Bible Lesson: Parables-Our Lord's-The Prodigal Son

Bible Lesson: Parables'-Our Lord's.
Parable: The Prodigal Son.

Luke 15:10-32 KJV
10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
11 And He said, A certain man had two sons:
12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.
26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.
27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.
28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.
29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:
30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.
31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
32 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.


Luke 15:10-32 NLT
10 In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”
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.”’
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.
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.’
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.
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. 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!’
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!’

Jesus tells us this story, and it is a story of two sons.

Who are the sons?
Some have speculated that they are the Jews and the Gentiles.
Some have speculated that they are all “self-righteous,” individuals, legalists, as were the Pharisees and Scribes, who said that Jesus received sinners, versus those who received the Lord Jesus as the Christ.

This then is a story of the love of God, the Father.
At one time the brothers worked together in the father's fields.

But, something changes the story, and in effect changes who, the brothers are in respect to their father.

The younger, wishing to be a free spirit, asks for his inheritance, (one third of his fathers possessions, due to his age, being the younger.)
The young son goes into “a far country (Luke 15:13),” representative of sin and it's separating one from the Father.

Isaiah 59:2 KJV
"But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you...

Once there he...
Luke 15:13 KJV
“...and there wasted his substance with riotous living.”

His older brother said of him, and perhaps so...
Luke 15:30
“...this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots...”

Some one has said, “a fool and his money are soon parted,” certainly it was so with the young son.
When the money was gone, so to were his friends.

To make matters worse, there arose a famine in the land, and....
Luke 15:14 NLT
“...he began to starve.”

And so ….
Luke 15:15,16 NLT
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.

Jews were to have nothing to do with swine, as they were an unclean animal, but being in rebellion, and sin, he was forced to feed swine and eat their food.

What a picture of the “rewards of sin.”
The devil is the kind of individual, that you may serve him with “everything you have,” only to have him reward you by throwing you into the mire of his hellish pig pen.

Is this truth hidden, that love and mercy of the father realized, is better than cold religious ritual and legalistic duty?

All was not lost!
The young son's prayer of repentance:

Luke 15:17-20 KJV
17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
20 And he arose, and came to his father."

Psalm 40:1-8 KJV (David prayed.)
1 I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a Rock, and established my goings.
3 And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.
4 Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
5 Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.
6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,
8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

Something in the story had changed, and it had changed the sons relationship to their father and to each other, forever.
What once had been a legalistic duty to the father, had now become a call of love from the heart, for the young son.

What had brought about this transformation?
The revelation of the love and mercy of the Father.

For after the young son had prayed his prayer of repentance, and made and “about-face,” to “return” home....

Luke 15:20-24 KJV
20 And he arose, and came to his father.
But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

How blessed is the thought, the very idea, that the Father is and has always looked down the road for us!

Psalm 27:9-11 KJV
9 Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.
10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.
11 Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path..."

Psalm 28:6-9 KJV
6 Blessed be the LORD, because He hath heard the voice of my supplications.
7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise Him.
8 The LORD is their strength, and He is the saving strength of His anointed.
9 Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever.

Psalm 34:18 KJV
The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Psalm 36:5 KJV
Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.

Psalm 78:38 KJV
"But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity..."

Psalm 86:15 KJV
But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

Psalm 89:1 KJV
I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 103:8,11-13,17 KJV
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us.
13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear Him.
17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, and His righteousness unto children's children;

Psalm 130:7 KJV
"...with the LORD there is mercy, and with Him is plenteous redemption."

Psalm 145:18-20 KJV
18 The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth.
19 He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him: He also will hear their cry, and will save them.
20 The LORD preserveth all them that love Him

Isaiah 25:9 KJV
And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.

Isaiah 41:10 KJV
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.

Isaiah 43:1 KJV
But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and He that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine.

Isaiah 55:6,7 KJV
6 Seek ye the LORD while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near:
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.

Jeremiah 31:3 KJV
The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

Lamentations 3:22,23 KJV
22 It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Joel 2:12,13 KJV
12 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth Him of the evil.

Micah 7:18,19 KJV
18 Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retaineth not His anger for ever, because He delighteth in mercy.
19 He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

Nahum 1:7 KJV
The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him.

John 3:16 KJV
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Romans 2:4 NLT
Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that His kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

Romans 5:8 KJV
But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Titus 3:5,6 KJV
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
6 Which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

I Peter 2:25 KJV
For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

II Peter 3:9 KJV
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

I John 3:1 KJV
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not.


Back in the arms of his father, rejoicing was the theme of the day.

Luke 15:22-24 KJV
22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

The older brother heard all the commotion, and he became angry.

Luke 15:25-32 KJV
25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.
26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.
27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.
28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.
29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:
30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.
31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
32 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.

Matthew 9:10-13 KJV (Pharisees and Scribes.)
10 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples.
11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto His disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?
12 But when Jesus heard that, He said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

28 “And he was angry, and would not go in:...”

Again, Jews (Pharisees and Scribes) versus Gentiles.
Ritualistic legalism, versus acceptance by repentance and faith, in the finished work of the Lord Jesus.

Ephesians 2:8,9 KJV
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Romans 3:28-31 NLT
28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.
29 After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t He also the God of the Gentiles? Of course He is.
30 There is only one God, and He makes people right with Himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.
31 Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law?
Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.

Gentiles, beware, for the day will come, and not that to distant in the future, when these events will be turned about.
For we (Redeemed Gentiles), will have somewhat the position of the elder brother, for all of Israel will come to know the Lord!

Hosea 3:4,5 KJV
4 This shows that Israel will go a long time without a king or prince, and without sacrifices, sacred pillars, priests, or even idols!
5 But afterward the people will return and devote themselves to the Lord their God and to David’s descendant, their king. In the last days, they will tremble in awe of the Lord and of His goodness.

Romans 12:3-5 KJV
3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.
4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function,
5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

Romans 11:1-36 NLT
1 I ask, then, has God rejected His own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 No, God has not rejected His own people, whom He chose from the very beginning. Do you realize what the Scriptures say about this? Elijah the prophet complained to God about the people of Israel and said,
3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”
4 And do you remember God’s reply? He said, “No, I have 7,000 others who have never bowed down to Baal!”
5 It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful because of God’s grace—His undeserved kindness in choosing them.
6 And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved.
7 So this is the situation: Most of the people of Israel have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few have—the ones God has chosen—but the hearts of the rest were hardened.
8 As the Scriptures say, “God has put them into a deep sleep. To this day He has shut their eyes so they do not see, and closed their ears so they do not hear.”
9 Likewise, David said,“Let their bountiful table become a snare, a trap that makes them think all is well. Let their blessings cause them to stumble, and let them get what they deserve.
10 Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see, and let their backs be bent forever.”
11 Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But He wanted His own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves.
12 Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it.
13 I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this,
14 for I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them.
15 For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead!
16 And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy—just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too.
17 But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree.
18 But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root.
19 “Well,” you may say, “those branches were broken off to make room for me.”
20 Yes, but remember—those branches were broken off because they didn’t believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen.
21 For if God did not spare the original branches, He won’t spare you either.
22 Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in His kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off.
23 And if the people of Israel turn from their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, for God has the power to graft them back into the tree.
24 You, by nature, were a branch cut from a wild olive tree. So if God was willing to do something contrary to nature by grafting you into His cultivated tree, He will be far more eager to graft the original branches back into the tree where they belong.
God’s Mercy Is for Everyone
25 I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ.
26 And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say,“The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem, and He will turn Israel away from ungodliness.
27 And this is my covenant with them, that I will take away their sins.”
28 Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people He loves because He chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
29 For God’s gifts and His call can never be withdrawn.
30 Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against Him, God was merciful to you instead.
31 Now they are the rebels, and God’s mercy has come to you so that they, too, will share in God’s mercy.
32 For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so He could have mercy on everyone.
33 Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand His decisions and His ways!
34 For who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give Him advice?
35 And who has given Him so much that He needs to pay it back?
36 For everything comes from Him and exists by His power and is intended for His glory. All glory to Him forever! Amen.

Dear friend, the heavenly Father has been looking for you!
Will you return?
Will you seek His love and mercy?
Will you repent of your sin and seek His face?
He longs to receive you into His arms, of love and goodness.

Revelation 22:17 NLT
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.

Salvation Prayer: