Luke 19:10
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.
Contents
God has sought the lost from the very beginning
Genesis 3:8-9
They heard Yahweh God’s voice walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Yahweh God among the trees of the garden.
Yahweh God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?”
Sin separates us from God in two ways. First, like Adam and Eve in the garden, we distance ourselves from God and hide from Him. Second, we can’t be in eternal communion with holy God as sinners. Fortunately, God has always sought the lost, as we see in Gen 3:9.
Jesus seeking all people
John 12:32
And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.
1 Timothy 1:15
The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
Hebrews 2:9
But we see him who has been made a little lower than the angels, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God he should taste of death for everyone.
1 Timothy 2:5–6
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, the testimony in its own times,
John 3:17
For God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him.
Luke 2:11
For there is born to you today, in David’s city, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
Luke 1:68–69
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people;
and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David
Luke 1:76-77
And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins,
Acts 5:31
God exalted him with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins.
Acts 13:23
From this man’s offspring, God has brought salvation to Israel according to his promise
1 John 4:14–15
We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him, and he in God.
John 12:46–47
I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in the darkness. If anyone listens to my sayings, and doesn’t believe, I don’t judge him. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
Jesus tells how He seeks the lost in His parables
The Parable of the Lost Coin
Luke 15:8-10
“Or what woman, if she has ten drachma coins, and loses one drachma coin, doesn’t light a lamp, sweep the house, and search diligently until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the drachma which I had lost.’ Even so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner repenting.”
The Parable of the lost sheep
Luke 15:3-7
He told them this parable. “Which of you men, if you had one hundred sheep, and lost one of them, wouldn’t leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one that was lost, until he found it? When he has found it, he carries it on his shoulders, rejoicing. When he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I tell you that even so there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.
John 10:11
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
The parable of the prodigal son
In the famous parable of the prodigal son, it may seem that the son is returning home to his father without being sought after. However, this is not the case. We are responders to God’s mercy.
In the instance of the prodigal son, God seeks the lost son by orchestrating the son’s life, even within the son’s own rebellious choices, so that he eventually has a chance to realize that things were much better back home.
Luke 15:11-23
He said, “A certain man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of your property.’ So he divided his livelihood between them. Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living. When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need. He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs. He wanted to fill his belly with the husks that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough to spare, and I’m dying with hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and will tell him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight. I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants.”’
“He arose, and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe, and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand, and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let’s eat, and celebrate;
To conclude
We are all lost. And even though we have squandered our inheritance away from the Father’s house, we still have the invitation to return. God rejoices over every repentant sinner who comes back home. Is today your day to return?