Easter 2023

Intro/Welcome

Happy Easter

Good to be with you today

Pastor Justin

Easter

We celebrate Easter to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ

This is the good news — the gospel

But the historical fact of the resurrection is not what is most astounding — it is the WHY of Jesus death and resurrection.

Why did Jesus die and rise?

This is the best news in the world.

and it’s the WHY that really matters

It’s what is behind everything.

The why!

It is the WHY that changes us

It is the WHY that motivates us

It is the WHY that will be experienced for all of eternity.

Today

Today in our short time together we will look at the WHY of Jesus death and resurrection.

Jesus illustrates the WHY in one of the most well known stories he ever told.

It is the story of what was lost being found.

It is the story of a Father’s brokenheartedness and Joy

It is the story of death and resurrection.

Bible

We’ll be in Luke 15 today.

Go there in your Bibles or apps.

Let me pray.

Pray

Exodus 34:6–7 (ESV)

6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

Luke 15:20 (ESV)

20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

The Prodigal “lost” Son

Jesus’ most famous story is that of the prodigal son, or the ‘lost son’.

You probably know the story, but let me summarize.

There was a ‘wealthy’ man with two sons

The Younger comes and asks for an early inheritance (effectively telling his father he wishes he were dead)

The Father grants this request

He goes off and spends it all on wild living

He runs out of money

A famine hits the land

The man takes one of the lowest jobs known, and disgraceful for a jewish man — feeding pigs.

After a while he comes to his senses.

Luke 15:17–19 (ESV)

17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’

He remembers/realizses who his father is — he comes to his sense — he realizes his error

And he turns to go home — He repents.

We call this “repentance.”

He Confesses his sin

He comes home

Word’s matter but it is his actions that demonstrate rependance.

The Father’s Compassion

Now the climax of the story

Luke 15:20 (ESV)

20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

The Father does five things here:

He sees Him (a long way off)

He was looking for his son to return — day after day

He was scanning the horizon, longing and hoping.

He felt compassion

σπλαγχνίζομαι - to have pity, compassion, to feel affection, to feel deep in the gut

He ran, embrace and kissed him

this ‘compassion’ of the Father is what moved him (literally) towards his lost son.

The sons tries to give his ‘repentance’ speech, but the father doesn’t even let him finsihed: He is so joyful!

Luke 15:21–24 (ESV)

21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate.

24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

The Name of God

This is who God is.

In Exod 34:6-7 God reveals his name to Moses:

Exodus 34:6–7 (ESV)

6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

What is the first thing God says about himself?

A God merciful = compassionate

This is who God is.

He loves you.

This is the most important truth

B/c God values you.

He is BROKEN over sin and fallenness just as we all are

He REJOICES whenever someone comes home in repentance

The WHY of the Gospel

This is they “WHY”!

The love of the Father

demonstrated in his compassion and affection for his lost son.

It is the Love of God for you that is the WHY of the gospel — it is the best news.

The Father so valued his son that he ran to him, breaking all social norms.

It is how much God values you that he sent his son to die for your sins — at great cost to Himself

so that you, just like the lost son could come home.

God loves you.

Value

This is the third of three parables — and they all have to do with valuing what was lost.

The lost Sheep

The Shepherd that values the one lost sheep so much the he goes Himself to seek what was lost and bring it home.

The Lost Coin

The Widow loses a coin.

LIkely it was one of Ten coins that widows would wear in that day to demonstrate their worth — like a dowery.

To lose one of these coins was to diminish their percieved worth

To find this coin gives her worth back to her

The Lost son

it’s the same

The lost son is so valued by the father that he’s looking to the horizon say after day longing for his return

When he sees him — he is moved deep in his heart — compassion / love / affection

and he goes to him.

This is the father’s love for his lost child.

It is a picture of God, the Father’s Love for you!

Illustration: Lost child

Imagine you are out camping in the woods with a bunch of friends and family

And at some point towards dinner you look around and realize one of you children is missing

You ask around if anyone has seen her and someone mentions seeing them wandering off a while a go.

What is the heart of that parent?

every turned around and can’t find your child

ever lost them at a store, a theme park.

this is God, the Father’s heart for you!

God’s Love

This is God’s love for you — he values you so much that he comes to you in the person of Jesus Christ.

He pays the price for your sin and folly

He absorbs the cost and makes a path for you to return home.

He rises from death to give you the power to change and come home.

This is the Gospel — Jesus death and resurrection for YOU

John 3:16–17 (ESV)

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Closing:

The Lost Son

Have you come home yet?

come home today

this is done through repentance

and it brings rejoicing in heaven.

All three stories end with rejoicing and celebration.

The Father is longing for you to return.

To experience his love for you through jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

The Older Son

But there is also the older son.

Who always did the right thing

who thought he was entitled to something more than the lost son.

He didn’t realize that being in the Father’s presence was the greatest gift of all.

Luke 15:31–32 (ESV)

31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.

32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’ ”

Being in the presence of the Father is the point of it all.

It was what was lost in the garden and it is the end goal of all history.

To be in the presence of God forever and ever — rejoicing for all eternity.

Repentance

Maybe you need to come home like the lost son

maybe you need to realize you are already home and all that the father has is yours in Christ Jesus by the power of the Spirit.

I encourage to repent today whatever that looks like for you and experience the WHY of the gospel — the Father’s Love for you.

Closing Prayer

Optional Addition

God loves the world — there are millions of lost children out there

We are now sent to seek and save the lost through the gospel message.

Illustration: Lost children

Gather everyone together to find this child

Let’s do a class first

I just don’t feel that connected to you

I wrote a song about lostness, let’s sing it first to get connected with our feelings

No! we are called to reach the lost .

Extra

Compassion - TDNTA

The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Abridged in One Volume σπλάνχνον, σπλάγχνον, σπλανχνίζομαι, σπλαγχνίζομαι, εὔσπλανχνος, εὐσπλαγχνία, πολύσπλανχνος, πολύσπλαγχνος, ἄσπλανχνος, ἄσπλαγχνο�

1. splanchnízomai in the Synoptics.

a. The verb occurs in the NT only in the Synoptics. In three parables it denotes human attitudes. Thus in Mt. 18:27 the lord has pity on the servant, in Lk. 15:20 the father has compassion on the prodigal, and in Lk. 10:33 the Samaritan has compassion on the man who has fallen among thieves. In all these instances the term reflects the totality of the divine mercy to which human compassion is a proper response.

b. Elsewhere in the Synoptics the verb has messianic significance, for it is only Jesus who shows compassion, as in Mk. 1:42; 6:34; 8:2; 9:22; Mt. 14:14; 20:34. In each case what we have is not so much the description of a human emotion as a messianic characterization. Cf. also Lk. 7:13.

LouNida

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 25.49 σπλαγχνίζομαι; σπλάγχνα, ων

25.49 σπλαγχνίζομαι; σπλάγχναc, ων n (only in the plural): to experience great affection and compassion for someone—‘to feel compassion for, to have great affection for, love, compassion.