Key Text: If, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life Romans 5:10.
Luke 15 is referred to as “The Gospel Within The Gospel.” It presents a glorious picture of the Heavenly Father in His love for lost mankind. He is seen as the seeking Father, reaching out to bring in those who have wandered into sin. What an incredible picture of our Heavenly Father: loving, forgiving, reaching, believing, until finally the lost are found. Against this background, the Pharisees and scribes observed that Jesus mingled freely with the publicans and sinners. To them it was a great offense and according to their understanding of the Law, this kind of social freedom was intolerable. Extreme bigotry, disdain, and prejudice could be found with the religious Jews for the publicans and sinners, the people of the land. The shepherd in Palestine had a difficult time caring for his sheep: the continual threat of drought, the dangerous terrain, and deep canyons and perilous caverns threatened both shepherd and sheep.
It is against this background that Jesus told the story of the shepherd and the lost sheep. He began with a question: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost?” The shepherd, not satisfied with the knowledge that all but one of the sheep had been accounted for, subjected himself to the dangers of the wilderness and prepared to risk his own life for the safety of the sheep. Having found the lost sheep, the shepherd would begin the long journey home. As the shepherd came into view of his village with the sheep thrown across his shoulder, the whole community cried out with joy. As the shepherd sought the lost sheep, so our Heavenly Father seeks the spiritually lost. As the humble peasants of the Judean village rejoiced when the lost sheep had been found, so all of heaven rejoice when one sinner repents and turns to God.
In Romans 5, Paul says hope will triumph in the love of God who perfects our salvation through Christ, the proof of God’s love for the believer. God also loves the ungodly v 6. On the other hand, the “weak-ones” are the disease-ridden that have no hope of life. They are the ungodly, helpless, the powerless, the sinners v 8, the unlovely, the hateful, the hating, and the enemies v 10. And yet, God flooded His love upon the ungodly, in the death of Christ, the greatest expression of love. Blessed is the man who has “Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine.” And in refrain we are to “Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere…that Jesus Christ is born. Down in lowly manger the humble Christ was born, and God sent us salvation that blessed Christmas morn.” AMEN & MERRY CHRISTMAS!
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