The Prodigal's Repentance
by Rev. Kirby Williams
Analyzing the nature of true repentance when the prodigal son 'comes to himself'.
Text: Luke 15:17-20
Date: 06/16/2024, the Combined service.
Series: "Luke: Thy Kingdom Come" Part 153
Description:
Jesus continues with the second major scene in His epic parable of a loving father with two wayward sons. Because of the richness of the text and the importance of what is happening to the son, we will deal in this lesson only with the turnaround itself. When the destitute prodigal son finds himself faced with starvation and imminent death, he "comes to himself". We will spend most of this morning discussing what that means in the context of the three parables Jesus has taught on the joy of the restoration of the Imago Dei. We will focus on why the son turns around, the nature of his turnaround, and his flawed plan of penitence to regain his father's good favor. This will prepare us for next week's lesson when the son is stunned by the amazing grace of the father. Ultimately we will discuss how the regeneration of the soul impacts the mind and body of the redeemed, thereby learning to trust the work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration and redemption, through the example of the prodigal's repentance.
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I. Introduction, Gen. 1:26.
II. Exposition of the text, Luke 15:17-20.
A. Context
1. The preceding parables, Luke 15:10.
2. The Prodigal's rebellion.
B. The repentance of the son, vs. 17-20a.
1. Coming to "himself", vs. 17.
a. The soul restored, vs. 17a.
i. The literal translation.
ii. What it means to "come to himself", John 3:3.
1) The nature of the "self" turned "from".
a) A fallen "self", Psa. 51:5.
b) An "evil self", John 10:10.
c) The impossibility of "auto-restoration", Rev. 22:15; Jer. 17:9; Gen. 8:21; Eph. 2:1.
2) The self turned "to".
a) The restored "self", John 1:12-13, 3:5.
b) The "Imago Dei self".
c) A process called "repentance".
b. The restoration of the mind, vs. 17b.
i. The noetic influence of a redeemed soul.
ii. Like light shining in the darkness, Luke 11:34, 24:31.
iii. A true repentance.
c. Looking at the words.
i. Defining a "hired servant".
ii. What it tells us about the son.
1) Driven to repentance.
2) Not an isolated incident, Matt. 5:3.
iii. What it tells us about the father.
2. The Prodigal's plan, vs. 18-19.
a. A "rabbinic" view of repentance.
i. Repentance that is a "work", Mal. 3:7.
ii. Repentance not "penitence".
iii. Creating the drama of the story.
b. Sins against heaven, Ezra 9:6; Psa. 51:4.
3. Turning to his father, vs. 20a.
a. What the son does and does not "instigate".
b. The marks of a true conversion.
III. Application
IV. Conclusion, Mark 1:15.
