he arose, and came to his father. Salvation is a heart work. We must first be turned from ourselves and to come to God in our heart by faith. (We will finish up with the boy rejoicing in a moment. Now lets’ see that the father rejoicing.)
IV. THE FATHER REJOICING
Christ is describing the great mercy and goodness of God the heavenly Father
Luke 15: 20: But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
From everlasting God saw his children in electing grace, when I was born into sin and lost and in rebellion God my Father always had his eye on his child of grace—if you come to God it is because God saw you a great way off. And had compassion, and ran—God loved his children, not that we loved God, God the Father ran to us by sending his Son to us, by sending his gospel to us, by quickening us by his Spirit, by drawing us to himself--blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causest to approach unto thee…we shall be satisified with thy house…
Illustration: Little boy walking up the sidewalk crying. His father knew his heart had been broken. And fell on his neck, and kissed him.
When God breaks the heart so that a child comes confessing our sin and begging mercy we find kisses of mercy, not anger; kisses of rejoicing, not rebuke.
This is how God the Father receives sinners who come broken hearted, confessing their sin and begging his mercy.
Luke 15: 21: And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. [He was about to ask if he could be a servant, but the father interrupted him] 22: But the father said to his servants,
1. v22: Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him;--Christ robe of righteousness, put on him
2. v22: and put a ring on his hand,-- a ring has no beginning and no end--the token of everlasting covenant grace, inseparable union—sealed in our hearts by the Spirit of God.
3. v22: and shoes on his feet--the shoes of the gospel of peace: beautify, strengthens, preserves, guides, protects from stones and thorns, shoes that will never wear out—this boy was fully dressed by God the Father, Christ Jesus the Son of God and by the Holy Spirit of God—complete!
4. v23: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:--the best food God provides is the gospel of Christ and him crucified—each and everyone one in the house feasts upon it together and Christ’s word makes us merry.
5. v24: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
So we have seen 1: Christ the shepherd rejoicing, 2: The woman by and with the Holy Spirit made to rejoice (the whole church in earth and in heaven rejoicing), 3: the repentant son rejoicing and 4: God the Father rejoicing.
V. THE SON WHO REJOICED NOT
Luke 15: 25: Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. 26: And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.
He did not understand what was going on—he was in the field working, he missed all this.
Luke 15: 27: And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.
Oh, want this older son be happy? Want he rejoice that his own brother is alive and found?
Luke 15: 28: And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.
What made this boy angry, what prevented him from going into the house, what prevented him from rejoice in the Shepherd, with all the house, with his Father?
Luke 15: 29: And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends
Here we have an example of the wicked heart of self-righteousness--Note: the different spirit in this older boy than in the younger? The repentant son spoke of his sin against his father and his unworthiness--Luke 15: 18: I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19: And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. But this older son boasted of what he had done for his father “these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment. You and I can not even say that about our natural father much less before holy, all-knowing God. But this boy thought he had made himself just because of all his serving. He thought he needed no repentance because he thought he thought he had never transgressed. In his heart, he thought he was just and needed no repentance. Therefore, he thought his father owed him--29: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:--
Application: God looketh on the heart. Even though this boy appeared to serve outwardly, we see his inward heart was just as wicked and full of riot, as that son who rioted outwardly. The self-righteous heart really is not serving God at all. He wasn’t serving his father because he wanted to, he would have rather been making merry with his own friends. We need a new heart. A heart that owns our sin, that knows God owes nothing to us, that casts all on the mercy of God, that is in love with God because he made us complete by his free grace and mercy—wrought by God in Christ. Salvation is not because God owes you and I a debt, salvation is by God’s grace. The heart of faith boasts of Christ’s walk, not our own. The heart of faith serves God not to be served but because Christ has served for us and made us righteous.
Luke 15: 30: But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf—
He pointed out his brother’s sin. He was saying, I might as well have done like this boy did! And notice that again he says, you haven’t given me a fatted calf! But the father told him that was not true. God the Father has not kept anything from those who reject him. Listen to the father.
Luke 15: 31: And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. (v12…And he divided unto them his living.)
What advantage did the Jews have—much every way. God gave them his word through his prophets. The same is so of everyone here this morning. Acts 17: 27 says that God is not far from everyone of us, even as this older son was near his father the whole time. Christ stands right here in the midst of all, even as Christ does where he has sent the fatted calf of his gospel. God the Father has proven himself to delight in mercy—even as this father showed himself. The only thing this boy had to do was come to the father in the same manner as his brother, seeking mercy and not by the work of his hand.
Application: If any sinner is angry because God saves sinners by grace apart from the sinners works through faith in Christ who is the full completion of all his children the fault does not lie with God the Father. If any are angry that God will have mercy and not sacrifice the fault does not lie with God, but with the sinner who will not repent from his sin and self-righteousness and come to God begging mercy in Christ.
And we also see that the heart is so desepeartely wicked in sin and self-righteousness that except Christ the Shepherd seek that which is lost, except the Spirit of God make us alive, except God shine the light of the gospel of Christ in our hearts and bring us home, none will come to the Father.
If we perish it is our fault, if we are saved God gets all the glory.
Do not abuse the advantage given to you. This is a heart matter—God looketh on the heart—this older boy was a riotous in his heart as the younger boy was outwardly. Only God makes the difference—the Shepherd finds his sheep, his dead and lost child—he revives him and brings him home. All heaven and earth, brethren above and below, rejoice together in Christ, feasting upon this gospel of the fatted calf, this is the music that makes us dance. Why do we rejoice!—because it is fit for us to do so—read the last verse with me: Luke 15: 32: It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.