Everyone likes to see a 1955 Chevy Bel Air driving down the road. We love the looks and the sound it makes, but how often do we know what it took to restore it? Restoration requires a plan, time, materials, skill and there is always a cost.

Restoration is an act of bringing something damaged back to its original state. 

I want to share with you the greatest restoration story ever told.

Luke chapter 15 was devoted to the topic of the restorative will of God. This chapter is broken down into 3 subjects: sheep, coins and sons, each was used to instruct the religious leaders of Jesus’ day.

The Sheep

Jesus said in verses 4-7, “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the other ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he puts it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost!’ I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.” 

Like the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, many still believe they are “good” or “righteous” people because they are moral … some even stating “I go to church” as support for their beliefs. Yet scripture tells us that:

“There is no righteous person, not even one; There is no one who understands,There is no one who seeks out God;They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt;There is no one who does good,There is not even one.” Romans 3:9-12

“for all [jew and gentile] have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” Romans 3:23

“All of us, like sheep, have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way…” Isaiah 53:6

“For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.” 1 Peter 2:25

• We are the sheep that Jesus spoke about. One by one Jesus searched until he found us and there was great rejoicing in heaven when we repented and accepted His forgiveness. 

The Coin

In Luke 15:8-10 Jesus goes on to say “ what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found the coin which I had lost!’ In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

• Like the Sheep, the lost coin also denotes something of value that warrants being searched for until it is found. Once found a celebration is ordered. Both the coin and sheep represent those who have repented and accepted the gift of forgiveness of Jesus. 

The Sons

In Luke 15:11-30 we find a complex story of restoration involving a father and two sons. 

Luke 15:12 says “..The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that is coming to me… and he divided his wealth between them” 

• This is culturally significant because the son was asking for his inheritance BEFORE the father was deceased. The inheritance was ⅓  of the total value of everything the father owned. By asking for the inheritance before the father passed, the son was culturally dishonorable and was looked down upon.

Luke 15:13 says, “the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey to a distant country, and there he squandered his estate on wild living”.

• The son had to liquidate the estate into a form that could be spent. Since his father was still alive, the father could not continue to profit from this portion of the estate any longer. Many know this story as the story of the “prodigal son”.  A “prodigal” is defined as a person who is given to foolish spending, one who squanders what they have.

Luke 15:14-15 says, “Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began doing without. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs.”

• There is no time frame given to identify how long it took to spend “everything” but consider that a “severe famine” does not occur overnight. The prodigal found himself in a place of need. The difference between need and want can easily be defined this way:

1. Needs are those things that cause harm if you go without them. (water, food and shelter).
2. Wants are those things you can get but are not required to survive.

• The prodigal found himself in need which was so great that he hired himself out to feed pigs which made him “unclean”. 

Luke 15:16-17 says “And he longed to have his fill of the carob pods that the pigs were eating, and no one was giving him anything. But when he came to his senses, he said, “How many of my father’s hired laborers have more than enough bread, but I am dying here from hunger!”

• The prodigal finds himself at a point of desperation after lavishing all his inheritance on people, and now no one was willing to come to his aid. Friends bought with money are only friends until the money runs out. Nearly starving,he begins to think that the pig slop is his only option, but THEN he comes “to his senses”. 

Luke 15: 18-19 says “I will set out and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired laborers.”

• Two things are noted here, the prodigal realized his sin and has a heart of repentance. HE also believes that he should no longer be considered a son. How often do we realize we have sinned and repent only to think we should no longer be considered God’s children?

Luke 15:20-22 says “So he set out and came to his father. But when he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet;…”

• There is a lot happening in these verses. First the father was waiting and watching because he saw his son while he was “still a long way off”. This demonstrates the father waiting with expectation. Apokaradokia is the Greek word for “expectation” which means to look for something from a particular place. The father had to be looking to see him when he did. Then the father had compassion for the son who had dishonored him at the beginning of the chapter. The father ran to him (outside of the cultural norm), embraced the filthy “unclean” son and kissed him!

• The prodigal confesses his sin against heaven and against his father then proceeds to tell his father he was not eligible to be called his son. The father had a different idea… he called his servants to bring the best robe and place it on the prodigal. The “robe” indicates re-introduction to the family, acceptance and spiritual covering. Next he called for a “ring” to be placed on his hand. The ring symbolizes authority being returned. Lastly he denied the request of the prodigal to be considered a servant by having sandals placed on his feet… servants did not wear sandals. 

Luke 15:23 says “…bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate…”

• Looking at Leviticus 9:1-7, we find that the first bull calf was used as a sacrifice for sin by Aaron. This calf was sacrificed after the prodigal return to the father, confessed his sin and was restored to the family by the father. 

• Consider this as we look at Isaiah 53:6 “All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. 

Jesus was the sacrifice for our sin like the calf in Leviticus 9 and the calf in Luke 15. 

As in the story of the lost sheep and the lost coin the father says, “celebrate;

for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.” Luke 15:24

Luke 15:25-28 says, “Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.”And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. “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 became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading (NASB 1995 uses “entreating” which means to intercede, plead and attempt to persuade) with him.

• Yet the father chose to restore the prodigal and the father stood in the gap for the prodigal attempting to sway the older son. 

Luke 15:29-32 says, “But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’ “And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours.

‘But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’ “

• The older son was angry and presented the father with a “So What!” attitude. What the younger son did was offensive to the brother and was not acceptable by societal standards. The father acknowledged the faithfulness of the older son while supporting the decision he had made toward the prodigal. 

• In the end we must look at all these stories in the light of the mercies that God has done in our lives. We are all prodigals (Romans 3:23) in need of a  Father to stand in the gap for us. While we strayed and wandered the cost of our sin was paid for by the sacrifice of Jesus which is better than any bull. (Romans 5:8) Like the prodigal, whose father took the responsibility to clean him up, the prodigal had to change the way he lived and we must do the same. We must choose to live a life worthy of our calling as children of God.

So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me as his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time. 2 Timothy 1:8-9

Like the 55 Chevy Bel Air, we have been restored by the Father. It was all in the plan from the creation of the world and the cost was paid in full through the blood of Jesus.