October 21, 2022 – Friday
Luke 15:7 & 10 NIV
7 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.
10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Comment
The first verse for today, 7 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 is the conclusion to the parable of losing and finding one lost sheep out of 100. Thus, Jesus transitions from the shepherd in verse six where the shepherd tells his friends and neighbors, Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep to talking about how there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
So, what is going on with this verse? First of all, Jesus is talking about the joy in heaven over a sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. Referring to the ninety-nine righteous persons, Jesus is poking at the Pharisees who saw themselves as righteous persons who had no need to repent. While He disabused them of such notions a number of times, He drives the point home here when He says there is more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine such as them.
Now let’s look at verse ten, which follows a woman who found a lost coin (one of ten) and she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Jesus transitions once again saying 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. Jesus does not refer to the nine coins that were not lost, instead He simply says in the same way she rejoiced in finding the one coin she had lost, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.
In both cases the focus is on the rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents. Later on in Luke 18:10-14, Jesus tells another parable about how some people think they are righteous and do not need forgiveness and in their lost state actually looked down upon everyone else. This is what He said about that, 10 “Two men went up to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘O God, I thank you that I’m not like other people—thieves, dishonest people, adulterers, or even this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week, and I give a tenth of my entire income.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance and would not even look up to heaven. Instead, he continued to beat his chest and said, ‘O God, be merciful to me, the sinner that I am!’ 14 I tell you, this man, rather than the other one, went down to his home justified, because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the person who humbles himself will be exalted.” It is easy to connect the repentant tax collector to Jesus saying, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.
In my opinion, Jesus told these two parables to prepare the way for the parable in verses 11-32 which we will begin looking at on Monday, October 24 through Wednesday October 26.
Bottom Line: Be careful about not getting a ‘big head’ about being saved and forget that you were once as lost as any other sinner. Also, join the rejoicing with heaven whenever any sinner repents and chooses to follow Jesus.
Prayer: Almighty God, You are entirely sovereign yet You are patient, long suffering, and incredibly merciful waiting on sinner after sinner to repent while rejoicing for each one that chooses to repent and follow You and Your Son. – In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
RileyD, nwJ
Riley D. Driver – Pastor
Calvary Chapel of Dayton
in Beavercreek