The Prodigal Son - Part 3: The Older Son

God's Word, which I pray is well read and treasured in your hearts, and turn to Luke's first account, chapter 15.

! This is the Gospel of Luke, chapter 15.

Luke 15 · chapter mention

In case you've not been with us for the past two weeks, we've been considering together what is most often referred to as the parable of the prodigal son.

However, many people will miss the driving point of the story if we think that it is all about the younger of these two brothers.

In Luke, chapter 15, Jesus masterfully tells a story in order to expose the sinfulness of those who would grumble that this man receives sinners and eats with them.

Luke 15 · chapter mention

So, the story is driving to a point which is made in the response of the older brother.

All the same, that does not mean that we shouldn't appreciate the other characters of the story and what we can learn of the folly of reckless living or of the licentious love of God.

Two weeks ago, we considered the younger son and his desire to be independent from his father and to have the possessions that his father would give to him so that he could spend it on himself.

We observed the younger son being brought to such a desperate state that he comes to his senses and decides to return to his father to live as a servant.

Last week, we considered the great compassion of the father as he shames himself in order to receive his son back and restore him fully to his status as a son with all of the honor and authority that accompanies it.

And then we saw the celebration of his restoration that follows.

Now, as Jesus is about to drive home his point, recall for us that this story is very endearing.

We can play the images out in our minds.

We love to consider a wayward son returning home and being embraced by his father.

But the Pharisees and the scribes would have been astonished that the father would have treated such a disrespectful son in this manner.

The younger son, in asking for his inheritance, was wishing the father dead.

And the Pharisees and the scribes could not fathom a father that would love his son in this way.

At this point, they would have been furious.

You see, the Pharisees and the scribes are represented by the older brother in the story.

They see Jesus with tax collectors and sinners drawing near to him.

And they say, as self-righteous religious elites, that they want to preserve their status as such.

They would never want the reputations of those drawing near to Jesus to solely their reputations.

And they, as we will see, want nothing to do with a God that would love the younger brothers of this world.

So let's read Luke chapter 15 in its entirety.

Luke 15 · chapter mention

Our focus for this morning is going to be on verses 25 through 32.

Before I read, beloved, let me remind you that this is God's word to us.

It was written for his glory and for our good.

And as such, we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and obey its commands.

So beginning in verse 1.

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to him.

And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying,

This man receives sinners and eats with them.

So he told them this parable.

What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them,

does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?

And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them,

Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.

Just so I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents

than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin,

does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it?

And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying,

Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.

Just so I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

And he said, There was a man who had two sons.

And the younger of them said to his father,

Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.

And he divided his property between them.

Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country.

And there he squandered his property in reckless living.

And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need.

So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.

And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.

But when he came to himself, he said,

How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger.

I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him,

Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.

I am no longer worthy to be called your son.

Treat me as one of your hired servants.

And he arose and came to his father.

But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

And the son said to him,

Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.

I am no longer worthy to be called your son.

But the father said to his servants,

Bring quickly the best robe and put it on him.

And put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet.

And bring the fattened calf and kill it and let us eat and celebrate.

For this my son was dead and is alive again.

He was lost and is found.

And they began to celebrate.

Now his older son was in the field.

And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.

And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.

And he said to him,

Your brother has come and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.

But he was angry and refused to go in.

His father came out and entreated him.

But he answered his father,

Look, these many years I have served you.

And I never disobeyed your command.

Yet you never gave me a young goat that I might celebrate with my friends.

But when this son of yours came,

who has devoured your property with prostitutes,

you killed the fattened calf for him.

And he said to him,

Son, you are always with me and all that is mine is yours.

It was fitting to celebrate and be glad.

For this your brother was dead and is alive.

He was lost and is found.

Now the outline for our study this morning will juxtapose the failing love of the oldest son

with the unfailing love of the father in the following outline.

Number one, the failing love of the oldest son for his father.

Number two, the failing love of the oldest son for his younger brother.

And number three, the unfailing love of the father for his oldest son.

Number one, the failing love of the oldest son for his father.

I hope you're not getting those mixed up.

The failing love of the oldest son for his father.

And we see this mostly in verses 28 and 29.

You see that he was angry at this report that his younger brother had returned

and there was great rejoicing and the fattened calf had been killed

and he refused to go inside to the party.

The oldest son was so furious.

And he is furious with the father.

He stands outside of the celebration fuming.

Why?

Because his perceived rights have been trampled upon.

Because he didn't run about seeking his pleasure like his younger brother,

but stayed and shouldered more than his fair share of the work on his father's estate.

He's mad.

He wants justice, not mercy.

He wants his younger brother to get what is coming to him.

He wants him punished, not celebrated.

And so he begins grumbling, just as the Pharisees and scribes.

He says, look, these many years I have served you and I never disobeyed your command.

Now, is it true that the oldest son was never disobedient?

Of course not.

This is a parable, to be clear.

But there's no one who ever is perfectly obedient.

This is an impossibility, right?

But his perception is that he has been perfectly obedient.

He thinks so.

He is self-righteous.

He believes that he has been perfectly good, or at least good enough to earn his father's favor.

And this was the state of the Pharisees and the scribes.

In Luke chapter 5, verses 30 through 32, Luke records this.

Luke 5:30–32

It should sound familiar.

And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying,

Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?

And Jesus answered them,

Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Is Jesus suggesting in Luke chapter 15 and in Luke chapter 5,

Luke 15 · chapter mention Luke 5 · chapter mention

that the Pharisees and scribes are well?

Absolutely not.

He is addressing their perception of themselves.

He is saying,

You do not see that you are sick,

so therefore you do not see your need of a physician.

Elsewhere, Matthew chapter 23.

Matthew 23 · chapter mention

This is verses 27 and 28.

Jesus says,

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!

For you are like whitewashed tombs,

which outwardly appear beautiful,

but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanliness.

So you also outwardly appear righteous to others,

but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

You put on a very good show.

The Pharisees and scribes should have seen themselves in the older brother

and had been broken by their self-righteous indignation toward the younger sons who were gathering around Jesus.

They needed to lay aside their self-righteousness and see that they also hate the Father.

They should have humbled themselves and turned to the one who was telling them this story.

Jesus says in Matthew chapter 5 verse 3,

Matthew 5:3

Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of God.

Blessed are those who recognize they have nothing by which to buy their place in the kingdom of God,

that they cannot earn their salvation.

Mankind's issue before God has never been one of outward activity,

but rather one of inward affection.

God wants our affections to be set on Him,

which to be clear yields obedience,

but that obedience is ultimately for God.

It is aimed at Him to please Him and to glorify Him because we love Him.

The oldest son is not obedient in order to please his father,

but he's rather obedient to get what he can from Him.

Look what he goes on to say, right?

He says essentially,

I have been so perfectly obedient,

and then,

yet you never gave me a young goat that I might celebrate with my friends.

He is angry at the father's celebration over the return of his younger brother,

not because,

so much because of the younger brother being celebrated,

but because he has not been celebrated.

Because he's not been given something material,

and look who he wants to celebrate with.

A young goat so that he might celebrate with his friends.

He wants nothing to do with the father,

just like the younger son wanted nothing to do with the father.

They both want, in the case of the younger brother at this point in our story,

wanted,

they both want or wanted the father dead.

The older brother failed to love the father.

Earlier in Luke 15,

the younger brother says to the father,

Father, give me the share of the property that is coming to me.

What he's saying is,

would you just go ahead and die?

I want what is mine.

And then very curiously,

verse 12, the last part of it,

Luke records for us that Jesus says,

and the father,

he divided his property between them.

So he grants the wish.

But does he grant it just to the younger son?

He grants it to both of them.

Both to the younger and to the older.

And Jesus at this point,

again, this is a parable.

He's telling the story.

We don't have the full detail of a real event here.

He's just telling a story.

But because he's driving at the heart of the scribes and the Pharisees,

note that he doesn't say here,

and the older brother wished the father not dead.

It seems that he takes his inheritance.

That he himself receives the property that is coming to him.

In verse 31, in our text today,

the father even says,

Son, you are always with me,

and all that is mine is yours.

It has already been granted to you.

So this morning,

you may have never placed believing faith in Jesus Christ.

You may identify with the older brother.

You may look really good on the outside.

But your obedience,

your imperfect obedience, I must add,

is not aimed at the pleasure and glory of God,

but at yourself.

You think that if you live just so,

you will earn God's favor.

And this type of thinking is damning.

Do not be like the younger brother,

turn to God in Christ.

Do not be like the older brother,

turn to God in Christ.

Recognize that no amount of your working

will ever earn you a place in his kingdom.

James wrote in James 2, verse 10,

James 2:10

For whoever keeps the whole law,

but fails in one point,

has become guilty of all of it.

Apart from the righteousness

that is given to us by Christ,

that is found in Him,

His perfect life,

all of us are utterly doomed.

We cannot fill the void

that our sin created.

It is impossible.

And that's what this older brother

thinks that he's accomplishing.

The offer of the gospel

is that by faith in the perfect life,

the perfect death,

and the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

you can have your record of guilt expunged,

and you can have the righteousness of Jesus.

You can be saved from God's wrath,

by God's mercy,

to God's presence.

What a glorious truth.

Now, some of you,

I think most of you,

have placed believing faith in Jesus Christ.

That's the status you hold this morning, right?

Beloved of God,

you are in Christ.

But we are so quick

to forget the great love of the Father for us,

and so quick to either presume upon His grace

with licentious living,

or believe we can earn His grace

with legalism.

Those who are in Christ

err in both ways all the time.

By thinking we can live however we want

because we're in Christ,

or thinking still

that somehow we're not pleasing to God

because we're just not good enough.

And both are errors.

Beloved, you are saved by grace alone

through faith alone.

Your faith will produce obedience in you.

It will produce obedience in you.

But let it be from a grateful heart

that loves to please and glorify God the Father.

It's a response to the work He's accomplished

on your behalf.

On the front of your bulletin

is your,

it seems like almost weekly Spurgeon quote.

Although,

this is a Spurgeon quote

where Spurgeon

is quoting Martin Luther.

So,

extra quote this morning.

Listen to this.

He says,

The whole Bible tells us

from beginning to end

that salvation is not by the works of the law

but by the deeds of grace.

Martin Luther declared

that he constantly preached

justification by faith alone

because,

said he,

the people would forget it

so that I was obliged

almost to knock my Bible

against their heads,

to send it into their hearts.

So it is true,

we constantly forget

that salvation

is by grace alone.

So even those of us

who aren't

off trying to earn salvation

in an absolute sense

or off living licentiously,

rejecting God at every turn,

those of us who are,

in fact,

restored to God

in Christ

can still err

in one of these two ways.

Let it not be so

amongst us.

So that's the failing love

of the oldest son

for his father.

Secondly,

the failing love

of the oldest son

for his younger brother.

In verse 30,

the oldest brother says

of his younger brother,

but when this son of yours

came,

he does not say

when my younger brother came,

he says,

when this son of yours

came,

he just altogether

disowns his brother.

Parents,

do you ever do that

to your spouse?

I do sometimes.

So you'll never believe

what your son just said.

That's in effect

what he is doing,

although I do it

with laughter.

He's doing it

with anger, right?

He is not concerned

at all

about his younger brother.

But this type of disowning

had happened long before

in Jesus' story.

The oldest brother

made no attempt

to reason

with his younger brother.

He did not try

to stop him

from sitting against

the father

so egregiously.

And he did not

seek his return

and restoration.

Right?

That would have been

the appropriate thing

to happen

in this day.

Right?

The father to stay

at home,

master of his domain.

It's the oldest brother

that should have gone out

and sought the younger brother

and brought the younger brother home.

In fact,

we can see from the text

that the oldest brother

knew where his younger brother was.

This distant land,

he was aware of it

and he knew

what he was up to.

But it did not go to him.

He says to the father,

this young son of yours

who has devoured

your property

with prostitutes.

He knows

what he has been up to.

He could have gone

and sought him out.

The oldest brother failed

to love

the younger brother.

At this point,

if you're in Christ,

I want you

to long

for the younger brother

to have a better

oldest brother.

A brother that would

humble himself

by going on a long journey

for his younger brother's

return

and restoration.

A brother who would

gladly share his inheritance

with his younger brother.

A brother who leads

his younger brother

in grateful obedience.

A brother who would

rejoice to see

his father rejoice

in his return.

Praise God

that if you are in Christ,

we have a perfect

older brother,

Christ himself.

But that is not this brother.

That is not who

this brother is.

He goes on to say,

you killed

the fattened calf

for him.

And it needs to

resonate around

in your head

the accusation

that the scribes

and the Pharisees

railed against Jesus.

Right?

The oldest brother

is saying to the father,

you have received

a sinner

and are eating

with him.

If the oldest brother

loved the father,

he would have also

loved what the father

loves.

the younger brother.

He would have also

loved the younger

brother.

You may find yourself

this morning

in Christ,

but loving

what the world

loves.

You just want to

celebrate with some

of your friends.

But what does

the father love?

The father loves

the restoration

of his sons.

The parable

of the lost sheep

and the parable

of the lost coin

are about the rejoicing

in heaven over sinners

who repent.

Jesus says in Luke 19.10,

For the Son of Man

came to seek

and to save

the lost.

This is why

Jesus came

to earth.

Jesus,

the perfect

oldest brother,

came to find

the lost

and he has given

us the same

charge.

Paul writes

to the Corinthian church

in 2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 5:18

chapter 5,

verse 18

and following,

All this is from God,

and he's talking

about the new

creations that we are

in the preceding

verses.

All this is from God

who through Christ

reconciled us

to himself

and gave us

the ministry

of reconciliation.

So,

sons restored,

now given

the ministry

of reconciliation.

That is,

this is verse 19,

in Christ,

God was reconciling

the world to himself,

not counting their

trespasses against them,

and entrusting to us

the message

of reconciliation.

Therefore,

we are ambassadors

for Christ,

God making his appeal

through us.

We implore you

on behalf of Christ,

be reconciled

to God.

And so you see,

as Christ is the

perfect oldest

brother,

right,

as he has come

and sought

and saved,

we have been given

the same charge

to go and to seek

and to save,

and we ought not,

as God's sons,

disregard anybody

for that mission.

We're to go,

and we're to go far

to the very ends

of the earth.

It means your neighbor,

and it means the person

that doesn't speak

the language

that anybody knows

yet,

all the way

to the ends

of the earth

to bring

God's sons

home.

And so that's the

failing love,

boy, I screwed it up there,

the failing love

of the son

for his

younger brother.

May it not be so

amongst us.

And then thirdly,

let's look at the

unfailing love

of the father

for his

oldest

son.

The father

extends the

same love

he has for the

younger brother

to the oldest

brother.

The father's

love is

unfailing.

When

the oldest

son was angry

and refused

to go in,

what does the

father do?

He comes out

and he

entreats him,

which means

he urged

or implored

or encouraged

him to come

in and join

the celebration.

The father

could have

justly been

angry with

the oldest

son for

being outside

fuming,

not joining

the celebration.

He could have

sent a message

to him

via a servant,

get in here

or else.

But instead,

he comes

to him

and he

entreats

him,

don't be

this way.

You are

my son.

Love

what I

love.

Love

what I

love because

I love

you.

And I

hope to

help you

see the

connection.

He

entreats

him,

join in

the rejoicing

of heaven

for,

verse 32,

it was

fitting to

celebrate

and be

glad for

this your

brother was

dead and

is alive.

He was

lost and

is found.

Jesus

is making

a plea

to the

Pharisees

and the

scribes

to come

to him

by faith.

exactly

what's

going

on in

this

story.

So,

you see,

God's

sons love

what he

loves and

he loves

to see

sinners

come to

repentance.

He loves

to restore

those who

are poor

in spirit,

to lavishly

love those

who return

to him

in humility.

The Pharisees

and the

scribes

were showing

themselves

to not

be God's

sons

as they

grumbled,

saying,

this man

receives

sinners

and eats

with them.

And so,

Jesus tells

them three

parables

as a

mercy

to them.

Did they

heed that

warning?

Sadly,

no.

At least

not most

of those

self-righteous

religious

elite of

the day

turned to

God by

faith

in Christ.

The story

ends there

and it

ends rather

abruptly

and that's

because Jesus

has made

his point.

He has

said the

very thing

that he

was driving

to say

in these

three

parables.

But there

is a

real life

epilogue

to the

parable.

The oldest

son,

in his

rage

against the

father,

beats him

to death.

In John

John 11 · chapter mention

chapter 11,

beginning in

verse 45,

this is

after Jesus

raises

Lazarus

from the

dead.

And if my

understanding

is correct,

it would

have been

about the

same time.

The

parable

of the

two sons

is only

recorded in

Luke's

account.

This

particular

record is

only in

John's

account,

but I

think they

were happening

at about

the same

time.

Verse 45

and following,

many of

the Jews

therefore,

who had

come with

Mary and

had seen

what he

did,

raising

Lazarus

from the

dead,

believed in

him.

But some

of them

went to

the Pharisees

and told

them what

Jesus had

done.

So the

chief

priests and

the Pharisees

gathered the

council and

said,

what are we

to do?

For this

man performs

many signs.

If we let

him go on

like this,

everyone will

believe in

him.

And the

Romans will

come and

take away

both our

place and

our nation.

Hear what

they're concerned

about.

This man is

performing

these miracles,

right?

Raised a

man from

the dead.

They're not

so concerned

about whether

or not it

actually even

happened.

They seem

to believe

that it

did.

But if

he keeps

doing this

kind of

thing,

if he

rises up

as a

ruler,

people are

going to be

following him

and Rome

is not

going to

like it.

And what

will happen?

We will

lose our

place and

our nation,

our status.

We will

not have

the power

that we

presently

enjoy.

Verse 49,

But one

of them,

Caiaphas,

who was

high priest

that year,

said to

them,

You know

nothing at

all,

nor do

you

understand

that it

is better

for you

that one

man should

die for

the people,

not that

the whole

nation should

perish.

This is

fascinating.

He did

not say

this of

his own

accord,

but being

high priest

that year,

he prophesied

that Jesus

would die

for the

nation.

But their

understanding

of it was

rather perverted,

wasn't it?

They were

saying,

if we can

kill this

guy and

get him

out of

the way,

we can

keep on

going the

way we

are.

Rather than

seeing that

the words

that God

was speaking

through him,

would be

to say

that Christ

came to

die for

them on

their behalf,

that they

might come

to God

by faith

in him.

It's a very

interesting turn

there.

And then

verse 52

says,

the older brother

beats the

father to

death.

Praise be to

God that

he purposed

that Jesus

should die.

that by

the hands

of wicked

men

our

savior

was

murdered,

but that

three days

later he

declared

victory over

sin and

death when

he was

raised from

the dead,

and that

now we

by faith

may have

life in

him.

What they

meant for

evil,

God

meant for

good.

This morning

let us

rejoice in

the unfailing

love of

the father.

Join me

in prayer.