I am very thankful for the work of many on this famous passage. However, I am getting very tired of hearing about the "Older/Elder brother" in the passage.
Thanks to the followers of Ed Clowney, Tim Keller and Sonship, we have had an onslaught of good sermons, books and teaching on this passage to show us how Jesus is the perfect older brother for believers. But, folks, there's more to this passage than the older brother. Frankly, I'm getting tired of all the "older brother" sermons. And, not every passage of Scripture is an "older brother/Luke 15 sermon."
There are 2 more characters: The Father and the younger son.
Without making this post into a full-length sermon, I just want to point out that these characters get a LOT more space than the insolent older brother. As I read this passage, I see that Jesus is the fulfillment of all three characters.
First, Jesus as the prodigal savior. Jesus suffered great indignity for the sake of the souls of His people - far greater than feeding wretched pigs. Hebrews 13:12 tells us that Jesus willingly became despised and suffered the death of a wretch so that His people would not have to taste the same rejection from the Father. In taking the sins of His people and being despised by the people and His Father, Jesus became the prodigal Savior in order to rescue the perishing.
Second, due to Jesus' sacrifice and the sending of His Spirit, He gives us a new heart and mind so that - when we err - we can "come to our senses" and return to the Father who will lavish us with His love and grace. Now, this parable alone does not reveal to us the fullness of the work of Jesus on our behalf. However, this passage certainly magnifies the Father's love for His children so that we can sing "Behold what manner of love the Father (the holy Creator and Judge of all) has given unto us (sinners who daily rebel against Him with our thoughts, words and actions) that we should be called children of God" (I John 3:1).
Please - dear preacher/teacher - when explaining the treasures of this passage, do not neglect the Father's great love that is so amply illustrated by this great text!
