Jesus made a statement, recorded in Luke 19 - that’s drilled down on and expanded upon in Luke 15 - it is a declaration of Jesus’ mindset and focus - captures his heart & his mission:

“For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.” Luke 19:10

Have you ever lost something before?

The principle of the search is simple:
if the thing lost is of great value - you seek it; If it’s of little value - you disregard it.

In Luke 15 - Jesus tells 3 key parables or stories that describe God's heart and what he's really like. This comes off of understanding verses 1-2 that are driving why he tells these stories.

Luke 15:1-2. (Here’s the background / backdrop that sets up the stories)
“Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “this man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

The Pharisees & Teachers of the Law were scandalized that “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them” WHY DID HE VALUE THESE PEOPLE????

They believed that since Jesus was a Prophet, He should avoid the sinful rabble.

THERE WAS AN UNSPOKEN CASTE SYSTEM and ranking of folks understood at the time…
a. LAW KEEPERS – FAVORED BY GOD
b. AVERAGE GOD FOLLOWERS – (they tried, but not sold out) so they were simply TOLERATED BY GOD
c. SINNERS – (the ones living for themselves; not paying attention to God) - they must be people that are DESPISED BY GOD.

But Jesus is pushing back against that narrative and understanding...

Jesus was a Jewish Rabbi of his day that spoke about the Kingdom of God most of all - and all the ways that kingdom pushes back against the kingdoms and messages of the world — that’s what ultimately led to the cross — He was NOT killed because he was a nice guy who said nice Mr. Roger-like pithy sayings.

He spoke about another kingdom and a way of life that upset the establishment and the narrative of the way things were…that’s what ruffled feathers and led to the cross.

The ultimate problem was - he didn’t stay dead.

It’s ultimately His RESURRECTION that leads to the reality that He was right! He made a way for us to live for God’s kingdom and truth that truly leads to freedom and relationship with our Creator by grace and not achievement! He reminds us about the God who SEEKS...

In all three of these parables in Luke 15 - Jesus reports there is great rejoicing in heaven when one person turns from their sins and turns toward God…

GOD LOVES YOU AS AN INDIVIDUAL -- You’re not just a number to Him!

We are all like a lost lamb at one time in our lives. That’s the bad news, without Christ we are lost.

But the good news is: Jesus searches for us, in order to save us

HEAVEN REJOICES OVER EVERY CHANGED LIFE

In his book, Just Like Jesus, Max Lucado wrote:
“Let one child consent to be dressed in righteousness and begin the journey home and heaven pours the punch, strings the streamers, and throws the confetti...when a soul is saved, the heart of Jesus becomes the night sky on the Fourth of July, radiant with explosions of cheer.”

celebrate what Heaven celebrates!

Our God is personally interested in every lost lamb, every lost coin, and every wayward son.

Takeaway:
Every person has a story
each story is known by God
God loves each person behind the story

We have a God who seeks.
And once we are found - we’re invited to join His search party.

We'll see you back at Elements next weekend as we continue in our series and worship together. Join us in-person at the church campus or online Sunday at 5pm.
Have a blessed week friends!!