“I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”
Luke 15:7
Jesus sits down to eat with sinners and tax collectors, and the religious leaders grumble. Unlike those eating with Jesus, these self-righteous men think they can be good enough for God. So Jesus tells them three parables, and the first two are alike—one involving a lost sheep and one a lost coin.
Look at the similarities. First, both the sheep and the coin are helpless to recover themselves. Second, their owners go out of their way to retrieve them. The shepherd leaves the other 99 to get his lost sheep and throws it over his shoulders. The woman searches high and low in the house until she has found the coin. Finally, both owners not only rejoice at recovering their lost things, but they also throw a party and invite their friends.
Jesus provides the bottom line in both cases: There is rejoicing in heaven over every sinner who repents. And it’s not a solemn affair. You may know the excitement that comes with first knowing Jesus, but it is nothing compared to the excitement in heaven when you are put on His shoulders and brought home.
Look at the similarities. First, both the sheep and the coin are helpless to recover themselves. Second, their owners go out of their way to retrieve them. The shepherd leaves the other 99 to get his lost sheep and throws it over his shoulders. The woman searches high and low in the house until she has found the coin. Finally, both owners not only rejoice at recovering their lost things, but they also throw a party and invite their friends.
Jesus provides the bottom line in both cases: There is rejoicing in heaven over every sinner who repents. And it’s not a solemn affair. You may know the excitement that comes with first knowing Jesus, but it is nothing compared to the excitement in heaven when you are put on His shoulders and brought home.
Scripture Focus
Luke 15:1-10
Insight
Friends, many of you understand God’s mercy, but not His love. Do you hear the angels singing for you?
Bible In A Year
- Genesis 41-42
- Psalm 21
- Mark 1