228 Who Are You Precious Too?

Jesus tells the story of the Prodigal Son to illustrate how God feels about each one of us, even if we have rebelliously left Him in our past as wanted Him to leave us alone. But this Father, who had been so shamed by his arrogant son excitedly welcomes him home and showers him with gifts to convince him that he is truly a son and not a slave. What a beautiful picture of how precious we are to the Father.

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SHOW NOTES

2. I am precious to him.

Who are you precious to?

Parable of the Lost Son (Luke 15)

Told only in Luke because it was too close to home for the Jewish

writers to tell. The most powerful revelation of the character of God in all the

parables and stories Jesus told.

11 To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man

had two sons. 12 The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of

your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his

wealth between his sons.

13 “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and

moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in

wild living.

14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine

swept over the land, and he began to starve. 15 He persuaded a

local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to

feed the pigs. 16 The young man became so hungry that even the

pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave

him anything.

17 “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home

even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am

dying of hunger! 18 I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I

have sinned against both heaven and you, 19 and I am no longer

worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired

servant.”’

1. He was going home for all the wrong reasons. He is hungry.

2. He did not miss his father, mother or brother

3. He has lost his identity as a son. He is a loser. His self-

image is that of a servant or a slave.

20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long

way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and

compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.

This emotional outburst is almost unique in the Hebrew

scriptures. Jesus is revealing how the father feels about us. Ran—

embraced—kissed.

21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven

and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.

’

Father ignores the speech.

22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe

in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals

for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must

celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has

now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the

party began.

The robe, the ring, the sandals and the party are not because the

father is ashamed of his son and cannot bear the sight of him. God

is not so holy that he needs the righteousness of Jesus to disguise

us. It is to change the way we think of ourselves. It is to deal with

our shame and guilt and tell us we are precious to him

Here is a parallel story from the Old Testament.

Zechariah 3:1-5 NLT

Then the angel showed me Jeshua the high priest standing before

the angel of the Lord. The Accuser, Satan, was there at the angel’s

right hand, making accusations against Jeshua. 2 And the Lord said

to Satan, “I, the Lord, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the Lord,who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. This man is like a burning

stick that has been snatched from the fire.”

3 Jeshua’s clothing was filthy as he stood there before the

angel. 4 So the angel said to the others standing there, “Take oW his

filthy clothes.” And turning to Jeshua he said, “See, I have taken

away your sins, and now I am giving you these fine new clothes.”

5 Then I said, “They should also place a clean turban on his head.”

So they put a clean priestly turban on his head and dressed him in

new clothes while the angel of the Lord stood by.

There is joy in heaven over one sinner that comes home. It does

not matter about the wrong motives. The joy is in the father’s

heart. He wants it in your heart.

This is prophetic of the Second Coming:

1. New bodies for old bodies

2. Ring of authority—sitting on God’s throne with him

3. Sandalled ambassadors for Father to wing our way to

distant galaxies

4. The marriage supper of the Lamb.

Luke 12:37 NLT The servants who are ready and waiting for

their return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself

will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit

and eat!

25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he

returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, 26 and he

asked one of the servants what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother is

back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We

are celebrating because of his safe return.’

28 “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father

came out and begged him,

29 but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve

slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you

told me to.

This is the hard working, faithful, obedient son.

And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a

feast with my friends. 30 Yet when this son of yours comes back

after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by

killing the fattened calf!’

This is the angry, resentful, suspicious, unforgiving, bitter son.

31 “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed

by me, and everything I have is yours. 32 We had to celebrate this

happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life!

He was lost, but now he is found!’”

Did he come in? This is how one is lost. It is not through

ignorance. It is not through weakness. It is not through bad self-

image. It is through an angry refusal to come in.

It is bitterness of spirit. It is the refusal to forgive others. What I

say unto you, I say unto all. Watch! Discern the spirit that

animates you.

There is a new heaven and a new earth coming. Jesus, the one

we rejected and tortured and executed with be there. After

willing you through the Spirit he will be Watching for you.

Waiting for you. Longing for you because you are precious to

him.