Read: Romans 8: 38-39, Luke 15
In Luke 15 we Jesus told three “lost” parables. In all three stories, something was missing. In the case of the son in the third parable, he left home. The son purposefully went away from a place that was safe for him. The three parables show us that we all start out away from God and that we are not where we belong. The Bible explains that our sin separates us from God. We are like the sheep and the coin because we cannot do anything to be found, but we are also like the younger son because we choose to wander away from God.
All three parables also feature someone actively looking for the thing that is lost. The shepherd left the 99 safe sheep to find the one in danger. The woman searched through the whole house and lit lamps to keep searching after dark. Even the father didn’t stay inside and wait until the son knocked; he saw the son a long way off and ran to him. This shows us that God searches for people who are away from Him. He loves us and wants us to be reunited with Him. Jesus is the One who seeks and saves the lost.
The third thing that all three parables have in common is a celebration when the missing item is back where it belongs. In these three cases, the shepherd, the woman, and the father all celebrated when they found what they were looking for. Jesus explained that this is a picture of the celebration that happens in heaven when people who are far from God repent and are brought near to God. It also shows us that God forgives our sins to welcome us back to Himself when we trust in Jesus.
Romans 8:38-39 assures us that the treasure we’ve found in Jesus can never be taken away from us. “I am absolutely sure that not even death or life can separate us from God’s love. Not even angels or demons, the present or the future, or any powers can separate us. Not even the highest places or the lowest, or anything else in all creation can separate us. Nothing at all can ever separate us from God’s love. That’s because of what Christ Jesus our Lord has done.”
Jesus is the One who seeks and saves the lost, and He taught that all of heaven celebrates when the lost are found by Him. We get to celebrate with all of heaven when lost people are saved because we know how great God is.
Ask your preschooler: Who came to seek and save the lost?
Ask your grade-schooler: What do the parables tell us about Jesus? What is the treasure we find in Jesus?
Pray: together and thank God for sending Jesus to seek and save the lost, including you!