Untitled Sermon

Luke 15:1–32 “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. “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! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’ 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. 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.’ 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. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him…”

what is lost does not save itself; it is sought, found, restored, and then celebrated.

Why does Jesus receive sinners, and what does that reveal about God and about Jesus himself?”

seeker who pays a price, restores what is lost, and then celebrates table fellowship.

Jesus Revealed in Luke 15 or The Father on the Road and the Christ of Colossians

Main Texts

Luke 15:1–32 Colossians 1:13–22

Main Idea

Luke 15 is not just about a lost son coming home. It is about Jesus showing us what God is like. And Colossians tells us plainly who Jesus is: the visible image of the invisible God. So when we watch the Shepherd seek, the woman search, and the father run, we are seeing the heart of God revealed in Christ.

Introduction

Luke 15 starts with religious people complaining about Jesus.

“This man receives sinners and eats with them.” — Luke 15:2

That is what sets the whole chapter up.

Jesus responds by telling three stories: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost sons.

Kenneth Bailey’s point is that these are not three random stories. They belong together. Jesus is answering one question:

Why does He welcome sinners?

And the answer is:

Because this is what God is like.

Then Colossians helps us go even deeper:

“He is the image of the invisible God.” — Colossians 1:15

So Luke 15 shows us God’s heart in story form. Colossians tells us that heart has a name: Jesus Christ.

1. Jesus is the Shepherd who comes looking for the lost

Luke 15:4–7 ““What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Ezekiel 34:11–16 ““For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.” Colossians 1:15–17 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

The sheep is lost and cannot get back on its own.

The shepherd does not stand far off and say, “Find your way back if you are serious.”

He goes after it. He finds it. He carries it. He brings it home.

That is Bailey’s point: the focus is not on the sheep being smart enough to return. The focus is on the shepherd who goes after the sheep.

That fits perfectly with Jesus.

In John 10, Jesus says He is the good shepherd. In Ezekiel 34, God says He Himself will seek His sheep. In Colossians 1, Jesus is the image of the invisible God.

So put that together:

The Shepherd in Luke 15 is not just a kind man. He is showing us the heart of God, and that heart is revealed in Jesus.

The same Christ who holds all things together is the Christ who goes after one lost sheep.

2. Jesus is the seeker who does not stop until He finds

Luke 15:8–10 Colossians 1:16

The woman loses one coin and starts searching.

She lights a lamp. She sweeps the house. She keeps looking until she finds it.

The point is simple: what is lost still matters.

Bailey points out that the coin does not lose its value just because it is lost.

That is important.

People may feel ruined, forgotten, wasted, ashamed, or too far gone. But in God’s eyes, the lost still matter.

And Colossians says all things were created through Christ and for Christ. So this search is not random pity. It is the Creator moving toward what belongs to Him.

Jesus is showing that God does not shrug at the lost. He searches.

3. The father in the story shows us the heart of Christ

Luke 15:11–24 Colossians 1:19–22

This is where Bailey becomes especially helpful.

The younger son is not just asking for money. He is basically saying, “I want what you have, but I do not want you.”

That is sin.

Sin is not only breaking rules. It is wanting God’s gifts without wanting God Himself.

The son leaves, wastes everything, and ends up broken.

Then he decides to return.

But Bailey says the real center of the story is not the son’s speech. It is the father’s action.

“While he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran...” — Luke 15:20

That is the key moment.

The father runs.

Bailey says this is shocking because a man in that culture, especially a father with dignity, would not normally run like that in public. But this father does. He takes the shame on himself in order to bring the son back.

That is why this matters so much.

The father is not cold. He is not distant. He is not waiting to see if the son says enough right words. He moves first.

That is exactly how Christ saves.

Colossians says:

“He has now reconciled you...” — Colossians 1:22

So what the father is doing in the story, Christ does in reality.

The father runs to reconcile. Christ comes to reconcile.

The father bears shame to restore the son. Christ bears the cross to restore sinners.

4. Jesus is not only after obvious sinners, but also proud religious people

Luke 15:25–32 Luke 18:9–14 Colossians 1:21

This is where many people stop too soon.

The older brother is also lost.

He did not run away. He stayed home. He worked hard. He looked faithful.

But when grace is shown to the younger brother, his heart is exposed.

He is angry. He is bitter. He does not rejoice. He does not even call him “my brother.”

Bailey’s point is that there are two lost sons: one lost in rebellion, and one lost in pride.

One is lost in obvious sin. The other is lost in self-righteousness.

That fits Colossians too.

“You who once were alienated...” — Colossians 1:21

Alienation does not always look wild. Sometimes it looks respectable.

You can be far from God in a pigpen. You can also be far from God in the field.

And what does the father do?

He goes out to the older brother too.

That is powerful.

Jesus does not only come for the broken mess. He also comes for the proud church person who does not realize he is lost.

5. The goal is not just forgiveness, but being brought into peace and fellowship

Luke 15:22–24, 31–32 Colossians 1:13–14, 20 Colossians 3:15

The father does not just let the son slip quietly back into the house.

He gives him: a robe, a ring, sandals, and a feast.

This is not bare forgiveness. This is full restoration.

The son is not brought back as a worker. He is brought back as a son.

And this is where Colossians fits beautifully.

“He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.” — Colossians 1:13

“He made peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” — Colossians 1:20

That means salvation is not just, “Your sins are canceled.”

It is also, “You are brought near.” “You are restored.” “You are brought to the table.” “You have peace with God.”

The end of grace is not just survival. It is fellowship.

6. Luke 15 shows us the heart of Jesus, and Colossians tells us who He is

Colossians 1:15–20 Colossians 2:9

This is where everything comes together.

Luke 15 shows us: the Shepherd seeking, the woman searching, the father running, the father pleading, the father restoring.

Colossians tells us who this Jesus is:

the image of the invisible God

the creator of all things

the one before all things

the one in whom all things hold together

the one in whom all the fullness of God dwells bodily

the reconciler of all things

So the Jesus of Luke 15 is not a soft religious teacher.

He is the Lord of glory. He is the visible image of God. He is the one who reveals exactly what the Father is like.

That is why Bailey’s reading is so strong.

Luke 15 is not only saying, “God is loving.”

It is saying, Jesus is showing us God.

Conclusion

So the main point of Luke 15 is not just:

“Be like the prodigal and come home.”

It is deeper than that.

It is:

Look at Jesus. Look at how He receives sinners. Look at how He seeks the lost. Look at how He bears shame to reconcile. Look at how He brings people into peace.

Then listen to Colossians:

“He is the image of the invisible God.” — Colossians 1:15

So when you see Jesus in Luke 15, you are seeing the Father’s heart.

Closing line

In Luke 15, Jesus shows us what God is like. In Colossians, we are told why: because Jesus is God revealed.

If you want, I can turn this into a more preachable manuscript with smoother transitions and a stronger closing appeal.