This is the famous story that was told by Jesus about a Father, and his Two Sons.
The parable can be found in Luke 15:11-24. This message was preached at Balhannah, March 30, 2025.
‘He would have gladly filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating…. no one gave him anything’.
‘There is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries’ (Daniel 2:28)
Daniel was a young, sharply focussed, man of faith, when he explained that his ability to interpret a dream for the King of Babylon, was a gift from the Most High God.
When the nations of the world are unable to fathom the origin, meaning and goal of human life, there is nevertheless, a group of people who have come to see, know and understand the plan and purpose of creation, through relating to the Creator of the Universe, by faith, This faith, this trust this receptivity, is a gift to the people of God, to understand the meaning and significance of the mystery of the Incarnation of God.
At the birth of Jesus, the Most High God, comes to this earth and ‘reveals mysteries’. The Incarnation of God, is the most wonderful gift to humanity. God gives himself to sinful humanity! He give himself, as one of us, yet without sin. He gives himself as one with us, dwelling in our homes, our lives, and communities.
Christmas is a good time for the nations to come to faith, to come into a relationship with the Creator of the Universe, and so to begin to understand and share positively, in the purposes of God for creation.
Jesus Christ was born for us.
Jesus Christ taught the important mysteries of life to us.
Jesus Christ was crucified for us.
Jesus Christ was raised for us.
Jesus Christ will come to us, in judgment and grace, making all things new.
Jesus Christ reigns now for us, and is speaking of the truth of himself, to us. Together with God the Father, and with God the Holy Spirit, this Jesus is God the Son, speaking to our hearts. He is revealing the mysteries of life, to a world that needs this new light—this ancient Light of the World, who said, ‘Let there be light’ and there was light.
“Come and see” if this is true. As that Christmas Carol, ‘Joy to the World’ sounds out across the malls, and in concert halls, may we respond to this Living Christ, and the call to “Let every heart prepare him room”.
Prayer: Come Lord Jesus into my life, forgive my hardness of heart. And come reveal the Father, and all your grace, plan and purposes, that I too may gladly become a person of hope and faith, filled with the love of God. Amen.
Q. How can a person know God?
A. If God reveals himself to us. Otherwise it is all a guess, a stumbling in the dark. God has revealed himself in ancient times through theophanies like Moses and the burning bush. In many and various ways God has spoken to people through human history. In a deliberate way God chose to reveal himself and his nature through the call of Abraham (Genesis 12), and then through the nation of Israel (see the Old Testament).
God has now fully revealed himself by coming to earth, in the person of Jesus Christ (his own eternal Son), through his life and actions and character.
A person does not have to guess who God is, or what God is like, or what he (i) has done, (ii) is doing and (iii) will do. The life of Jesus of Nazareth, the long awaited Messiah-King (or Christ), and his life’s activity is the revelation of God’s own true being.
Jesus said: ‘Whoever has seen me has seen the Father (God)’. See John 14:6
The full revelation of God’s character and holy heart of love for the world centres upon the death and resurrection of Jesus.
The Holy Spirit—the Spirit of Jesus the Man—and the same Spirit of God, the Father, comes to us (is given personally to humanity), so that through the Spirit’s help we come to know Jesus by faith, as we relate to him, trust him, learn of him, and hear his voice now.
The Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke-Acts and John—as found in the Bible are all written so that we might read them, or hear them, and so come to know Jesus more fully.
To know Jesus of Nazareth is to begin to make sense of life—at last!
Trevor
Look at the Birds 