I want to start by apologizing that things on here haven't been updated as regularly as I would like lately, but with 2 broken computers and traveling for the holidays, its been more difficult to get things posted! I promise that I will do better from now on :)
Here are the notes from ABF today!
Here are the notes from ABF today!
Rolling Stone
January 13, 2013
Parables – The Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Prodigal Son
The Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin – Matthew 18:10-14; Luke 15:3-10
· Audience – Pharisees and scribes, tax collectors and sinners
· Context – this parable is given by Christ in response to the Pharisees grumbling and complaint about Jesus’ time spent and meals shared with tax collectors and sinners.
· These stories are identical. There is a precious coin or a single lamb that has been lost from among the others. As a result, the shepherd and the woman go in search of it, and when they find it, they rejoice!
· Jesus shares this parable to describe the response that is experienced by the angels in heaven over one lost sinner who repents. There is great joy in heaven when what has been lost is found.
· I love that his words are “there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” Knowing his target audience is the Pharisees, what could this have meant to them?
o Isaiah 64:5-8
o Psalm 51:16-17
The Prodigal Son – Luke 15:11-32
· Same audience and context.
· Two Sons:
o Younger – takes his share of the property and squanders it in reckless living.
o Older – faithfully serves the father and obeys all that he commands
· The younger son reaches the end of himself in verse 16. At this point he realizes his wrong and decides to return to his father and repent of his sin.
· Notice the incredibly gracious and merciful response from the Father:
o Saw him and felt compassion
o Ran to where he was, met him on the path, and embraced him
o Put the best robe on him, a ring on his head, shoes on his feet
o Prepared the fattened calf and celebrated
o Read Zechariah 3:1-5
· The response of the older son:
o Angry and refused to go in to celebrate
o His pride and hope was in the things HE HAD DONE for the father, not in the father himself
o He felt deserving of and entitled to a greater reward than the younger son. Sound familiar to the parable of the laborers in the vineyard?
o We need to always remember that our works are not our hope for salvation. When compared with Christ’s standard of perfection and holiness, our best day is “filthy garments.” Sacrifices he desires not, but a broken and contrite heart, he will not despise.
Let’s close by reading Isaiah 53.
Discussion:
1. Which son are you? Do you find yourself struggling with the same thing the older son did?
2. Seeing the father’s response of grace and forgiveness, and even restoration to the younger son’s repentance is a great encouragement for us. What implications does this have for us in our marriages when we face marital conflict or one or both spouses exhibits selfishness?
3. What did the younger son have to do to earn his father’s affection? What does this mean to you? Hebrews 4:14-16
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