Sermon - Luke 15 - Robe, Ring, and Sandals - Littleby Baptist Church - August 4, 2019

Today we will be looking at another of Jesus’ parables. As we have discussed before He uses them to teach those who have eyes to see and ears to hear.

Luke 15:11-24

“¹¹ He also said: “A man had two sons. ¹² The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me.’ So he distributed the assets to them. ¹³ Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered his estate in foolish living. ¹⁴ After he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he had nothing. ¹⁵ Then he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ He longed to eat his fill from the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one would give him anything. ¹⁷ When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger! ¹⁸ I’ll get up, go to my father, and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. ¹⁹ I’m no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired workers.”’ ²⁰ So he got up and went to his father. But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. ²¹ The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son.’ ²² “But the father told his servants, ‘Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Then bring the fattened calf and slaughter it, and let’s celebrate with a feast, ²⁴ because this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.”

The young son took what was his, headed off, lived a wild lifestyle, blew everything, and hit rock bottom hard. So hard that he was willing to eat the slop fed to the pigs. It was then and only then that he realized how low he had fallen and how wrong he was. He returned to his father, confessed he was wrong, and was forgiven.

Romans 10:9

“If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord.” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Same thing happens for all who return to their Creator and confess their sins. They are forgiven. It does not matter what the sin is, it does not matter how long they have lived in it, and it does not matter how far they have fallen.

Return to God and repent of your sins. In an instant they are wiped away, you are made clean, and are accepted as a child of God.

What I want to focus on this morning is what happens after the son pleads for forgiveness.

Luke 15:22

“²² “But the father told his servants, ‘Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.”

After the father forgave his son, he gave him 3 very significant things.

The father gave his wayward son the best robe he had.

I bet this guy was a sight to see, and not a good one. He had lived a wild life which tends to have an impact on how people look, he had hit rock bottom, probably pretty frail looking from not eating much, worn out after traveling home from a distant country, would guess what clothing he had was torn and filthy, and the smell was probably hard to stand.

The father gave him the best robe and, in that instant, the torn clothes, the dirt, and the scars were covered. The moment the robe was placed over his shoulders all was forgiven.

Isaiah 61:10

“I rejoice greatly in the Lord, I exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a groom wears a turban and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”

The robe represents being wrapped in the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Sins are forgiven, restoration happens, and a new life has began.

The father gave his wayward son a robe wiping away the past as a symbol that all is forgiven, and a new life has begun. Through Jesus each of us can receive the exact same thing, sins forgiven and a new life in Him all we have to do is repent of our sins and accept the gift He is offering.

Then the father gave his forgiven son ‘a ring on his finger.’

In Genesis 41 we find Joseph in jail having been betrayed by his brothers and then accused of something he did not do. One day he is called on to interpret dreams that were plaguing Pharaoh. God gave Joseph the answers and then Pharaoh made Joseph second in command.

Genesis 41:39-44

“³⁹ So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you are. ⁴⁰ You will be over my house, and all my people will obey your commands. Only I, as king, will be greater than you.” ⁴¹ Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “See, I am placing you over all the land of Egypt.” ⁴² Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, clothed him with fine linen garments, and placed a gold chain around his neck. ⁴³ He had Joseph ride in his second chariot, and servants called out before him, “Make way!” So he placed him over all the land of Egypt. ⁴⁴ Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh and no one will be able to raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt without your permission.”

The ring Pharaoh gave Joseph was a sign of authority.

In Biblical times a father giving his son a ring was a sign that the son was no longer a child. The ring represented the fact that the son now had authority to speak for the family. No longer a little child but an heir.

Romans 8:15-17

“¹⁵ You did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, ¹⁷ and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.”

With the ring the son received from his father, he was no longer some stranger. He was no longer lost. He was restored to his place as an heir. He was a son, a person with authority, he had been completely restored.

When we repent, we are forgiven, when we accept the gift of salvation being offered by Jesus, we become a coheir with Christ. We are no longer lost; we are restored to our rightful place as members of the family of God.

Then the father gave his forgiven heir sandals for his feet.

The robe represents cleansing, the ring represents being returned to our rightful place in the family of God, the sandals remind us that we are no longer of this world.

Back then the roads were filthy. Animals did their ‘business’ wherever they were, people dumped their waste into the streets, it was a mess and if you had to walk barefoot in it your feet would be nasty. Sandals were the only thing keeping your feet out of the worst of it.

The sandals are to remind us that repenting and accepting the amazing gift we are being offered is only part of it.

In John chapter 8 the Pharisees bring an adulteress to Jesus and then end up leaving one by one.

John 8:10-11

“¹⁰ When Jesus stood up, he said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” ¹¹ “No one, Lord,” she answered. “Neither do I condemn you,” said Jesus. “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”

When we are restored to our rightful place in the family of God we need to turn away from our sins. We cannot continue to walk in the garbage we used to walk in. We cannot live in our sins and pretend to be ok. We are a new creation in Christ Jesus, and we need to live accordingly.

Sandals from the Father are the same as Jesus telling to, ‘Go, and sin no more.’

As one who has been cleansed by the blood of Christ and restored to our rightful place as a child of God, we need to turn away from the garbage on the internet, sexual impurities, the drugs, alcohol, pride, greed, selfish ambition, and all the rest of that stuff that does not honor God in our lives. As a child of God we need to seek Jesus and ask Him to take these things from us and talk to our brothers and sisters who have walked in the same shoes before. As Jesus said, ‘Go, and sin no more.’

As a child of God you have received a robe of Christ’s love that wipes away your sins, a ring that shows you are a coheir with Christ, and sandals to remind you to no longer walk in the filth. You are a new creation, embrace the path God has laid before you, and walk as a child of God.

Robe, Ring, and Sandals. Cleansing, Restoration, and a new path. 


Thanks for reading!

Robert