Rescued
From Livestream
by Brother Greg Wilhelm on February 25, 2018
Jesus was criticized by the religious leaders of His day for hanging out with publicans. They tried to cast doubt on His ministry and influence in the lives of the people. But, the mission of Jesus Christ was to seek and save that which was lost. He responded to the Pharisees with three parables to indicate the importance of repentance and the saving grace of God.
Jesus’ first parable was about a lost sheep (Luke 15:3–7). He used the imagery of sheep because this was something the people of the day could connect with. People understood sheep had an uncanny ability to get themselves lost. They would drift off into the dark away from the shepherd, and once they looked up from grazing, would realize they were lost. Their only defense mechanism was to cry for help.
Jesus said He was the good shepherd, and He would give His life for the sheep (John 10:11). Once we (the sheep) realize we’re lost and cry out to Jesus, He will come to save us. He will come to our rescue. It’s important to note that all of heaven will rejoice when one sinner repents (Luke 15:7).
Unlike the sheep who realize they’re lost, Jesus tells of a coin (Luke 15:8–11). A coin didn’t have seeming importance all by itself, but this is a truth Jesus was trying to convey. We must understand we all have tremendous worth in the eyes of our Maker. We are His masterpiece and He wants to rescue us today (Ephesians 2:9–10).
The Jewish dowry was 10 silver coins. Losing one meant unfaithfulness on the part of the bride. Therefore, the woman swept her house to find the coin. There are those of us who can be in church and be just as lost as someone outside the church. We might look like the other coins, but we’re not in our proper place; we’re lost. We need to allow God to come in, expose our sin, rescue us, and restore us to our proper order in the church.
The last parable was about the prodigal (wasteful) son (Luke 15:12–24). This was a story about the worst sinner: someone who was disrespectful, greedy, wasteful, and squandered their privileges. At that time, if a son had done such a thing to his family, they would have had a funeral with an empty casket. The son would still be alive, but dead in the hearts of his family. But, Jesus showed the nature of a loving God. When this son realized he had sinned, and returned with a repentant heart, his father was waiting and ran to him while he was yet a far off.
The Pharisees expected a different outcome according to the law (Deuteronomy 21:18–21), but Jesus said grace says another. When Jesus comes in to rescue us, He will take our shame, and welcome us back to a right place in Him.
Isaiah was a prophet in the Old Testament that stood out from the rest due to his literary distinctions and theological revelations. Once we come upon Chapter 6 of his book, we see a change in the tone of his writing and experience. He stepped past the familiar and into the realm of the supernatural. He saw the Lord, had his sins purged, and was commissioned to go into the world to make disciples (Isaiah 6:1–10). He understood that he was a sinner, but he had been touched and cleansed by Jesus Christ. He had been rescued.
Isaiah understood his cleansing wasn’t just for him; it was a moment in his life where he had been changed and was commissioned to go and do a work. He needed to help others be rescued. Rescued people are used by God to rescue other people. We need to allow God to flow through us and help lead someone else back to Him. We need to help someone realize that can and will be rescued by Jesus.
