Zach White

Sometimes you want someone in your life to understand something so badly that you think of several different ways to tell them. Marketing experts say a message has to be repeated a number of times (and in different ways) before a potential customer becomes an actual customer.

In Luke 15, we see this principle play out. Luke has grouped three of Jesus’s parables, and all of them have a similar message. It’s Luke’s way of saying, “Hey, I’ve carefully investigated and documented what I think people need to know about Jesus. And there’s one topic in particular I need to camp on because it’s so important.”

The three parables are about a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son. At the end of each parable, Jesus gives the bottom line. Listen to how similar the main points are:

• At the end of the lost sheep parable, Jesus said, “There will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”
• At the end of the lost coin parable: “There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
• And, finally, at the end of the lost son parable: “We had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

All three parables are about something that was gone—lost. But then it was found. A relationship was restored.

A couple of things stand out. The main takeaway regarding these parables is that God is in the restoration business. He longs for people to come to him.

But notice something else. In all three parables, there’s a celebration. It’s one thing for people to come to God, or come back to God… but when that happens, it’s cause for pause. When someone who was far from God is brought near to him because of the work of Jesus, it calls for celebration! 

May we never get tired of God’s work of restoration. Anytime someone begins (or resumes) their walk with God, it’s nothing short of miraculous, and it’s a sign to us that God is still very much at work.

That’s it for this time. Read Chapters 17 and 18 to get ready for the next one.

Sometimes Jesus would say something that was hard to hear—something that would upset some people or at the very least cause them to rethink something they had originally thought. And a lot of times, Jesus would save those heart-piercing statements for his closest friends, his disciples.

But in Chapter 14, we read where Jesus said something to a large crowd of people that surely caused everyone to get quiet and maybe ask, Did I hear him correctly? Here’s what he said in verses 26 and 27. And remember, he’s speaking to a lot of people—people who had made the choice to give up part of their day to be around him.

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.”

Wait, what? I’ve got to hate my family to be a Jesus follower? Well, no. Of course not. It would be counter to the entire ethic of the New Testament to hate your enemies, much less your family members. So if Jesus wasn’t being literal here, what’s he talking about? And why did he use such strong words to get his point across?

It’s worth remembering the original setting where Jesus first said this. He knew that following him, showing loyalty to him, could come at a great cost for people. In the not-too-distant future, he would be seen as a criminal to some. If you were a known Jesus follower, your reputation and perhaps even your life might be in danger.

So this was Jesus’s way of asking, Are you absolutely sure you want to follow me? Because the amount of resolve it will take, the commitment it will take, the sacrifice it will take to be an all-in follower of me makes the loyalty you have to your family pale in comparison. Are you really in?

It can be hard to follow Jesus. It takes praying for strength and wisdom to follow Jesus. It’s hard to forgive someone who doesn’t deserve it, but we’re better at life when we do. It’s hard to love someone who isn’t very lovable, but it makes our lives better when we do. It’s hard to put the needs and well-being of others before our own.

Following Jesus can be hard and it comes at a cost, but we become better at life and those around us benefit when we do.

Before the next session, read Luke Chapters 15 and 16.

The Jews had known for several thousand years that God promised to use Abraham and his descendants as influential people. Prophets for many generations foretold of a day Israel would have its own land and be a blessing to the entire world. And one day a new king was going to lead them and represent them. Not only was this king going to make them a great nation, but he would help restore what was a broken relationship with God.

But after years and years of hearing that prophecy, God went silent. For 400 years—around 15 generations—there were no significant words from any of God’s prophets.

In Luke 3, that silence was broken by John the Baptist. He told anyone who would listen, “The wait is over. The King we’ve been waiting for is here! In fact, he’s right over there. It’s Joseph’s son Jesus.”

And then Luke does something brilliant. To anyone who may have pushed back… to anyone who may have said, “Wait a minute… the prophets spoke of this coming king, and he’s supposed to be a descendant of Abraham. And not only Abraham, but there are several key people who are supposed to be in the family tree of the Messiah.” To anyone wondering about that, Luke lists a genealogy, traced backwards starting with Jesus and going all the way back to Adam. And those names anyone would be looking for in order to fulfill the words of the prophets are indeed on the list… Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, King David, and Judah.

When you read that list of names in Chapter 3, don’t breeze by it too quickly. Maybe even say each name aloud, just as a reminder that these were real people and not just names on a page. Some of the names may sound familiar, but most of them were just everyday, imperfect people that God used to bring his plans to fruition.

In some ways, we’re like that. God uses us for his purposes. Through our lives, our choices, our words, God uses us. We are his plan for showing those around us who he is.

That’s it for now. Before next time, read Chapters 4 and 5.