Luke 15 — The God Who Rejoices
Before entering Luke 15, it helps to remember the kind of Gospel Luke is writing. Luke wants us to see Jesus—not only what He taught, but what He revealed about the heart of God through His actions, stories, and relationships. Luke 15 stands at the very centre of that purpose.
This chapter is not primarily about lost people. It is about what God is like when something—or someone—who matters to Him is found.
Many people approach Luke 15 focusing on the failure of the younger son, or the repentance required to return home. Repentance matters. But if we stop there, we miss the heartbeat of Jesus’ teaching. The emotional and theological centre of the chapter is not the son’s confession—it is the Father’s joy.
Jesus tells these parables to correct a distorted picture of God.
Luke 15 (NLT) — Read the Chapter
Note: Because the NLT is copyrighted, I can’t reproduce the entire chapter here. Below are short NLT excerpts to guide your reading, and a placeholder where you can paste the full text of Luke 15 (NLT) from your own Bible source.
PASTE FULL LUKE 15 (NLT) HERE
(Copy/paste Luke 15 from your Bible app/website into this section.)
Key Excerpts (NLT)
“Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen…”
Luke 15:1 (NLT)
“…he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!”
Luke 15:2 (NLT)
“go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?”
Luke 15:4 (NLT)
“When he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home…”
Luke 15:5 (NLT)
“There is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents…”
Luke 15:7 (NLT)
“search carefully until she finds it”
Luke 15:8 (NLT)
“there is joy in the presence of God’s angels…”
Luke 15:10 (NLT)
“Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son…”
Luke 15:20 (NLT)
“We must celebrate with a feast… He was lost, but now he is found.”
Luke 15:23–24 (NLT)
“The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in.”
Luke 15:28 (NLT)
“everything I have is yours”
Luke 15:31 (NLT)
“We had to celebrate… He was lost, but now he is found!”
Luke 15:32 (NLT)
What Provoked These Parables? (Luke 15:1–2)
Luke tells us clearly what set this chapter in motion: the religious leaders were offended—not that sinners existed, but that Jesus welcomed them. Eating together was an act of acceptance and shared dignity. By doing this, Jesus was communicating something they found deeply troubling: God is glad to be near these people.
Luke 15 is Jesus’ response to that complaint.
A Pattern of Loss and Joy
Jesus tells three parables in succession, and they all follow the same pattern: something valuable is lost, the owner seeks (or waits), what is lost is found, joy overflows into celebration, and others are invited to rejoice.
The Lost Sheep
The shepherd’s response is not frustration or calculation. It is pursuit. When the sheep is found, the shepherd does not shame it—he lifts it. The joy becomes public celebration, and Jesus makes the meaning clear: heaven rejoices over repentance.
The Lost Coin
The second parable reinforces the first, but shifts the imagery. A woman searches carefully until she finds what is lost. Again, the response is joy, and again the joy is shared. Jesus is teaching that repentance is not merely tolerated in heaven—it is celebrated.
The Parable That Changes Everything: The Lost Son
The third parable deepens the theme and complicates it. Unlike the sheep or coin, the son chooses to leave, wastes what he is given, and bears responsibility for his loss. Yet the story is still not mainly about him. It is about the Father.
The Younger Son’s Descent and Return
The younger son’s “turning” unfolds in stages: collapse, hunger, humiliation, awakening, honest confession, and humble return. Repentance here is not perfection—it is movement toward the Father.
The Father’s Shocking Response (Luke 15:20–24)
Here the story reaches its emotional and theological climax. The father sees first, runs first, embraces first. Restoration begins before explanations are complete. Then comes celebration: “He was lost, but now he is found.” Jesus wants His critics—and us—to see what God is like.
The Older Son: Another Kind of Lostness (Luke 15:25–32)
The story is not over. The older son reveals another kind of lostness—one rooted in resentment and entitlement. The father responds with the same grace: he goes out, he pleads, he invites. The father insists on joy, because the recovery of the lost is worth celebrating.
Why God’s Joy Offends Religious People
The rejoicing nature of God unsettles those who measure faithfulness by comparison and merit. Grace feels unfair when obedience has become currency. Celebration feels wrong when righteousness has become identity. Yet Jesus is clear: heaven rejoices, the Father rejoices, and the kingdom is pictured as a feast.
Prayer Guide
1) Begin with honesty
Lord, show me where I’m resisting Your joy. If I’m distant, bring me home. If I’m resentful, soften my heart.
2) Sit with the Father’s posture
Father, help me believe that You are not reluctant. You see me, You move toward me, and You welcome me.
3) Ask: Which “lostness” is mine today?
If I’m like the younger son: give me courage to return.
If I’m like the older son: give me grace to rejoice.
4) Pray repentance as returning
Jesus, I turn back toward You. I don’t want a speech—I want Your presence. Teach me to come home.
5) Pray for someone who feels far away
Father, bring home those who feel lost. Let them encounter Your compassion and Your welcome.
6) Close with surrender to God’s joy
God of hope, fill me with joy and peace as I trust You. Let Your joy reshape what I think You’re like, and how I treat others. Amen.