Lost and Found: The Easter Story
What is the significance of Easter? Most people associate Easter with Easter bunnies, chocolate eggs and Easter egg hunts. Like all of the significant events of life, the adversary will demean the true meaning of the Word of God. This is especially true of the significance of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Jesus poured poured his life into his twelve disciples the last few weeks of his life before the crucifixion. They would not understand the significance of their Lord’s resurrection until they were filled with God’s Holy Spirit.
Jesus stopped in Bethany on his way to Jerusalem. Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha, met Jesus. She washed his feet with her tears and anointed his feet with costly perfumed ointment. This act symbolized preparing his body for burial prior to his death.
When Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray, he took with him Peter, James, and John. He said to them, “watch and pray..” He prayed to his Father, “If there be any other way let this cup (of wrath, sin separation and death) pass from me.” Gethsemane is the garden of the “olive press.” In the garden, Jesus’ will was pressed and crushed to conform to his Father’s will. “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” His prayer concluded, “nevertheless, not my will but thine be done.”
When Jesus was led before Pilate, even though Pilate could find no fault in him, the people shouted, Crucify him, crucify him!” He gave them over to the people and committed Jesus to the Roman authorities to be executed by crucifixion.
In God’s economy, without the shedding of blood, there is no remission and forgiveness of sin. In the Old Testament, God told Moses to tell the children of Israel, “take a “Passover lamb” and put the blood on the doorpost and the angel of death will pass over you.” When Jesus was crucified, he became our Passover lamb that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
When he died on the cross, Jesus’ blood did not cover our sins, rather his blood cleansed us from all unrighteousness. At his death, he ended the ritual animal sacrifices of the Old Testament. What the animal sacrifices could not do, Jesus Christ accomplished by shedding his innocent blood in exchange for our guilty blood. Jesus Christ is the end of the law… He came not to abolish the law but to fulfill the law.
The gospels and the meaning of Easter are revealed in Jesus’ parables. In Matthew 15, Jesus told them three parables about “lost and found.” The parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15 has many layers of spiritual meaning. On one level it is an illustration of the true meaning of Easter. The true meaning of Easter is that “I was lost but now am found.”
This parable is in Luke 15:11-32: And he said, A certain man had two sons: 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. 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.
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.
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.
20And 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 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: 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.
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.”
This detailed parable teaches many spiritual lessons. The older son represented the Pharisees. The Father represents God our Heavenly Father. The younger son represents believers who were lost but are now found. The main feature of this parable is God’s joy and rejoicing at the repentance of one sinner. The younger asked the father for his inheritance. The Father did not argue with his son but gave his son what he asked for.
The older son inherited twice as much as the younger sons. The inheritance was awarded at the death of the father. When the younger son demanded his inheritance his culture interpreted this request as, “Dad, I wish you were dead.” The lesson is to be careful what you ask for. You may be granted your request. The Father gave his younger son his inheritance. The younger son “went into a far country where he squandered his father’s fortune with loose living.” While he had money, he had many “friends” who were actually “hangers-on.” Then in verse 14, after he had spent everything there was a severe famine and he became destitute. He got a job working for a man who raised pigs. In their Jewish culture, a man who associates with pigs is counted among the pigs. He is no longer considered a man. When you’re in the world, you develop an appetite for the things of this world. He was so hungry while living like a pig, that he began to crave pig slop: “he fain did fill his belly with the husks which the swine did eat.”
Each Christian has a “turning point” a point of repentance. Verse 17 is the prodigal son’s point of repentance. He “came to himself.” To repent is to come to the point that “I have found the enemy and he is me.” He thought to himself, “my father’s hired hands have plenty to eat, but I’m here craving pig slop.” He said, “I will arise and go unto my father.” A broken and a contrite heart, God will not forsake.
In the Jewish law, when a son dishonors his Father, his punishment is death by stoning. The word “prodigal” means “lavish and extravagant.” The prodigal son squandered away his father’s fortune with lavish and extravagant “riotous” living. He had to get to the point that he “came to himself.” When he lost everything, he realized that he had sunk to the level of a pig and that there was nowhere else to go. With a humble and a contrite heart he needed to return to his father’s house.
The Father was waiting and watching for his son to come home. He was not waiting to judge and condemn his son. Jesus had said, “come unto me all ye who are weak and heavy laden and I will give you rest.” The father saw his son “from afar off” and ran to meet him. The son came to his father and started his rehearsed speech, “I have sinned before you and against God…” The father didn’t listen to his son’s speech. He instantly forgave him. The father embraced his son and rejoiced that his son had returned home.
The older son represented the hypocritical Pharisees who thought they were better than everyone else for keeping the “letter of the Old Testament law.” They understood condemnation, but they didn’t understand unconditional love, grace, and mercy. The older son said, “I’ve been faithful to serve you. I’ve done everything you’ve said, but you never killed the fatted calf for me and gave me a party.” He had done all the right things but for the wrong reasons. He was bitter, angry, and vindictive.
The story of the prodigal son and the story of Easter is the story of “lost and found.” It is the story of the Father’s love, mercy, grace and forgiveness. The meaning of Easter is the resurrection, being raised from the death that we inherited from Adam unto a new life in Christ. The story of Easter is that In that while we were yet sinners Christ died for the ungodly. What amazing Grace!
The song by Phillips, Craig, and Dean, “When God Ran” is on point. The emphasis of the parable of the prodigal son is the Forgiving Father. You’ll be blessed when you listen to the lyrics of this song. Here is the link on You Tube: https://youtu.be/1Akv2V5fNdk
May we ever live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael