The Lost Coin

Introduction: God reclaiming the lost to Himself through the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross is the metanarrative of the Scriptures. All the Scriptures, lead to one great truth: God is seeking to save the lost. This second of three parables is an example of God’s work to save those who are helpless to save themselves, and of the high value He places upon each soul.

The Lord is Seeking the Lost

Lost Sheep - Luke 15:1-7

Lost Coin - Luke 15:8-10

Lost Son - Luke 15:11-32

Have you ever discovered money in an old pocket, or in the washing machine after doing the laundry? If it was as my great uncle described notes, folding money it was probably a great surprise. But how about those lost coins that we all find in the cushions of the chairs and in the corners of tight places, or at the bottom of a purse. A penny here and nickel there may seem like nothing, but they add up when put together. And if anyone can remember being a kid and hearing the ice cream truck coming, those cushion-coins can be a great blessing.

In our chosen text, Jesus demonstrates the value of a small, coin and how precious it can be. This is a wonderful picture of How God values each lost soul that is saved by grace, and Christ sacrifice upon the cross.

Commit to Searching (15:8)

There is Worth in a Lost Coin (15:8a) - “Or what woman who has 10 silver coins, if she loses one, coin,”

Note: Luke 15:8–10 (BKC): A drachma, a Greek silver coin referred to only here in the New Testament, equaled about a day’s wages. The point would have been clear to Jesus’ listeners: the sinners with whom He was associating were extremely valuable to God. The coin was a part of her headdress which represented much to this woman.

It symbolized her status as a married woman: The headdress was typically given as a dowry or wedding gift from a father to his daughter on her wedding day. It symbolized her secured insecurity: The coins in the headdress were used to demonstrate the woman’s financial security if her husband died leaving her a widow or deserted her. However, there was insecurity in her position because she only had ten coins, and most women had headdresses filled with coins. It symbolized her sincerity: Sometimes a coin was removed from a woman’s headdress to show she had been unfaithful to her husband. If she had been discovered with a lost coin it may be the equivalent to wearing a scarlet letter of shame.

Matthew 18:28 (HCSB) - “28 "But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him 100 denarii. He grabbed him, started choking him, and said, 'Pay what you owe!’”

1 John 3:1 (HCSB) - “1 Look at how great a love the Father has given us, that we should be called God's children. And we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn't know Him.”

Psalm 8:4 (HCSB) - “4 what is man that You remember him, the son of man that You look after him?”

There is Work in Finding the Lost Coin (15:8b) - “does she not light the lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?”

Note: It was in a darkened coin — She lights the lamp because the coin was in darkness as all men are.

John 1:6-9 (HCSB) - “6 There was a man named John who was sent from God. 7 He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. 9 The true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.”

Luke 8:16-18 (HCSB) - “16 "No one, after lighting a lamp, covers it with a basket or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lamp stand so that those who come in may see the light. 17 For nothing is concealed that won't be revealed, and nothing hidden that won't be made known and come to light. 18 Therefore, take care how you listen. For whoever has, more will be given to him; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.”

Matthew 5:16 (HCSB) - “In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

2 Corinthians 4:4 (NLT) - “4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.”

Note: It was a dirty coin — She swept the house because the coin had fallen on a dirt floor. And although it was stamped with the image of the emperor, it was covered in dirt. This is similar to the state of humanity, which are made in God’s image, but get marred by the sins of this life. We should be actively encouraged to seek the lost, just as the devil is always working to devour souls.

1 Peter 5:8 (KJV) - “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”

Note: it was a disused coin — The coin provided no use as long as it was lost. It was valuable but useless object until it was found. The same holds true for people who are not living their lives for God. They have value, but are not serving their purpose to glorify Him.

Call Others to Share About the Results of the Search (15:9)

A Coin is Found (15:9a) - “When she finds it.”

Habakkuk 3:18 (HCSB) - “18 yet I will triumph in the Lord; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!”

Luke 19:10 (HCSB) - “10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost."

Acts 16:34 (HCSB) - “34 He brought them up into his house, set a meal before them, and rejoiced because he had believed God with his entire household.”

A Communication is Shared About the Coin Being Found (15:9b) - “she calls her women friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found the silver coin I lost!’”

Acts 11:13-18 (NLT) - “13 He told us how an angel had appeared to him in his home and had told him, ‘Send messengers to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter. 14 He will tell you how you and everyone in your household can be saved!’ 15 “As I began to speak,” Peter continued, “the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as he fell on us at the beginning. 16 Then I thought of the Lord’s words when he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand in God’s way?” 18 When the others heard this, they stopped objecting and began praising God. They said, “We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life.”

Celebrate the Salvation (15:10)

Angels Celebrate (15:10a) - “I tell you, in the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one…”

Ezekiel 18:32 (HCSB) - “32 For I take no pleasure in anyone's death." [This is] the declaration of the Lord God . "So repent and live!”

Matthew 18:10 (HCSB) - “10 "See that you don't look down on one of these little ones, because I tell you that in heaven their angels continually view the face of My Father in heaven.”

Sinner’s Repent (15:10b) - “sinner who repents.”

2 Corinthians 7:10 (NLT) - “For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.”

Romans 10:8-10 (HCSB) - “8 On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. This is the message of faith that we proclaim: 9 if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 With the heart one believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses, resulting in salvation.”