Sermon Tone Analysis

*/Introduction/* \\  

Luke 2:40 \\ And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

\\ \\

Luke 2:52 \\ And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

\\ \\

When we think of the Lord Jesus Christ it is easy for us mentally to put him into a completely different class or status as a human being, to separate him from ourselves in a way that the word of God does not teach or allow.

He was fully divine and fully human at the same time, and without sin, but in his humanity he limited himself to the human realm when he set aside his divinity.

He did so in order to truly identify with us as human beings.

Being fully human he was subject to all the growth and learning processes that we as human beings are, yet without sin or sinning, but with the full responsibility to exercise his human will, mind and spirit in these processes.

Everything available to him in his humanity is available to us in our humanity.

Romans 8:11

“But since the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”

This same spirit makes accessible to us as believers the same resources and assets that the Son of God received and used to grow in his humanity.

Luke 15 relates the story of the Prodigal Son.

This parable has been the “bling” of the teachings of Jesus.

Even secular sources have praised it as a masterpiece of short stories.

In its economy of language and balance of structure, it has never been equaled.

It shines with the light and love of the Father, and relates a spiritual process and reality that many believers can understand and recognize in their own lives.

Recently I asked the Lord, “Who was the Prodigal Son?” and “Who is it in the Word of God that Jesus used as a source for his parable?”

The question seems reasonable to me because Jesus grew through the same resources made available to us as believers.

The results of that question are humbly presented in this booklet, not as a dogmatic, final word but as candidates for your approval.

Let’s play detective.

!

*Chapter One*

/The Parable of the Prodigal Son - /Luke 15:11-32

/ /

\\ 11 Then He said: “A certain man had two sons.

\\ 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’

So he divided to them his livelihood.

\\ 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.

\\ 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land and he began to be in want.

\\ 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

\\ 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

\\ 17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

\\ 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, \\ 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son.

Make me like one of your hired servants.”

’ \\ 20 “And he arose and came to his father.

But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.

\\ 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ \\ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.

\\ 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; \\ 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’

And they began to be merry.

\\ 25 “Now his older son was in the field.

And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.

\\ 26 So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.

\\ 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’

\\ 28 “But he was angry and would not go in.

Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him.

\\ 29 So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.

\\ 30 But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’

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

\\ 32 It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’

” \\ \\

 

*/Chapter Two/*

/Candidate Number One/

 

I use the word “candidate” in the sense of a”nominee” or a “strong possibility” because only in heaven will we be able to really discover an issue such as this.

On a certain level, it isn’t as important to reach a final conclusion as it is to dig and search the scriptures for God’s heart.

That being said; I would like to suggest that Judah is the top candidate.

I believe Jesus used him as his source for this parable.

The life and storyline of Judah himself are found in the book of Genesis and you probably know that he was the son of Jacob and one of the tribal heads of the nation of Israel.

Later when the kingdom was divided, the southern portion was called “Judah”.

But for many of us the rest of his life is a mystery.

Judah was the fourth son of Leah, the wife of Jacob (Gen.

29:35).

He had elder brothers.

Yet, it is not until the 37th chapter of Genesis in verse 26 that Judah is mentioned again in any significant way.

Here he is quoted as the one who suggests that it would be better to sell Joseph into slavery than to kill him.

Here, his true heart motives are revealed i.e.

He is in love with Money.

One can easily imagine Judah as the one who took the lead in the transaction with the Midianite traders, as the rest of the brothers listened and helped.

Reuben seems unaware of the transaction.

Judah probably eventually ended up with most of those 20 shekels of silver in his pocket.

What a battle and a burden they must have become.

When they all lie and deceive their father, it is not hard to imagine that Judah found fewer and fewer of his brothers eager to share in their ill gotten gain.

Perhaps they even secretly returned their portion to him, unwilling to bear the blood money that had caused such anguish and sorrow in their father’s heart.

Jacob cried “I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning."

Thus his father wept for him.

Genesis 37:35.

In Genesis 38:1-ff, Judah departs from his father and brothers to dwell with a certain Adullamite (Human Justice), whose name was Hirah (Human Nobility or Noble Race).

There he met a man named Shua (Wealth) and married his daughter.

They had three sons and end up living in Chezib (A Lie).

What seems pretty clear is that Judah leaves the covering that his father and family provide to live with the people of Canaan.

There it is also reasonable to conclude that Judah made a habit of visiting prostitutes or Tamar wouldn’t have taken that route in her deception.

She knew his lifestyle and exploited it.

Read Genesis 38 and doesn’t he fit the description, “this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots” Lk 15:30.

What is undeniable is the severe famine.

Joseph, in Egypt, is exalted because he properly anticipates and prepares Egyypt for the famine based upon Pharoah’s dreams.

Back in Canaan, Judah repents and is restored to his father and his father’s house.

He quickly regains leadership in activities with his father and with the unrecognized Joseph.

Note the progression in the following verses: 

*Before he left his father and family: * 

*Genesis 37:26-27** *  26 So Judah said to his brothers, "What profit /is there /if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?

27 "Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he /is /our brother /and /our flesh."

And his brothers listened.

*Then after he returned:* 

*Genesis 43:8-10*  8 Then Judah said to Israel his father, "Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you /and /also our little ones.

9 "I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him.

If I do not bring him /back /to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.  10 "For if we had not lingered, surely by now we would have returned this second time."

*Genesis 44:14-18 *  14 So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, and he /was /still there; and they fell before him on the ground.

15 And Joseph said to them, "What deed /is /this you have done?

Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice divination?"  16 Then Judah said, "What shall we say to my lord?

What shall we speak?

Or how shall we clear ourselves?

God has found out the iniquity of your servants; here we are, my lord's slaves, both we and /he /also with whom the cup was found."

17 But he (Joseph) said, "Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my slave.

And as for you, go up in peace to your father."

18 Then Judah came near to him and said: "O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord's hearing, and do not let your anger burn against your servant; for you /are /even like Pharaoh.