Luke 15:24 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

NIV: For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

NASB: for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.

CSB: because this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.

NLT: 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.

KJV: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

NKJV: for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.

The younger son of a landowner chose to live as if his father—and God—were dead (Luke 15:11–12), but it was really he who "died." He perfectly mirrored Paul's description in Ephesians 2:1–2:

"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience"

The son took his inheritance and spent it on wild living (Luke 15:13) and prostitutes (Luke 15:30). He indulged in relationships that kill God's intent to create life in families and communities. When the money was gone, a famine came, and the son nearly died of starvation. He was spiritually dead because of his sin, relationally dead because the "friends" he chose did not care about his life, and nearly physically dead due to the famine.

Standing amidst another man's pigs, jealous of the pigs' food, the son took the first step toward life by realizing he was dead. Then he took the next step: accepted that he needed to repent for his squandered life. Finally, he returned to the father who gave him life (Luke 15:14–19). His father quickly returned him to life, physically and relationally. God the Father returned him to spiritual life. As the son's earthly father celebrated, so did his heavenly Father (Luke 15:20–23).

However, not everyone celebrates. The Pharisees and scribes refuse to acknowledge the restored spiritual lives of the sinners and tax collectors who swarm Jesus (Luke 15:1–2). In the same way, the prodigal son's older brother cannot accept that anyone who has sinned so egregiously should be restored by their father.

Luke 15:11–32 records the famous parable of the prodigal son. To be "prodigal" is to be wastefully extravagant. Jesus is speaking to Pharisees who condemn His association with sinners. His point is that God seeks sinners so they can be saved (Luke 15:1–10). In this parable, Jesus presses others to join God's celebration over the return of repentant sinners. This is one of the most detailed and developed parables in the Bible, almost on the level of allegory, and is unique to Luke. Next, Jesus teaches how the lives of Christ-followers should differ from those in the world (Luke 16:1—17:10).

To answer criticisms that He associates with sinners, Jesus tells three parables. A shepherd leaves ninety-nine sheep to rescue a single lost member. A woman searches diligently to locate a lost coin. A father eagerly forgives his wayward son when the young man returns in humility and repentance. All these lead to celebration. In the same way, Jesus teaches that God cares about restoring those who have fallen, and we should mirror His joy whenever that happens.

Luke 15 contains three parables with the theme of something "lost." The lost sheep, coin, and son represent sinners who leave God foolishly, unknowingly, or rebelliously. God seeks the foolish and the ignorant and waits patiently for the rebel to return to Him in humble repentance. Next is a collection of teachings on the differences between worldly and kingdom living (Luke 16:1—17:10). After two more groups of a miracle, teachings on the kingdom, and teachings on salvation (Luke 17:11—19:27), Jesus will enter Jerusalem and prepare for the crucifixion.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.