Casting The Net And Drawing In Good And Evil

Casting The Net And Drawing In Good And Evil

Mt 13:47-50
By Brother Jim Cook

When the net is drawn which side will you be on ? Good or Evil!

The parable of the draw net is the sixth out of seven parables Jesus spoke about the mysteries of Heaven. As we begin this study, I hope by the time we are done you will know which side of the net you will be on when it is drawn in.
Mt 13:47 -50
Mt 13:47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:
48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.
49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,
50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

First lets look at the details of the parable, A "draw net" was cast into the sea. What is a draw net? It is defined as a large fishing net equipped with a weighted bottom edge for dragging the river or lake bottom. The top would have wooden floats allowing the net to be spread across a large area of water.
(Isa 19:8)
These type of nets were normally let down from a boat and then drawn to shore by a crew on the beach. If there was a large catch the net was hauled to shore by boat.
(Jn 21:6-8)."
After the draw net was drawn to shore, the fish would be separated. The ones good for eating were saved, the inedible ones were discarded. Now lets take a look at the meaning of the parable. The kingdom of Heaven, in its current state, will be a mixture of good and bad, just like a draw net gathers in both good and bad fish.

2 Ti 2:20-21 “some vessels are "for honor and some for dishonor
Mt 13:49 But in the future there will be a separation -
Mt 13:39-40 It will occur "at the end of the age"
Mt 13:41 The agents of this separation will be the "angels"
Mt 13:41 The "wicked" will be separated from the "just"
Mt 13:50 The punishment of the "wicked" is described
Mt 13:42a "cast...into the furnace of fire."
Mt 13:42b "There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

Jesus, in giving His explanation, we see the emphasis of Jesus in the parable. The emphasis is upon the future separation of those in the kingdom, and the punishment of the wicked. "The Parable Of The Draw net", also reinforces the spiritual truths taught in "The Parable Of The Wheat And Tares", especially those relating to the coming judgment and condemnation of the wicked. But that will be a later study. Jesus emphasizes the judgment and condemnation of the wicked in this parable and it ought to impress upon us that the "good news" of the kingdom of Heaven, also contains "bad news" for those who reject it. "Gathered every kind", here again, it is taught that, at the end of the world, the angels shall sever the wicked from the just. In the parable the sea is the world, and the net is the gospel with its ministers and ordinances. This parable shows the mixture of good and evil which will always exist in the visible church on earth. We should not get discouraged on account of the mixture of evil with good in God's church, for it has always been so, and will be so to the end of time. However we should make it our mission to bring the bad to the good by God's grace and salvation through Christ. Now stop and imagine the fisherman separating their catch. It is unremarkable. Imagine a couple of fishermen sitting on the beach tossing fish into different containers, while a couple more fishermen pull the nets in tighter as the fish get separated out. The ocean waves would be lapping onto the shore and the fishermen would be laughing and joking with each other, at ease because their day was almost done. If you try you can easily imagine such a scene. This is a very strange image of the last judgment, but it is the image that Jesus offers us in this context. From it we can begin to appreciate the insignificance of evil in the larger scheme because in the end God will remove it. But once the victory was accomplished, by Christ on the cross there was absolutely no question as to the final outcome. The kingdom of Heaven was established and the reign of God continued at a more profound level because now there was union between God and man through Jesus Christ. Evil is insignificant and it must be dealt with, but it has already been dealt with, the battle was won. But there is still simply the matter of separating the evil from the righteous, a housekeeping matter at the end of the day. While this particular image of the judgment is not a large matter from the perspective of the fishermen, it is certainly a big deal from the perspective of the fish. They will be separated and thrown in the fire of Hell where there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. The picture of judgment will be terrible for those involved. This parable is very well a dire warning of the potential consequences if we are on the wrong side of the net. There is a second striking characteristic about this parable. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous. People will be judged. It is people who will be wailing and gnashing their teeth. It is the evil things being removed from the kingdom of Heaven. God searches after sinners, God waits patiently for sinners to return and then runs to meet them. It would logically follow that God mourns the loss of any sinner at the judgment, but once our decision to reject a relationship with God is made, we become like garbage fish separated from the good fish. Getting rid of that stuff is a necessary task at the end day. And in the end evil will be sorted out from righteousness, and those people who are unwilling to part with their pleasure will end up in the fire because they would not let go of the object that was being thrown in. God loves the world. God seeks the lost. In the parable of the prodigal son, God watches for the return of the sinner, and when he returns, throws propriety to the wind and runs to greet him. The real amazing thing is not that we are saved, but that some humans are so self-centered that they can resist and turn away from the reality of the kingdom of Heaven. A note to end on, put simply, let go of the sin in your life and and pick up the righteousness God has given through Christ Jesus. On that final day when the net is drawn and the separation begins be a trout, or a bass or something, don't be a jelly fish, put your faith in Christ. You want to be in the good pile that day. Amen!

MAY GOD BLESS YOU

The Road To The Cross !

The Road To The Cross

Study of Christ's sufferings on the way to Calvary for our Salvation.

Mt 27:25 -54

by Bro. Cook

My friends, you need to know what Christ suffered on the way to the cross. Ever since the birth of our Lord, he was on the road to the cross, but I want to take your hearts to the point in history when Christ was taken to a place called Golgotha and was nailed to a Cross. Lets start in Mt 27:25 which is just after the people chose to release Barabbas and to crucify Jesus.

Mt 27:25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

“His blood be on us and our children.” We will take responsibility. We will suffer any divine punishment that comes upon us and our children. Thats a fearful statement, because they did and still do suffer because of this one statement they made. The history of the Jewish people from that day on has been the darkest recorded in all human history. They have been the most persecuted people on the earth, just to name one, Hittler tried to destroy them by attempting genocide, and others have also tried.

I don't want to spend to much time on giving examples, you can research them any time you like. What I would like to explain is, they had no idea that their sins actually would be passed on for all their generations to come, that just as Christ was persecuted by them, they and their children would be persecuted by the world. Read what David says in

2Sa 1:16 And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD'S anointed.

You see their very own mouth testified against them and continues today.

Mt 27:26 ¶ Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

Here we see they have released a murderer, Barabbas. And Jesus was scourged, now it was custom for one to be scourged whom was condemned to die. Usually it preceded the crucifixion. It was a horrible punishment, inflicted by soldiers, and didn't stop until the victim was fainting due to the pain. This was straight out torture. What is scourging exactly, well in the Roman method which would have been the method they used, the person would be stripped, stretched with cords or throngs and beaten with rods, or a handle with three lashes or throngs of leather, sometimes with pieces of metal fastened to them.

Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

1Pe 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Christ did not have to endure such pain, he did this because he loves us, it was the only way we as sinners could be healed.

Mt 27:27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.

After the scourging was inflicted on our Lord, they took him to the common hall, which most likely was the governor's palace. The whole band would have been from four hundred to six hundred soldiers on duty at the palace at any given time. All of them gathered to mock Christ. There was great cruelty mixed with mockery. These Roman soldiers were men who took amusement in such things, most considered it sport. Not only was there a prisoner delivered to them, but he was charged with making himself the king of the Jews. Talk about putting a kettle on a fire, that really gave them something to use as sport in mocking Him. They were not moved or persuaded by his gentleness, but they sought to inflict all manner of scorn towards our Lord.

Mt 27:28 And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.

29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!

30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.

His clothing which had been stripped off at the scourging, had been replaced, but was now removed again so they could wrap him in a scarlet (purple) robe which were the royal colors. They did this out of mockery and scorn. Next they made a crown of thorns and put it on his head as a way of torture and mockery. Many of us have been poked by a thorn, it hurts. Well Christ had a crown of thorns pushed onto his head, the pain had to have been great. Thats not the end, they continued. Next for a scepter they placed a reed in his right hand. After they arrayed him, in a royal robe, a crown of thorns, and fake scepter, the mockery continues. They kneel before him and shout out in laughter, “hail, King of the Jews.” Then they began spitting in his face, striking Him in the head. How much Christ suffered for us. I can't help but to ask what if you or me were one of those soldiers, would we have participated in the acts they committed against our Lord? Before you answer. hear me out. With so many soldiers there was probably a lot of peer pressure for everyone to join in. Have you, or do you give in to pressure to do things you know are against Christ, cursing, drinking, smoking, pornography, making fun of someone passing by, ect... Well then you and I are guilty just as the solders are, and just as the Jewish people are.

Ro 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Do you truly understand, whether you answered yes or no to whether or not you would have joined in with the soldiers, you already did because of your sins!

Mt 27:31 And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.

After hours of being mocked and beaten Pilate presented the bleeding prisoner once more to the people, to try and secure their pity, and made one more effort to release him, but it was in vain. They then put his own clothes back on him. And Christ was led as a lamb to the slaughter, as a sacrifice to the altar where he would pay the ultimate penalty for our sin.

Isa 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

Could you stay silent through what Christ went through? I know I would not have been able to.

Mt 27:32 And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.

Cyrene was a city in the northern part of Africa. At first the cross was laid on Jesus, it was custom for a prisoner to carry their own cross to their Crucifixion. As you can imagine after all Christ was put through the scourging, the beating, the mocking, He surely was very physically weak and could hardly hold himself up let alone His cross, this is why they persuaded Simon. Simon was the father of two known Christians Mr 15:21 Alexander and Rufus. Can you imagine yourself in the place of Simon how heart breaking it must have been for him to see his Lord and carry his cross.

Mt 27:33 ¶ And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,

Golgotha, A Hebrew word, meaning a skull. From its Latin equivalent, calvaria, from which comes our English word Calvary. Golgotha was the common place of execution, outside the gate of the city.

Mt 27:34 They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.

It was a bitter drink designed to lesson the suffering, but Christ refused. Here we see the prophecy in

Ps 69:21 was fulfilled.

Ps 69:21 They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

The treatment of the Saviour was foretold in the Old Testament, and the exact fulfillment of the description is proof that it was God inspired.

Mt 27:35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.

Being crucified has to be the most terrible and shameful death known to man. The Jewish never crucified another Jew. The Romans never crucified another Romans. That the Jewish would demand the Romans to inflict this on Jesus shows the intensity of their hate for Him. To be crucified meant

driving bolts of iron through the hands and feet, and fastening him to the cross,. Then lifting him up to hang there as though he was a felon. Next another prophesy was fulfilled

Ps 22:18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

The Roman soldiers who crucified Christ were not trying to fulfill the Scriptures when they parted his garments, and were casting lots. Yet they fulfilled the Scripture just as it was foretold. They sat under the cross and gambled for his garments. The nerve they had, to imagine this being done to anyone is heartbreaking enough, but to know it was done to our Lord troubles the heart so much more. The suffering, the humiliation, the mocking, the beating, the stripes, the nails being hammered through his hand and feet. Oh what my Lord has suffered for me, if only I were not a sinner my Lord would not have suffered.

Mt 27:36 And sitting down they watched him there;

37 And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

This was customary, to sit down and to watch to see that no one would come and take down those who were crucified till it was ordered. Some watched Him out of curiosity, some to make sure that He really did die, some even delighted in His sufferings, and there were some who wept for Him. Even still many mocked him. It was Roman custom to place a sign over the criminal's head stating the crime for which they suffered. Christ's read THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. One day all men will profess Christ as king whether it be in Heaven by his side, or from a lake of fire. We all will acknowledge Him.

Mt 27:38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.

39 And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,

40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.

41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,

42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.

43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.

44 The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.

Now we see as said in

Isa 53:12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

To show that they regarded Christ as the worst of the three criminals, they put him between the two thieves, giving him the place of dishonor. Thus was the prophecy fulfilled, "He was numbered with the transgressors.'' The two with Christ were paying the price for their sins, but Christ was paying the price for the sins of the world"He bare the sin of many." Now as people passed by they shook their heads as to show there approval in the shame that was put on him. Also foretold in

Ps 22:7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head,

Their false accusation, “Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross”. The chief priests, with the scribes and elders, despite their high standing, joined in mocking Jesus in his death. Every word that was spoken cut and pierced our Lord to the heart. They mocked him as a Savior:."He saved others; himself he cannot save." They mocked him as a King: "If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and, we will believe him." They mocked him as a believer: "He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him." They mocked him as the Son of God: "For he said, I am the Son of God." Unknowingly they were admitting his deity, even the testimony that Christ's enemies bore against him it also revealed him. "He saved others;" "He is the King of Israel" "He trusted in God."

Mt 27:45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.

46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Well the sixth hour would have been twelve o'clock noon. The ninth hour would have been three o'clock in the afternoon. So for 3 hours darkness covered the land.

Am 8:9 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord GOD, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day:

About three o'clock Christ calls out to the Father. He was left to struggle without a sense of his Father's presence. “My God, my God!” shows that he was still his Father's own and had complete faith in his Father's will. I believe this is literally the point at which our sins were transfered to the body of Christ.

Mt 27:47 Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.

48 And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.

49 The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.

The resemblance between the word "Eli" and the name Elijah is very close, they believed he was calling for Elijah because they had an illusion that Elijah would come before the Messiah. When in fact he actually said Eli, Eli which means My God, My God. One of the men had compassion and ran and gave him vinegar to drink. Fulfilling yet another prophesy in

Ps 69:21 They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

Next we read

Mt 27:50 ¶ Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,

53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

Jesus Christ retained his life and endured his agony till he had finished God's work. He suffered all that was needed in order to become the Savior to all who believe in him. He then voluntarily gave up his life. Now Christ's strength was not exhausted, his last word was spoken with a loud voice, he shouted out the words, “It is finished.” Willingly dying, laying down his life

Joh 10:18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

The veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom, this was no coincidence. The veil of the temple separated the most holy place from the other parts of the temple. The veil being rent in twain from top to bottom signified that now the way into God's presence was opened by the blood of Jesus Christ for all to come in unto the Father. The tombs were opened. The saints were raised. Their rising was a testimony that the death of Christ is life to the saints. The Centurion or (captain) was the Roman officer in command, and admitted this was the Son of God as he had professed to be. The scenes at the cross had convinced him that Jesus was more than man, that he was the son of God. It was truly strange that those men should confess what the chief priests and scribes and elders denied. Yet even today it is often found that the most profane have acknowledged Jesus as the Son of God while many religious rulers still deny Him. Our study ends here, but as you go about your day remember the suffering that your Lord went through, so that you might come to Him and accept his salvation which he has offered freely to you and to me. Don't deny him, Don't wait, or you may wake one day to find it is to late. Though he has offered salvation freely it does have an expiration date. Once Christ returns it will be to late.

God bless you, And I will be praying for you all.

The Prodigal Son

In Depth Study KJV
by Brother James Cook

This study was written to bring

my lost brothers home to our Father in Heaven.

But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes

were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

Ephesians 2:13


Before We Start:

I have found the best way to start a study
is just by diving in.
The parable Jesus tells of the prodigal son,
lets divide it into six parts.
We will take an in depth look at each part.
We will call them the departure, the misery, the repentance,
the return, time to rejoice, and the Pharisee's.
Let's begin each part by reading the corresponding Scripture.
Then we will take a closer look at each section.
The prodigal son is a parable Jesus spake to the pharisees and scribes,

but also in the presence of publicans and sinners.

The parable begins in Luke 15:11.

Part one: The departure

Lu 15:11 And he said, A certain man had two sons:

Lu 15:12 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.

Lu 15:13 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.

The parable of the prodigal son shows the nature of repentance and the Lord's readiness and willingness to welcome those who return to him. Something in this inimitable parable always seems to draw in and cut to the core of the heart and soul. In this section we need to understand who is a representation of who. In this parable the father is Our Heavenly Father (God). The elder son, is representative of the self-righteous or in this case the Pharisees and Scribes. The younger son is representative of the sinful, or in this case the Publicans and Sinners.

Try to keep that in your mind as we continue.

Now in verse 12 we see the son says to the father,

“Give me the portion of thy substance.” Now, he was not asking.

This was a selfish and unfilial demand that the son had made. Sound familiar?

Just like a sinner who demands of God to give, but returns no gratitude.

The younger son returned no gratitude. He felt it was rightfully his

and that he had the right to demand it, just as many of us do today.

So thats what the father did. The father gave him his part.

Now as it was custom in that day the elder son would receive two shares,

and the younger son one share, we learn this in

But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn,

by giving him a double portion of all that he hath:

for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

Deuteronomy 21:17

The father, who is yet living, out of love and grace, concedes to the younger son's demands,

and divides their inheritance before their due time.

The father gave to the younger son his portion, but held the elder son's portion in his own hand's.

Many men wish to have their concerns, rewards, and control of their lives in their own hands and want to direct their own course in life, rather than have God do it for them. And it will always end in great disappointment, disaster, or even death.

Next we see the younger son takes his belongings and leaves his father's house with giving no word to his father, as to him leaving, or as to where he is headed. So he wandered far away from his father's house. Just as the sinner wanders from God and partakes in his own gratifying desires. We also see the son (sinner) wasted his substance (blessings and gifts) on foolish and sinful things. A worldly life is a wasted life. It is much worse for us to waste our spiritual opportunities and gifts than it is for us to waste earthly goods.

Take a quick look at what Proverbs 28:7 Says,

Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son:

but he that is a companion of riotous men shameth his father.

The younger son by doing what he did had brought great shame to his father, just as a sinner professing Christ but continuing in a sinful way of life is shaming God.

Jeremiah 2:5 Says, Thus saith the LORD, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?

The son was walking in vanity. He was selfish and only wanted to please himself.

How many of us only focus on what we want, or on what pleases ourselves?

Part Two: The misery

Luke 15:14 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.

Now here is where the trouble begins for the younger son for trying to go his own way in life. First, he squandered all he had been given by his father and to his surprise there was now a famine in the land. The Bible says “he began to want”, which many preachers would say, he was so distraught he may have wanted to end his life. Now stop and think about that in today's world, basically he is saying he has hit rock bottom and he can see no way out. The same applies to sinners. Eventually, after living for themselves for so long, things fall apart and the sinner can't seem to see any way to restore themselves to what they had. Many of us find ourselves in similar situations yet today. Take a look at

Ezekiel 16:27 Behold, therefore I have stretched out my hand over thee,

and have diminished thine ordinary food, and delivered thee unto

the will of them that hate thee, the daughters of the Philistines,

which are ashamed of thy lewd way.

Next, we see the son had no where else to go, so he met up with a citizen of the far off county he was in. Why did he do this? Simple. To find work so he could eat. But he was unable to find work and the only thing that was available was for him to go into the fields to feed swine. Well, you need to understand to the Jewish in that time, feeding the swine was one of the lowest means of work, many considered it shameful and a degrading means of employment. He was over taken by hunger yet no one would give to him, so he fed himself with the same food he fed to the swine, husks. Husks were large pods that grew on the Carob trees. They have small seeds like beans, and a sweetish pulp. They were fed to the swine, but poor people sometimes also would eat them.

Psalm 142:4 Says, I looked on my right hand, and beheld,

but there was no man that would know me:

refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.

I think something similar to this verse goes through our minds when we read this.

PART 3: Repentance

Luke 15:17 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.

I have titled this section the repentance and I will tell you why. The phrase “he came to himself”; means he came to have just views of things. You see men must feel that they are lost, before they are found. And unless they believe that without God they will perish, they will never truly come to him. Yet even if they do believe this, they will not return to him until they truly make the resolve to do so. Okay, so in verse 17 we see he finally realized what he has done.

Lets look at the start of his recovery from his sin. This begins by his coming to himself. That is the turning point in the sinner's conversion (salvation). The Lord opens his eyes and heart, and convicts him of sin. After his eyes are open, he views himself and every object in a different way or light than what he did before. Therefore, the convicted sinner sees that the worst servant of God is happier than he is. Hence, he realizes he must go to his father, confess and repent of his sin.

Psalm 51:3 Says, For I acknowledge my transgressions:

and my sin is ever before me.

4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight:

that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest,

and be clear when thou judgest.

PART 4: The return to the father

Luke 15:20 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:

At this point we see the son has finally headed home. But for a sinner to come home, he must first turn, and leave the far country, sinful associations, and enter into spiritual union with Christ. A sinner comes by faith, repentance, and obedience to Christ by baptism.

Romans 6:3 Says, Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized
into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

As the son draws nigh, the father sees him from afar. How did the father see him coming? Good eye sight? No. He saw him because he was continuously watching for him every day since he had left, just as God is continually watching for the sinner to return. He is constantly watching and waiting for you to come to him.

The next phrase “He Ran and fell on his neck”, this represents the readiness with which God receives returning sinners. But it also has another meaning. In the days of Christ, the men wore robes that went down to there ankles. Well, in order for the father to run to his lost son, he would have had to hold his robe up above his knees and run through the village past onlookers. This just was not done, exposing there legs, it was humiliating. The father willfully humiliated himself and ran to his son. Just as Christ was humiliated as he was led through Jerusalem to calvary to pay the price for our sins.

Now, when the son saw his father humiliating himself in such a manor, I can't help but to think this was his true moment of repentance, him seeing the willingness and readiness of his father to receive him. “He had compassion.” The father does not even wait for the confession the son had resolved to make. The father's love cannot wait when it recognizes the purpose. Take a look at-

Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes
were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

Next, we see the son's confession and plea for mercy and grace to the father.

Just as the son, we are not worthy of God's grace or mercy, nor of the sacrifice Christ made on our behalf. But through God on behalf of Christ it is freely given to us. There are no strings attached. We just have to believe in Christ, and accept Him as our savior, and we too, can be restored with Him.

“The father said.” He interrupted the confession of the prodigal son. He had returned in rags and the father had the best robes of white put on him. Just as God gives the repented sinner robes of the righteousness of Christ. He covers our sin with his righteousness, this would be the blood of Christ that was shed to cleanse and cover our sins. He pardons them freely, and bestows upon them the blessings of his salvation. Next, we see he put a ring on his hand. A ring with a seal was a symbol of authority, of son ship, to show all, that this is his son. I believe the ring he put on his hand represents God giving us his Holy Spirit as a sign of our salvation.

“Shoes on his feet.” Servants went barefoot, but the shoes were a symbol of freedom. By the resurrection of Christ we are free from the bonds of sin. We are no longer servants under sin's control. Lets briefly read Romans 6:6-11, as I think it applies well here.

Romans 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him,
that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.

8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more;
death hath no more dominion over him.

10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once:
but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead
indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

You see the cost for our rebellion and sin has been paid. and Jesus says we are now free from sin. The chains have been broken and a new path he has put before us.

Part 5 Time to rejoice

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.

You see the father was rejoicing because his son had returned and he receives him with great joy and absolute forgiveness. When in humility, a person returns to God, trusting in Jesus Christ as their savior, He rejoices to receive them with exceeding great joy, and notwithstanding their transgressions. He pardons them freely, and gives them the blessings of his salvation. The calf was for a welcome home feast as a measure of rejoicing in the son's return. Such preparations and feasts were common in the life of those in the East.

“My son was dead-lost.” He was dead to excellence and to happiness and dead to his father's house. He was lost to goodness, to duty, the honor of his father, and to Heaven.

Ephesians 2:1 And you hath he quickened,
who were dead in trespasses and sins;

“Alive-found.” He has returned with repentance and humility to his father and friends, and is of great joy to them. He was no longer lost to goodness, and would now be a partaker of their joy. “For my son was dead, and is alive.” This symbolizes a spiritual resurrection with God, for by Christ's death we also were resurrected with him in a new likeness. “They began to be merry”, great joy should be manifested by all saints at the repentance of a sinner just as we read in

Luke 15:7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven
over one sinner that repenteth,
more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

All sinners need to know:

John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection,
and the life: he that believeth in me,
though he were dead, yet shall he live:

Here are a few more verses I would like to share with you before we move on to the final part of the parable.
They are as follows:

Romans 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead
indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus
hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

2 Corinthians 5:15 And that he died for all,
that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves,
but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek
and to save that which was lost.

I'm not going to go into detail on each of those verses, but it is my hope you see the connection between them and this parable. Okay, moving on.



Part 6 The Pharisees

Luke 15:25 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.

Well as you can see this part of the parable is a bit longer than the previous parts, but there is a good reason why, as we will see. Now remember the elder son represents the Scribes and Pharisees, who found fault with Jesus for receiving and treating sinners who came to him.

The elder son is in the field working, and he hears music. I would imagine he was confused and didn't know what was going on, so he asked a servant. The servant told him his brother had returned and his father received him back unto his house and was throwing a welcome home feast. This made the brother angry and he did not go to the feast. So his father came out to him. Now you notice how the brother was angry and did not accept his brother's return, well that is how the Jewish, in general, showed the same spirit towards the converted Gentiles. They didn't want to accept them, just as the Pharisees were angry and sought against Christ for receiving sinners to repentance. In the parable the father coming out to the son shows Gods longsuffering, and his will for all to come in unto his house.

Real quick take a look at:

Act 13:45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes,
they were filled with envy, and spake against those things
which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.

Does that verse sound like what the elder son was doing? It was exactly what he was doing. Next we see the elder son saying “Neither transgressed I.” This is the very spirit of the Pharisees, a self-righteous spirit. This shows while he was present with the father, he was far away from him in spirit. Just to clarify, next the elder son says “yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:”. When he says kid he is not speaking of a child. The elder son is referring to a young goat, in that his father has never even slaughtered a goat for him, but yet the father has slaughtered the fattest calf for the younger son. We can see a bit of jealousy here in the elder son because of the attention that was given to the younger. “This thy son;” was an expression of scorn and pride. He refuses to say my brother. Despite the elder son's jealousy and pride the father is still loving towards him and tells him “Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.” The father is pleading with the envious brother and tries to bring him to a proper frame of mind, just as Christ pleads with Israel. I feel Christ was leading us towards what Paul would later write in:

Romans 8:17 And if children, then heirs;
heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ;
if so be that we suffer with him,
that we may be also glorified together.

Now the last verse in the parable. The father says “It was meet;” meaning suitable, and proper. Now had the elder son's heart been right, he would not have murmured against his brother, and would have partaken in the joy of his return with his father. Now with the Scribes and Pharisees, had they been of a right heart, instead of murmuring at Christ for receiving sinners, they would have rejoiced with him at the conversion of each one with exceeding joy. Now then the returned sinner is his brother. But unless he too, can welcome him, then he has also become a lost son.

As we end this study together I would like to end with some scripture.

Hosea 14:9 Who is wise, and he shall understand these things?
prudent, and he shall know them?
for the ways of the LORD are right,
and the just shall walk in them:
but the transgressors shall fall therein.

Have you truly accepted Christ as your savior or are you a lost son? No matter how great your sin he will welcome you home.

John 3:16 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.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world;
but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned:
but he that believeth not is condemned already,
because he hath not believed in the name
of the only begotten Son of God.

My brother now is the time. Don't wait any longer. The Father is running to meet you, all you need to do is believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, and pray that He will give you true forgiveness and salvation through His love, grace, and mercy. I beg you wait no longer. Christ died on the cross to pay the cost of your sin. Ask Him into your heart today,
He will change your life with his love...