By: REV. DR. ISAIAH ROBINSON, JR.
Scriptural text: LUKE 15:3-7; ROMANS 5:6-10
KEY VERSE:
“For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! (Romans 5:10, NIV).
INTRODUCTION:
The gospel of Luke offers a distinctive viewpoint of Jesus’ life and ministry. The structure of Luke’s gospel is different from those of his peers, Matthew and Mark. From the opening to the closing of this gospel, the purpose is always front and center. One important fact is that he was a Gentile and not a Jew, making him the only Gentile writer in the Bible. Moreover, his gospel was written primarily for Gentiles. Luke is concerned about Jesus’ universal roots in humanity by tracing His lineage to Adam and not His Jewish heritage. Luke doesn’t use Jewish terms to refer to Jesus but uses a Gentile term. Lastly, Luke elevates women’s value to Jesus and their unique role in His life and ministry. He too chronicled Jesus’s life in Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem.
THE REACH (LUKE 15:3-4).
At the beginning of chapter 15, Jesus’ Radical nature shines forth. His intentional embrace of the worst in society angered the religious leaders. Jesus’s action establishes the worth of all sinful human beings. Although He never committed sin. Jesus identified with the plight of sinners from a place of great compassion. The parable of the lost sheep was Jesus’ proclamation that He had come to seek the lost (Luke 19:10). But these religious fanatics were heartless. Jesus not only resembles the kind of shepherd God envisioned, but He was the Good Shepherd. (John 10;11a). Has the church made some people feel like the ”undesirables”? If so, the church needs to repent and renew its commitment to showing God’s love and evangelizing the lost.
THE RESCUE (LUKE 15:5).
In the gospel of John, Jesus is called “the Good Shepherd” who knows His sheep, and they know Him (John 10:14). “he layeth it on his shoulders (v.5) speaks of the care and compassion of the Shepherd.” Jesus’ care for the lost sheep illustrates the mission of the church in reaching outside the walls of the sanctuary to rescue lost sinners.
THE REJOICING (LUKE 15:6-7).
After completing the search and finding the lost sheep, the shepherd shared the gratifying news with family and friends (v.6). Jesus shows the shepherd’s dedication to not giving up on the lost sheep. After the search and rescue operation, the shepherd finds the lost sheep. In this parable, two different celebrations are happening in two places (v.6-7). The shepherd invited others to celebrate his good fortune in finding the lost sheep. Jesus illustrated that when someone surrenders his soul to the hands of Jesus for eternal salvation, a celebration occurs in heaven.
THE RECONCILIATION (ROMANS 5: 6-10).
Paul had just expounded on the doctrine of justification, where he explained which and how believers are justified. By “faith,” Paul says, believers are justified. All believers who have put their trust in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection shall be saved. Jesus is the Justifier, but before He was the Justifier, He first became the Redeemer.
