Pastor Jonathan Laurie breaks down the story of the prodigal son by spotlighting the older brother—the one who stayed, obeyed, and still missed the father’s heart.

Notes

Luke 15:11–32 (NKJV)

Luke 15:11–24

The younger brother rejected the father, rebelled, and pursued pleasure.

The son’s request would be unheard of in the first century.

The father honors the son’s request.

Jesus is painting a picture of a father who maintains his love and endures the agony despite being rejected.

We can be like that, too. We want the gift but not the Giver of the gift.

The prodigal son hit rock bottom.

That’s when he came to himself.
The father ran to the son and kissed him.

The Robe
The Father tells his servants to bring out the best robe.

The father covered the son with his own honor.

We don’t clean our lives up and then come to God.
He cleans our lives up when we come to Him.

The Ring
The son had the righteousness of the father, and a full restoration of identity and authority to make decisions and give directives.

The Sandals
The father restored the son, saying you belong here, and you’re equipped for the road ahead.

The Feast
This was the father’s way of publicly and directly addressing any rumors or questions about his son.

Luke 15:23 (NKJV)
“And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry;

Luke 15:24 (NKJV)
“For this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” And they began to be merry.

Read Luke 15:25–32

The father again demonstrates his love.

He pursues both sons because both sons are lost.

The Religious Brother
Luke 15:25–32

Jesus was holding up a mirror.

Read Luke 15:1–2 (NKJV)

The religious leaders that Jesus was speaking to looked down on the people Jesus came to redeem.

Luke 19:10 (NLT)
For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.

The two brothers are a picture of the two types of people in the audience, rebellious versus religious.

The Redemptive Brother
Romans 8:29 (NKJV)

Jesus is the third brother. He is the one who left heaven and came to earth to seek and to save the lost.

Jesus took our rebellion; He took our religion and everything that stood between the Father and us and absorbed it on the cross.

That’s the gospel.
That’s what Jesus did for you.

What’s it going to take?

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