This is from 11 to 32, but I'm starting lower down to save time. Because we're going to look at the father's response. Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and I'm no more worthy to be called thy son. Make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose and came to his father, but when he had yet a great way far off, his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to the father, I have sinned against heaven in my sight and no more worthy to be called my son. But the father said to his servants, bring forth the best Rome and put it on and put the ring on his hand and shoes on his feet and bring him hither the fatted calf and kill it and let us eat and be merry. For this, my son was dead and is alive again. He was lost and astound. And they began to be merry. Now, his elder son was in the field, and as he came, drew an eye to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called, and he said to him, thy brother is come. And thy father hath killed the fatted cat, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry and would not go in, therefore his father came out and treated him. And he answering, said to his father, lo, these many years I do serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time my commandment. And yet thou never gavest me a kid. that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. And he said unto him, son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. And it was meet that we should make merry and be glad. For this thy brother was dead, and is alive again, and was lost, and is found. Please be seated. The unworthy son recedes home and is freely pardoned, accepted, and even blessed by the father. These are perhaps the most touching, deeply affecting words ever written. They are intended to teach us about the amazing, infinite love of God and Christ toward his people. In the story, there are three notable things that merit our close attention. First, the father saw his son while at a good distance away. This little detail indicates that the lost son was on his father's heart the whole time he was gone. The son had rejected his father and treated him with contempt. But the father never stopped loving his son, even for a moment. The son was in his thoughts. There is a deep longing to see a son saved and restored. While we must be very careful about when trying to tying parables to particular doctrines, we are safe in seeing here the love of God towards elect sinners. Remember the old sticker? Well, if you're really old, you remember the 70s, the old, I found a campaign. No, you didn't find it. God found you in the dung and pulled you out. They are loved before the foundation of the world, and they are loved by Jesus while they are still enemies of God. The great distance and the father's first sight of his son are intended to underline the fact that it is a loving father who actively initiates the restoration. When the father saw his son, he was moved with compassion. He saw his son walking toward the estate, and he was dressed in filthy rags, barefoot, half starved to death. smelly, filthy. He looked almost as bad as someone walking out of the gate of a concentration camp. When his father saw this, there was a deep, overwhelming sense of pity for his son. God looks upon elect sinners with the eyes of mercy. The self-induced misery of sin, which the son fully deserved, caused the father to have mercy. and this pity moved him to pardon his sins, cover them over, and forget them forever. God has mercy on his people by covering their sins with the blood of Christ. The love and compassion of God is the sinner's great hope. God's love sent Jesus to the earth to die for sinners, and his compassion applies that perfect work to them in history. Paul says Ephesians 2 1 to 9 and you we made alive who were dead and trespasses and sins in which you once walked according to the course of this world according to the prince of power of the air the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh and fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, by grace you have been saved, and raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness toward us and Christ Jesus for by grace you have been saved through faith and not not of yourselves it is the gift of God not of works lest anyone should boast second the father's great love is further emphasized by running to his son and embracing him he ran and fell on his neck Kissed him verse 20 The father's love is so intense He completely throws off Jewish behavioral conventions and runs with joy and excitement to his son He throws his arms around his filthy starving smelly son and holds on to him and then kisses him tenderly and fervently We see here Not a qualified or half-hearted acceptance of his son, but rather a wholehearted acceptance coupled with an uninhibited exhibition of joy and happiness because of his son's return. This kiss was the seal of forgiveness. He would not have hugged and kissed him if he were angry with him and rejected him as a son. No. He clearly forgives him all. Oftentimes, actions speak louder than words. At this point, the father had not spoken one word, yet the unworthy son now knows the amazing, unmovable, forgiving love of his father. The genius of this parable is seen in how our Lord uses the analogy of parental affection to pull on the audience's heartstrings. The Pharisees and scribes were not simply self-righteous hypocrites who taught a damnable false doctrine of salvation. but they had also perverted the doctrine of God by greatly limiting his attributes of love, mercy, and grace. Anybody who says that Christ does not have the power to save or who does not actually save but only makes salvation possible to those who exercise their free will is a heretic. New representation could better instruct us on the source of our forgiveness and undeserved favor by God. Jesus here is not simply obliterating the Pharisee's legalism, but showing the people why the gospel of faith alone deserves their full trust. God's love of his people is infinite and ready and willing to fully forgive them the moment they believe in Christ. In fact, if we use the analogy of scripture, we see that God reached out to the sinner while he was still in the ping pin covered with mud, covered with excrement of the pigs. And he changed his heart and enabled him to see the truth and repent. Yeah, the Armenian gospel is a false gospel, a damnable gospel, an insult to the grace and mercy of God. As sinners saved by grace, it is important for us to meditate on God's love toward the elect. It is a love that truly saves. It is a compassion that really forgives. Because of the remaining sinful nature within us, we constantly fall short of what God requires, even though we have decisively broken away from our unconverted life. Therefore, we need to continually place our faith in this infinite love in order to avoid spiritual depression and despair over our continual shortcomings. The Puritans got obsessed with belly button theology, constantly examining themselves too much to the point where everybody doubted their salvation. They stopped taking the Lord's Supper, and a whole generation of Puritans was lost. The God of the Bible is not an unloving, selfish figure who is uncaring and distant. No. He loves us with a love so great it is beyond our comprehension. The scripture reading we just had, he sends Gabriel, an archangel, from the very throne room of God. It is a love so amazing that it sent the Lord Jesus to the cross to die for our sins. Jesus pictures the redeeming grace of God in such vivid colors because it is vitally necessary to sustain our faith. The conscience that is deeply convicted of sin, almost to the point of despair, must take refuge in the love, compassion and mercy of God. This is a wonderful living and true God of scripture that we all serve. Never let us water down this precious doctrine by adopting Arminian theology, which teaches that God has this kind of love for all men without exception, even though He has no intention of saving or forgiving or regenerating anyone. It's up to them to save themselves through an autonomous act of the unencumbered will. Heresy! It insults the love of God. It insults the power of Christ. It insults the power of the cross and the empty tomb. God brings those he loves to their senses, and he causes them to repent and believe, and the rest, tragically, he hardens, Romans 9. Interestingly, the younger son does not conclude that this loving reception makes his prepared confession irrelevant. He understood that a crucial aspect of repentance is to confess one's sin to God and the offended party, so he sticks to his plan. But it is noteworthy that he leaves out one part of the prepared statement. His confession follows his plan to the letter, but he omits the words, make me like one of your hired servants. The gracious reception on the part of the father made such words unnecessary. The father had already made it crystal clear that he was a cherished son, a loved son, not a slave. This aspect of the parable is in complete harmony with the New Testament teaching that Jesus' redemption involves more than pardon. The one who believes in Jesus is clothed with Christ's perfect righteousness and adopted into God's own family. We're part of God's family. While we are servants of Christ with his blood, verse Corinthians, I forgot to write down the text. I think it's six or seven. We are regarded as sons in the beloved. Third, the father blesses his son and restores him to full fellowship. 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. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it. And let us eat and be merry. For this my son was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found. And they began to be merry. Verses 22 to 24. It is interesting that in spite of the son's horrid appearance, There is not a foolish word, there's not a single word about his foolish decision to leave home, his grossly immoral behavior, or the disaster that he had made of his life. There are no rebukes or I told you so's. The father has come, not to reprove, but to bless. The father's forgiveness is so complete and his joy so boundless, that he intends to treat his son not as a vile sinner or as a rebel, but rather someone as righteous, dignified, and important. You see, in the Day of Judgment, God doesn't see you in your filthy, stinking rags, for they've been removed and replaced with the robes of Christ's righteousness. He gets royal treatment. Once again, the symbolism here is fitting for the gospel. Because of what Christ has done, the Father treats believing sinners as though they had never sinned at all. Their sins are not reckoned to their account because Jesus paid the price in full for them at the cross. In keeping with this, the father tells the servant to bring forth the best robe, the Greek. Literally means a robe, the first. Perhaps this refers to the best out of the father's own wardrobe, the best robe that the father possesses. This would be a long flowing robe of expensive materials worn on festive or formal occasions. The father is not merely supplying the immediate needs of his son who returned in worn, filthy, tattered clothing. He is showing him a great honor. By way of application, the festive robe properly represents the imputation of the righteousness of Christ and the position in God's family that that brings. Yes, we're forgiven by Christ. He takes all of our sin, our guilt, Our liability of punishment on the cross, and he burns it all away, removes it completely. But that's only part of the gospel. He also imputes his perfect, positive righteousness to our account. On the day of judgment, God sees the perfect righteousness of Christ. When a person believes in Christ, there are two key aspects of the salvation that result in a person's justification. Negatively speaking, the person's sin, guilt, are imputed to Christ. That removes the guilt and liability of punishment by his suffering and death. You deserve to go to hell. Christ experienced hell in your place. You deserve to pay for your sins. He paid for your sins in full. That is what redemption is. Christ's sacrifice of himself released the sinner from condemnation in hell. The believing sinner's sins are washed away, cleansed, covered with the blood of the Redeemer. They are put away forever by the divine human mediators once sacrificed for sin. If the parable had even been more detailed, this could have been pictured by the removal of the young son's filthy, smelly, rotting clothes, as well as a thorough washing of his filthy, stinking body. Now, positively speaking, there's the imputation of the believer to the believing center of the righteousness of Christ. To understand this teaching, we must see what the moral law requires. The law of God, the moral law, requires two things of every person. First, to violate the law involves the penalty of death in the fullest sense of the word. And this involves spiritual death, the curse of the law, separation from God, and God's displeasure and wrath. And I've listed several passages for the sake of time. You can look those up later. Physical death, the suffering of hell, the lake of fire. It is this requirement of the law that sent Jesus to the cross of Calvary to suffer and die in the place of his people. And this is a doctrine of which most evangelicals are well aware. Yeah, Jesus went to the cross to pay for sin. That's pretty well known. Second, the moral law also requires a perfect obedience. If a person has the guilt of sin removed, that person has been delivered from hell or the curse of the law. However, if he is to enter heaven, if he is to have the reward that the law promises for perfect obedience, the covenant works in the garden. which was never fulfilled by Adam and Eve, they broke it, then he needs the righteousness or perfect obedience of another. To put the matter another way, if one had his sins removed only, then he would be innocent like Adam in the garden. But Adam, even in his innocency, did not yet have a title to glorified life because he had not yet perpetually obeyed God's test. Eternal life that is promised when you believe in Christ is a glorified eternal life. You can never sin. You can never fall forever. It is for this reason that the New Testament so often speaks of the necessity of the righteousness of Christ, the righteousness of God, or the righteousness of faith. Romans 10, 3 and 4 and 6, 5, 10 and 19, 4, 11, 13, 9, 30, 3, 5, 21, 22, 2 Corinthians 5, 21, Galatians 5, 5, Philippians 3, 9, et cetera. By his perfect obedience, Jesus has earned heaven, eternal life, or glorification for us. That's why his resurrection from the tomb is the paradigm, the pattern of our resurrection. He earned eternal life. He earned a glorified body. And because of what he did, and we were united with him in his death and resurrection, we will receive those glorified bodies as well. Thus, the younger son is not simply restored to a regular standing, but to a glorified standing. He is blessed and treated like a king. The righteousness of Christ is the royal robe which clothes us after the filthy, stinking rags of our sins have been removed. It is a spotless, sparkling white robe that God beholds when he looks upon us. And Jesus has clothed us with garments of salvation and covered us with his robes of righteousness, Isaiah 61 10. It is the only garment that gets us into the wedding supper of the Lamb. And you remember the parable. Where are your wedding clothes? How did you get in here? Where are your wedding clothes? And he was cast into the outer darkness where there was weeping and gnashing of teeth because he did not have the imputed righteousness of Christ. Where Adam failed and we all fail miserably, the Savior was victorious. He victoriously rendered the obedience which Adam, as mankind's representative, failed to render. 1 Corinthians 1 30 but of him you are in Christ Jesus who became for us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption that as it is written he who glories let him glory in the Lord Romans 10 for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes this is a wonderful comforting doctrine Yes, the Bible talks about our works being evaluated on the day of judgment, but not evaluated in the sense of the federal vision heretics who talk about God's going to see if they're good enough and then he's going to let you in. No, it's relating to the rewards of grace that you receive in heaven for the works you've done on earth. It has nothing to do with earning heaven. And nobody, if your works are pretty mediocre, Paul talks about them being burned up, but you're still saved. The gospel is not Christ's pardon plus our obedience. If it was, no one would go to heaven. For our best works are tainted with sin. Luke 17.10 and Philippians 3.8-9. That's why Paul says, I regard all my works, all of my best works, my best works are a stinking pile of excrement in God's sight. Now the gospel begins and ends with Christ. He procures forgiveness, and he is our righteousness. We are the righteousness of God in him, 2 Corinthians 5.21. When we stand before the judgment seat of God, Christ is our righteousness. He answers for us. He presents our own infinite merit as the all-sufficient reason for our justification before God. Romans 3, and of course Philippians 3. After the younger son's filthy garments are replaced by a rich robe to make him presentable and honorable, a ring is placed on his finger. The ring is a sign of honor, wealth, and distinction. Genesis 41, Exodus 310, James 2, 2, et cetera. In the ancient world, rings would be marked and used for seals. They would be pressed into wax to send a letter, seal a document, or a deed. If the son was given a signet ring, as most commentators suppose or agree, this would be an additional sign of acceptance and the bestowal of authority. The father does not treat the son as a slave, or as a common worker, or as a disobedient son who cannot be trusted. No, he has the place of honor and authority. By way of application, a signet ring points us to the incredible blessing of the sealing we receive by God's Holy Spirit, whereby we are assured of our eternal salvation and the full inheritance that one day we will be given on the final day. God, through Christ, has anointed us and sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee, 2 Corinthians 1.22. The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God, Romans 8.16. Because we have the first fruits of the Spirit, we eagerly wait for the adoption, the redemption of our bodies. Romans 8, 23. Yeah, salvation includes your soul and your body. We are saved, we're justified now. We are being saved in the broader sense of the term. Sanctification is progressive. And we will be saved in the future when we are resurrected body comes out of the tomb and we're fully glorified. That's why the full Preterist heresy, the idea that everything's already happened, is a total damnable heresy, because they believe that the body remains dead and rotted forever. They that are sanctified are adorned and dignified, are put in power, as Joseph was by Pharaoh's giving him a ring. Put a ring on his hand to be before him, a constant memorial of his father's kindness, that he may never forget it. In his destitution, the son approached home in bare feet. In the ancient world, going barefoot was a sign of slavery. Consequently, the father orders the servants to put shoes on his feet, sandals. A son and a freeman must have all the marks of prosperity and liberty. By way of application, the justified sinner is to henceforth walk worthily as a son by living a sanctified life and be walking in the footsteps of Jesus, the captain of our salvation, the lead climber, the captain. After the younger son is forgiven, showered with love and affection, and clothed like a prince, his salvation is celebrated with a great feast. The servants are to kill a fatted calf and prepare it for a celebrative meal. The expression fatted calf would, in a Jewish context, refer to a choice, one-year-old animal. The meat of the younger animal was much more tender, desirable, and very expensive. This is the best of the best. The killing of an animal to honor special guests was part of the Oriental culture, for example, Genesis 18, 7 to 8. In modern America, where meat is inexpensive and consumed on almost a daily basis, the killing of a fat calf does not hold its proper significance. To a first century Jew, who only occasionally ate meat, usually only on special festive occasions, for example, a marriage feast or a special religious holy day, this meal would indicate something very, very special. We take meat for granted. It's cheap. But in the ancient world, meat was something for special occasion. The killing of the fatted calf does not symbolize the Savior's atoning death or the sacraments. It rather points to the great celebration of salvation, where relatives and guests would be invited in to participate in the joy of the younger son's restoration. The purpose is made clear in 23b. Let us eat and be merry. Joy. This first corresponds to the climax of the previous two parables. As a joyful sheep herder summons his friends and neighbors in verse six and the rejoicing woman, her friends, verse nine. So here the father gathers everyone on the larger state to participate in his great joy. Our Lord's comments at the end of the previous parables indicate that when a sinner repents and is saved, heaven itself celebrates with joy. Yes, the angels, the throne room, everybody celebrates with joy. The point is that the Pharisees and scribes should rejoice as the church and the angels do instead of murmuring and complaining. They should rejoice as God brings in the Gentiles, which they will not. This section ends with the father's reason for this magnificent celebration. For this, my son was dead. and is alive again. He was lost and is found. And they began to be merry, verse 24. If one strictly follows the story of straight history, then the word dead would be interpreted as dead to the family or assumed to be physically dead. But more likely, however, that Jesus intends this and the other three metaphors, alive, lost, found, to be interpreted spiritually. If they were not viewed theologically, they add little to the story. With this in mind, Christ is teaching that prior to conversion, men are in a state of spiritual death. All of human existence, no matter how outwardly vital, prosperous, and happy, apart from Jesus Christ and the fellowship with God he brings, is described as death. Before faith and repentance, we were dead in trespasses and sins, Ephesians 2.5. Paul describes the why of the younger son's riotous life in a foreign land perfectly in Romans 8, 5 to 8. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds to the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit, the things of the spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. And that was a favorite passage of Luther's in refuting the Arminians of his day. Before salvation, all men are dead in Adam, the federal head of the human race, Romans five, on account of their covenantal connection to him dead. Also because we've also all grievously violated God's law and dead morally because of the pollution of our minds and conscience. Our understanding was darkened and our will was enslaved to an evil heart. But thank God Yahweh did not leave us in such a horrid condition. The believer is alive because of the spirit of life from Jesus has entered into his heart and he is born again. John 3, 3 and 8. He is born from above. Regenerated. Titus 3, 5. Made alive or quickened. Ephesians 2, 5. The victorious Savior who is at God's right hand has sent his Spirit to create spiritual life in us. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit. John 3, 6. As Paul has said, Titus 3, 5, not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 4, 6, for it is God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Because of the implantation of spiritual life, we were seemingly, we were drawn to Christ. We are given the gifts of faith and repentance. They come in regeneration, even though we are the ones who repent and we're the ones who have faith. And now we are new creatures in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5, 17. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. When Paul declares that for Christians, old things have passed away, the sense, the verb is in the aorist tense, points back to that definite moment or event, the experience of the new birth. It is then that the old things, the distinctions, prejudices, misconceptions, and enslavement to the former unregenerate way of life, assume the character of pastness. They're in the past. Behold, they are become new. Note the tense again, this time in the perfect, indicating that all things became and continue to become new. For the newness of God's new creation is not a newness that in the course of time, pauls and grows old and is outmoded. It is a newness that is everlastingly new. That's why the Puritans called regeneration initial sanctification. You have the Holy Spirit now. Yes, you have to deal with the flesh. Yes, they have to reject the world. Yes, they have to watch and pray against temptation, et cetera. But now that you have the Holy Spirit, your life will be one of victory. You will persevere. You will be victorious. The life that Jesus gives us is spiritual and eternal. Christ has conquered death comprehensively. The new birth issues forth into conversion, sanctification, and even glorification. Note our Lord's amazing words. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes in him who set me has everlasting life and shall not come to judgment, but has passed from death into life. John 45, 24. If you believe in Christ, you are pardoned, forgiven, justified and possess eternal life this very moment. you will be delivered from the second death. And even your physical body will be resurrected and made into a glorified, immortal, incorruptible body. Amazing. Christ saves the whole man, body and soul. The person who repents and embraces Christ is no longer legally or spiritually dead. And even his physical death will be conquered at the final resurrection. No wonder the angels of God rejoice over such an amazing salvation. Everyone who exists needs to carefully note our Lord's words, which describe the vast difference between the position of a believer, a true Christian, and all those who do not believe. It is nothing less than the difference between life and death, heaven and hell, eternal joy with God and eternal sufferings in the lake of fire. It is not a topic that one should take lightly. If you have not believed in Christ, As he is revealed in the scriptures, you are dead. Spiritually, judicially, you are damned. You are lost. You cannot pass from death into life until you hear Jesus' voice in the gospel and embrace it. Our Lord said, this is from John 10, 9, 11, 27, 28, I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved. I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives his life for the sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand." The contrast pair of dead and alive is strengthened by the addition of the words of opposition, lost and found. Whereas the first two words are personal and applied to the younger son's state, the second pair is clearly relational. The son was not lost in the geographical sense, but was lost in that his relationship to God and his father was broken. This makes perfect sense, but the term lost is picked up from the last two parables, where lost is interpreted as unsaved or alienated from God. The Bible says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. By casting off the authority of his father and rejecting what had been taught about God and his youth, the younger son left himself without direction, without meaning, without true spiritual knowledge or true ethics. Yes, he was lost in the sense that he was not saved, but he was also lost in the sense that his life was a complete waste because of his spiritual state. The unsaved life is a lost life, a worthless life. It is trash. Yes, you might put out some great music, you might be a great guitar player, you might be a great sculptor, but that's not going to give you any comfort burning in hell. A life without Christ is one of complete vanity. There is nothing sadder about the heathen than the fact that their whole life is a monument to foolishness and stupidity. What could be more tragic than a life completely wasted? You see, we derive our purpose and meaning from the true and living God of Scripture and His Son, Jesus Christ, the Word made manifest. People need to understand that Christianity is not a pie-in-the-sky religion where people leave their rationality at the door to embrace any rational leap of faith. Or a leap in the dark kind of worldview. It is exactly quite the opposite. The believer, like the parable says earlier, is the one who comes to his senses. Once he has embraced Christ, he is no longer wanders aimlessly and spends his time in a pig pen. Hey, going out to the bars and getting drunk and strip clubs and snorting coke and hanging out with whores and sluts. That's the life of a pig pen. You're covered with pig excrement. That's what God sees. That's what your life is worthless. Now he lives for Christ, and that is the abundant life. That is the life of meaning. That is the life of happiness and blessedness. There is a certain irony here in that the younger son wanted his independence to go out and find himself, so to speak. But the only thing he found was meaningless and misery. After he comes to his senses and abandons his autonomy to embrace his father, he finds himself. because he is saved from himself. We need to be saved from ourselves. The wicked, stupid, dead, Christ-hating, God-hating, law-hating, pagan that we were. Instead of living in filthy rags among pigs, excrement, starving to death, he is dressed like a prince at a great feast. His life was truly found. That is, he was delivered from sin and its consequences, and thus began a loving, joyful relationship with his father. The rich table in the father's house is the preliminary of the heavenly feast that we will all experience. In this verse, there are pictured all the spiritual gifts, foods, joys, and blessings that are found on the table of God's abounding grace. The senior of the younger son's reception ends with the whole household and perhaps invited guests in a state of rejoicing. And they began to be merry. The verb here means to rejoice or make merry or exhibit gladness or cheerfulness. These people were so happy and in such a joyful state of mind over the younger son's salvation that they had to express themselves in great celebration. The father throws a feast or a large party with musical instruments and even perhaps dancing. In his unconverted state, the younger son began to be in want. He was miserable. He was unhappy. He knew that he was under the curse of God's law. His friends and loved ones were sad because he had chosen the broad path that leads to destruction. And when he was converted, sadness turns to joy and misery to great happiness. He's returned. People who portray Christianity as a sad, depressing, dour religion do not know scripture. Professing Christians who turn worship into a funeral procession or something exceptionally subdued and boring are being inconsistent with the joy and happiness that Jesus has brought to his people. It calls to mind that passage in Ephesians, which is also found in Colossians, where Paul is giving a section on sanctification. And he's saying, well, don't do this. Do this. And he gets to the part about drunkenness. Well, don't get drunk with wine. Get together and have a psalm sing. While unbelievers express great joy and exaltation over meaningless nonsense, such as sports team winning a championship, Christians rejoice over real, meaningful, crucial events with eternal consequences. If the church and even heaven itself rejoices over the conversion of one sinner, This sought to be an incentive to us to be more evangelistic toward the unsaved around us. Note Paul's attitude regarding those he brought to Christ. This is from 1 Thessalonians 2, 19 to 20. For what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ that is coming? For you are our glory and joy. A million years from now, a billion years from now, you can walk up and say, hey, Bob, remember me? I'm that goofy guy dressed like a slob that witnessed you in the park. A sign of being God's true children is that we have the same attitude toward the repentance of sinners and the gathering of his elect as he does. The Pharisees, the scribes hated the fact that sinners were repenting. Coming to Christ, and I guess we have a little bit of time to look at the lesson of the older brother. Do we have time? Now following this section on the younger son's reception we see the final scene Of the parable which deals with the wicked attitude and unbelief of the older brother I'm not going to read it to save time We read it earlier this section sets forth a second climax that is not found in the previous two parables The scene begins at the older brother out working in the field. He is placed there in the story so that we are to understand that he is not yet aware of the joyful reception of the younger son. He doesn't know what's going on. The older brother is clearly intended to represent the scribes and Pharisees who openly murmured and complained about our Lord's receiving sinners at the beginning of the chapter. As we will see, the older son becomes a symbol of the self-righteous person who rejects the doctrines of pure grace and mercy because it contradicts his love of self-sufficiency and works righteousness. This must be kept in mind if we are to understand these verses. The cults hate true Christianity. Jews, which is modern fair say, all Judaism, the Talmud, hate biblical Christianity, the doctrines of grace. Armenians hate the doctrines of grace. Roman Catholics hate the doctrines of grace. And Muslims hate the doctrines of grace. As the older son approaches the house, he hears music and dancing. And he asked one of the servants, what is taking place in the house? The term music is symphonia, our word for symphony, which literally means a sounding together. The word can be used in a band or musical ensemble, a group of musicians playing together. Or it can be used of a single instrument that can play a melody of many notes, for example, a flute in Daniel 3, 5, and 10 in the Greek Septuagint. It is used of a variety of instruments played together. In first century Palestine, there were groups of professional musicians who would play at festive occasions for a fee. The word dance, Greek, khoros. Our word khoros derives from this term. The English word chorus originally referred to a meeting place for singing and dancing. It refers to some kind of celebrative type of folk dancing, not the modern lewd kind of dancing that occurs at bars, nightclubs, and drinking parties. While the mode of dancing is not known in detail, it is clear that men and women did not generally dance together. And there is no evidence that they ever did in Jewish circles, and that's true even in the ultra-Orthodox today. Social amusement was hardly a major purpose of dancing. And the modern method of dancing by couples is unknown in ancient times. In the Old Testament, we read of religious festive dancing in association with the Israelites' deliverance from Egypt, Exodus 1520. The covenant people's victory over their enemies in war for Samuel 18 and 21 and King David celebration of the arcs moved to its proper place in the tabernacle second Samuel 614. The theme of religious dancing in the Old Testament is thankfulness and rejoicing toward God the Lord Yahweh. Christians who condemn dancing in any form or for any occasion do not have justification for such a view from the Word of God. Now, we don't believe in dancing in public worship, obviously, because there's no examples of that in Scripture. Women in a parade, that's not public worship. While lascivious or lewd dancing is sinful, joyful dancing and leaping to the Lord is not. And there are no examples or authorizations, however, in any part of Scripture for so-called liturgical dancing and public worship. But the servant tells the older brother, the father has killed the fatted calf because he has received the younger son safe and sound, verse 27. The words safe and sound mean literally to be in good health. The servants are in support of the father's decision. Their language, however, is less dramatic. The word safe and sound or healthy means he arrived home in good condition without broken bones, wounds or serious diseases. In scripture, health is often associated with salvation in the broad sense of the term. And Jesus often healed people of their physical infirmities. But his central mission was to heal us of our spiritual maladies. By his stripes we are healed. And that's quoted in the Gospels after a bunch of healings take place. So let's look very briefly at the older brother's unbiblical reaction. After the servant's explanation, there are three things about the older brother's response that are designed to teach us about the scribes and Pharisees and all those who are like them. First, the older brother becomes angry about the joy and celebration over the younger son's salvation and the father's extension of love and mercy. The word angry denotes not a mere temporary fit of anger, but a deep-seated wrath. There is some seething hatred within the older brother's heart that extends to both the younger brother and the father. The Pharisees not only despised the sinners who came to our Lord Jesus Christ, but they hated Jesus as well, because he was happy to extend mercy and forgiveness to sinners who repented and believed in him. You see this, read the Gospels. They're angry at people that he healed, and they want to persecute people for getting healed and being joyful about it. Likewise, papists and all merit mongers rage in hatred against the true gospel and its advocates. Romanists and Muslims persecute the Church of Christ and make war against the saints because of the saints' love of the truth. The older brother's inner anger is reflected in his behavior. He refuses to go into the party. He had no intention of joining in the festivities because he does not believe that the younger son should have been forgiven or received back into the household. He rejects justification by faith alone, apart from the works of the law. He refused to enter the house and be joyful. It was a very public display of the displeasure with these events. He was so convinced that his position was just and his father's immoral that he was willing to make a public scene. And similarly, the scribes and Pharisees openly criticized Jesus' love and compassion in receiving sinners. And you watch these atheists on YouTube, these knuckleheads, and they talk about the gospel as shockingly, you know, the fact that somebody would die for somebody so their sins could be forgiven. How shocking, how ridiculous that is. They're no different than the Pharisees, these self-righteous atheists. And then third, and we'll wrap things up here, the older son's reasons for his anger and behavior are rooted in his self-righteousness. This point is brought out in his interaction with the father. After the father is informed of his son's obnoxious behavior, he goes outside and gently attempts to persuade his son to come inside. He did not rebuke his son, but out of his kindness pleaded with him. We must keep in mind that all of Jesus' ministry was full of strong rebukes and even covenantal curses on the Pharisees and the Jewish leadership. He treated the Jews as part of the visible church that still had an opportunity to repent and believe. Remember, don't go to the Gentiles. Don't go to Samaritans. Preach to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. They had their opportunity because of the visible church. Very few religious leaders repented and followed him. But a few did. Nicodemus, for example. God bids all men to repent and believe. Because some are elect, they will obey the gospel call. Christ is telling his opponents that their behavior is wicked, and therefore they need to repent if they want to participate in the joy of salvation and the eschatological feast. And I think I'll stop there. I don't know how long I've gone, but it's been a long time. But I just hope you see how amazingly and how such detail that the gospel is presented in this parable. The gospel is crystal clear. It's all presented here in an amazing detail. And Jesus, in amazing detail, shows a sovereign grace. In amazing detail, he shows us that if you depend on your own righteousness, you're going to go right to hell. So don't forget that fact. So let us reflect on this amazing teaching. Let us pray. Father, we thank you so much. for our Lord's teaching, that you, that Luke, the physician by the Spirit, is recorded for our benefit. Engrain these amazing truths in our mind. Fill us with your Spirit. Bend our hearts. Cause us to love and obey these truths and never forget them. In Jesus' name, amen. Any questions? Go ahead. When you say that you're talking about Jesus' skill in communicating truths about God's love, so that the audience could understand and believe those truths, and with emotions following, Well, yeah, I mean, there's emotional appeal there, obviously. And then for somebody who the Holy Spirit comes upon, that becomes profitable. And for those who do not have the Holy Spirit, they either laugh at that, mock it, or they might get a tear in their eye and then forget about it and go out and do whatever. You see what I'm saying? Obviously, in the parables, Jesus does appeal to the emotions, but the truths of the gospel are presented clearly, and those emotions, we'll put it this way, the heart has the will, the affections, everything, the intellect, the rational. And the gospel appeals to all that, and the Holy Spirit uses all that. However, your will must, I mean, you must believe, if that helps. Sorry, I'm burned out, but. Yeah. I mean, the gospel is obviously a very emotional thing. I mean, even that scripture reading, that Luke scripture reading, I mean, how you could read that without almost tearing up, it's so amazing. But yeah, the emotional's there. But obviously, you have to rationally believe the facts of the gospel and have them correct and trust in Christ as revealed in the scripture, or the emotion is simply worthless. But the emotional's there. I mean, scripture is extremely touching all over the place. Yes, yes, but you agree that No, I'm not talking about the so-called conversion experience where you have to feel a certain thing and cry and go down to the altar in the front of the church and sign a card and pray a prayer and all that. No, I'm not talking about that. But I'm just talking about it is a touching parable. It is an emotional touching parable. That's all I'm saying. Yeah, yeah, absolutely, but you know some people some Christians get teared up over things they hear, you know very easily and others are You know more like cold fish, you know, they're just more intellectual but the emotional is obviously there and I mean, the gospel is full of it, all these healings and raising the dead and people begging and, you know, people that have been blind from birth and can't hear from birth and all of a sudden they're, you know, it's very touching. It is emotional, but I'm not talking about having an emotional experience conversion that is talked about in evangelicalism. I'm not talking about that at all, to make things clear. Oh, obviously, obviously, yeah. Well, it's fully just. I mean, in God's eyes, it's fully just. People go to hell for their sins. It's fully just. But but, you know, it's God does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked, it says. I think it's Ezekiel. I mean, yeah, it's it's sad. It's tragic. But that's reality and it's justice. And also in Revelation, there's praising God for his destruction of the persecutors of the church. So in Ezekiel, Well, I'd have to go back and look. I haven't looked at that in a long time. But, I mean, you have to understand, and this is where the federal vision guys get it all wrong. In the Old Testament, all these prophecies and the history and everything, you're dealing with a visible church of elect and non-elect, of wheat and tares. You're dealing with a visible church. So God pleads with the visible church. But that doesn't mean he loves the non-elect. And what the federal visionists do is they look at these pleadings and so forth, and then they come to this conclusion of baptismal regeneration, and if you're part of the visible church, you're definitely saved. And then, of course, that leads them to deny the perseverance of the saints and the nature of regeneration and perseverance and a bunch of really good doctrines. But you have to understand that even the New Testament, like Hebrews 6 and all these things, talking about people really falling away. They were never saved to begin with, and Hebrews 6 and James and other places make that perfectly clear. James says they never had real faith. A dead faith is not faith. A dead faith is not true faith that's defective. It's a dead faith. It's not real faith. But these federal visionists get it all wrong. Glorified bodies. Well, it's glorified bodies and your souls are actually, everything is changed. Well, your soul is already in heaven and perfect. But everything is changed in such a way. See, eternal life, in the ultimate sense, is you receive glorified eternal life where sin and temptation are no longer possible. Adam didn't have that. He could still sin and he could be tempted. But once you're glorified, sin is lost forever. Well, it happens for your soul when you die, but it doesn't have... The Bible, for the Hebrew mindset, the idea of your soul being separated from your body, they don't like that. So it's a great thing when your soul is reunited with your body and everything's glorified. We're not neoplatonists. And that's another problem with full preterists. They have to deny that God saves the body. And, you know, when Christ comes back, all the graveyards, all the people that died in the Titanic, everybody's going to be raised from the dead. Some go to hell with their bodies and some go to heaven with their bodies. The Bible is crystal clear about that. And it just blows my mind that full preterism is so popular. You've heard that. What's his name? That popular guy. What's his name down there in Atlanta? American Vision. He's a full preterist now. So don't buy any of his books. What's his name? Federal, uh, Gary DeMar. Gary DeMar is a open, full preterist. And he's admitted it publicly. So don't give him money and don't buy their books. I hope that helps. But anyway, God bless you.