Luke 15 contains three of the most famous parables Jesus ever taught: the parable of the lost sheep; the parable of the lost coin; and the parable of the lost sons. Or if we put the emphasis where Jesus puts it, we might call them: the parable of the seeking shepherd; the parable of the seeking woman; and the parable of the seeking father.

According to Jesus, God is graciously seeking the lost. But “lost” here does not mean just unbelievers; believers are in view, too. The sheep strays from the flock it was already a part of. The coin is lost at home, not out on the streets. The son leaves the family he had lived in for years. So, God is also seeking to recapture those who already know him but have strayed from him. If that weren’t enough, we also discover in Luke 15 the unbridled joy that erupts in heaven when a wayward person is restored.

While each parable is worthy of detailed study, this sermon looks at the chapter as whole, surveying the broad themes common to each: human folly; the value of human beings (even when lost); the costly search of the rescuer; and heaven’s joy when that which is lost is found. 

Quite interestingly, there is something about the “neck” in each of these stories, a detail that is often overlooked. The shepherd finds the lost sheep and puts it around his neck. The woman finds the lost coin and (presumably) puts it back in her necklace where it came from. The father sees his lost son and “fell on his neck, and kissed him” (Luke 15:20, KJV). The neck is the place of honor, intimacy, and embrace.

As Jesus Christ is God in human flesh, these parables constitute “God explaining God to us.” And one of the great truths we learn here is that God refuses to be God without his people living in his embrace. Indeed, these parables expound to us the love and grace of God unlike anywhere else in Scripture.