Jesus: The Relentless Friend of Sinners

Devotional

Day 1: Jesus, the Friend of Sinners

Jesus is not repelled by our messiness or failures; instead, He draws near to those whom others might reject, offering friendship, grace, and acceptance to all who come to Him. He was criticized by the religious leaders for associating with tax collectors and sinners, but He turned their judgment on its head, showing that God's heart is for the broken and the lost. Jesus welcomes us as we are, not as we should be, and His love is not limited by our shortcomings. He calls us to recognize our need for Him and to receive His grace, which is greater than any sin or mistake. [10:59]

Matthew 11:18-19 (ESV)
“For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”

Reflection: Who in your life do you tend to avoid or judge because of their messiness or brokenness, and how can you extend the friendship and grace of Jesus to them this week?

Day 2: The Friend Who Seeks the Wandering

Jesus actively seeks out those who have wandered away, pursuing them with relentless love and patience, never giving up until they are found and restored. Like a shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine sheep to find the one that is lost, Jesus goes after each of us when we stray, rejoicing when we return to Him. No matter how far we have wandered, He is always ready to welcome us back, carrying us on His shoulders with joy and compassion. His pursuit is not out of obligation, but out of deep love for every individual. [16:42]

Luke 15:3-7 (ESV)
“So he told them this parable: ‘What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.” Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.’”

Reflection: When have you felt far from God, and how did you experience His pursuit and invitation to return? Is there an area of your life where you sense Him seeking you today?

Day 3: Embracing the Broken

God’s heart is to embrace those who are broken, not only repairing what is damaged but also inviting us to surrender our will to Him in trust and humility. Like the father in the parable of the prodigal son, God runs to meet us in our brokenness, not with condemnation but with compassion, restoring us to our place as beloved children. True brokenness is not just about being in need of repair, but about yielding our stubbornness and pride, allowing God to shape us and heal us from the inside out. His embrace is always open, no matter how far we have fallen. [25:02]

Luke 15:20-24 (ESV)
“And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.”

Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to surrender your will to God and allow Him to embrace and restore you today?

Day 4: The Call to Reconciliation

Through Jesus, God has reconciled the world to Himself, not counting our sins against us, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation to share this good news with others. The gospel is not about earning God’s favor or cleaning ourselves up before coming to Him; it is about agreeing with what Jesus has already accomplished—defeating sin, death, and the evil one—and living as those who are forgiven and loved. We are called to extend this message of reconciliation, inviting others to experience the goodness and grace of God, knowing that He is not mad at us but welcomes us home. [29:02]

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (ESV)
“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.”

Reflection: Who is one person you can reach out to this week with a message or act of reconciliation, reflecting God’s heart of forgiveness and welcome?

Day 5: Finding Your Identity in Jesus

Your failures, past mistakes, and shame do not define you—Jesus does. In Him, you are forgiven, loved, and seated with Christ in the heavenly places, learning to live out your true identity as a child of God. God’s love and acceptance are not based on your performance but on what Jesus has done; you are invited to find your self-worth and purpose in Him alone. As you align your heart and will with Jesus, you become salt and light in a world that desperately needs hope, living out the love and grace you have received. [40:05]

Ephesians 2:4-7 (ESV)
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

Reflection: What is one negative label or lie about yourself that you need to replace with the truth of your identity in Christ today?

Sermon Summary

Today, we reflected on the profound truth that Jesus is the friend of sinners—a reality that upends religious expectations and reveals the heart of God. We began by considering the nature of friendship, both in our human experience and in the language of Scripture. The Hebrew words for friend—raya, aluth, and ahab—show us the spectrum from acquaintance to deep, intimate companionship. Jesus, in calling us friends, offers us the deepest kind of relationship, one that knows our flaws and loves us still.

We explored how Jesus’ friendship with sinners was scandalous to the religious leaders of his day. His willingness to eat with tax collectors and outcasts was not a mark against his holiness, but a demonstration of his grace. The parables in Luke 15—the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son—reveal a God who seeks, finds, and embraces the lost and broken. These stories are not just about others; they are about us. We are all prone to wander, and yet Jesus pursues us with relentless love.

The parable of the prodigal son especially highlights the heart of the Father. The younger son’s rebellion and the older son’s resentment both miss the point: the Father’s love is extravagant, forgiving, and restorative. God is not waiting to punish, but to welcome home. Even when we are far off, he runs to meet us, embracing us before we can even finish our confession.

We also considered the reality of spiritual lostness and brokenness. Sometimes we wander unintentionally; sometimes we rebel outright. Yet, in every case, Jesus seeks us, finds us, and restores us. The joy in heaven over one sinner who repents is a reminder of our value to God and the celebration that awaits every return.

Finally, we were reminded that our failures and past mistakes do not define us—Jesus does. Our identity is found in him, and his grace is sufficient for every prodigal, every wanderer, every sinner. We are called to extend that same grace and reconciliation to others, praying for those who have wandered and trusting that the Friend of Sinners is still seeking and saving the lost.

Key Takeaways

1. True friendship, as modeled by Jesus, goes beyond surface-level acquaintance and enters into deep, sacrificial companionship. Jesus calls us friends, not because we are perfect, but because he chooses to love us in our imperfection. This challenges us to pursue relationships marked by grace, honesty, and steadfastness, reflecting the heart of Christ to those around us. [08:05]
2. The grace of Jesus is often offensive to the religious spirit within us. We are tempted to judge, compare, and exclude, but Jesus welcomes those whom others reject. Repentance is not just about changing outward behavior, but about a radical shift in allegiance and perspective—turning from self-righteousness to humble dependence on God’s mercy. [12:04]
3. We are all prone to wander, sometimes without even realizing it. Yet, Jesus, the Good Shepherd, seeks after the one who is lost, rejoicing more over their return than over those who never strayed. This relentless pursuit is a testament to God’s patient, pursuing love, and a call for us to trust that no one is beyond his reach. [16:42]
4. The parable of the prodigal son reveals the Father’s heart: he embraces the broken, restores the repentant, and invites even the resentful to join the celebration. Our brokenness is not a barrier to God, but the very place where his grace meets us. Surrendering our will and accepting his embrace is the path to true restoration and joy. [25:02]
5. Our identity is not determined by our failures, but by our union with Christ. In him, we are forgiven, reconciled, and seated with God. This truth frees us from shame and empowers us to live as salt and light, extending the same grace and reconciliation we have received to a world in desperate need. [39:13]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:00] - The Value and Nature of Friendship
[03:21] - Three Hebrew Words for Friend
[05:00] - Intimate Friendship and Marriage
[05:53] - Jesus: Friend of Sinners
[07:03] - Parables: Concealing and Revealing Truth
[08:05] - Jesus Calls Us Friends
[09:24] - Offending the Religious with Grace
[10:59] - Jesus Welcomes the Messy
[12:04] - Repentance: A Change of Allegiance
[13:42] - Prone to Wander: Personal Testimony
[16:42] - The Lost Sheep and God’s Pursuit
[19:47] - The Lost Coin and Heaven’s Joy
[21:19] - Angels, Rebellion, and God’s Supernatural Family
[22:42] - Embracing Brokenness: The Prodigal Son
[25:02] - The Father’s Compassion and Restoration
[26:59] - The Older Brother and Offended Grace
[29:02] - Reconciliation Through Christ
[30:35] - Responding to the Gospel
[31:35] - Praying for Prodigals
[32:34] - God’s True Character Revealed in Jesus
[39:13] - Our Identity in Christ
[40:05] - Living as Salt and Light
[41:01] - Surrendering Our Wills to God

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Luke 15:1-32 (ESV) — > Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? ...” (Read the full chapter for the parables of the lost sheep, lost coin, and prodigal son.)

John 15:12-15 (ESV) — > “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”

Observation Questions

In Luke 15, who was upset about Jesus spending time with “sinners,” and what was their complaint? ([10:07])
What actions does the shepherd, the woman, and the father take when something or someone is lost in the parables Jesus tells? ([16:42])
According to John 15, what does Jesus say is the greatest kind of love, and how does he describe his relationship with his disciples? ([08:05])
In the parable of the prodigal son, how does the father respond when his lost son returns home? ([25:02])

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Jesus’ willingness to eat with tax collectors and sinners was so offensive to the religious leaders of his day? What does this reveal about their understanding of God? ([10:07])
The sermon mentioned that “there’s a little Pharisee in each one of us.” What does this mean, and how might it show up in our own attitudes toward others? ([12:04])
The father in the prodigal son story runs to meet his son and restores him before the son can even finish his apology. What does this say about God’s heart toward those who have wandered or failed? ([25:02])
Jesus calls his followers “friends” instead of “servants.” What difference does this make in how we relate to him and to each other? ([08:05])

Application Questions

The sermon talked about different levels of friendship, from acquaintances to deep, intimate friends. Who in your life do you consider a true friend, and how can you be a better friend to them this week—especially in the way Jesus is a friend to us? ([03:21])
Have you ever felt like an “outsider” or someone others might judge? How did it feel, and how does knowing Jesus welcomes the messy and broken change your perspective? ([10:59])
The parables in Luke 15 show God’s joy over one sinner who repents. Is there someone in your life who has wandered from faith? How can you pray for them or reach out to them this week? ([31:35])
The sermon warned about the temptation to judge or compare ourselves to others. Can you think of a recent time when you caught yourself doing this? What would it look like to respond with grace instead? ([12:04])
The father in the prodigal son story didn’t wait for his son to clean himself up before welcoming him home. Are there areas in your own life where you feel you need to “fix yourself” before coming to God? What would it look like to come to him just as you are? ([25:02])
The message said, “Our failures and past mistakes do not define us—Jesus does.” Is there a failure or regret that you still let define you? What would it mean to let Jesus’ grace and your identity in him be your main story? ([39:13])
Jesus calls us to extend the same grace and reconciliation we’ve received. Is there someone you need to forgive or reach out to this week? What’s one step you can take toward that? ([29:02])

Sermon Clips

A close friend, an intimate friend, they know all your flaws. They know all of your stuff, and they love you anyway. They don't reject you. Somebody said, if you want to know who your friends are, make a big mistake. That's how you find out who your friends truly are. [00:05:37] (21 seconds) #TrueFriendsReveal

For them to call Jesus the friend of sinners was not a compliment. If you're really the Messiah, but you're hanging out with the unclean, the rejects, the tax collectors, the prostitutes, how can you really be the Messiah? Let me know Jesus turned that whole idea on its head. They were offended by grace. Jesus, Jesus' grace towards broken people offended the religious. [00:10:03] (29 seconds) #GraceOffendsTheReligious

Jesus was not put off by messy people. How many are glad for that? Jesus wasn't stumbled, as you read the Gospels, by outward sins of the flesh. Of course, He doesn't want us to behave that way, but He was way more stumbled by the sins of the heart. Hypocrisy, pride, unforgiveness, self -righteousness. [00:11:14] (31 seconds) #HeartSinsStumbleJesus

Repentance is a change of mind. It's literally what the Greek word metanoia means. A change of mind, a change of heart, a change of direction. I'm going the wrong way, I do a 180, and I go in the way of Jesus. That's repentance. [00:12:04] (15 seconds) #RepentanceIsTransformation

But as we talk about how the friend of sinners offends the religious, I want to give a word of caution first to myself and to all of us. There's a little Pharisee in each one of us. There's a little Pharisee that thinks we get to judge, that we compare ourselves to others, and we say, man, at least I'm not as bad as that person. That's offensive to Jesus. And I have to repent from that judgment and comparing, and so do all of us. [00:12:44] (36 seconds) #RejectJudgmentRepentance

The friend of sinners seeks the wandering. Boy, am I grateful for that. There's an old hymn, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. It says, I'm prone to wander. Lord, I feel it. How many can relate to that? We are prone to wander off daily. Daily we're prone to wander. [00:13:23] (21 seconds) #FriendOfWanderers

The gospel of Jesus Christ is this, that Jesus, through his life, death, and resurrection, he defeated three enemies that we all have. Sin, by nailing it to the cross. Your sins were nailed to the cross. He defeated death by submitting to it and rising from the grave, never to die again. And he defeated the evil one in darkness by stripping them of their authority. Stripping them of their authority. Jesus really did do it all. [00:29:56] (32 seconds) #IdentityInChristForgiven

You don't clean yourself up before you come to Jesus. He already knows how messy we all are. And guess what? When you make a decision to follow Jesus, you're still going to be messy. You're still going to make messes. You're still being potty trained, so to speak, throughout life, spiritually. [00:30:58] (18 seconds)

But this song is so about the friend of sinners and how many of us grew up with this warped idea about who God was, that he's this angry, hanging judge, and Jesus is the shield that protects us from this angry God. But in Jesus' own words and his life, he said, when you've seen me, you've seen the Father. So if you want to know what God is truly like, look at the life of Jesus who said, come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden. I'll give you rest. I'll give you rest. I'm gentle and humble at heart, he said. That's what God is like. He is like what Jesus is. [00:32:51] (42 seconds)

``I feel strongly that I'm to remind some folks in this room that your failures, your past, your mistakes do not define you. Jesus does. You are in Christ forgiven. No shame. No shame. No more shame. No more guilt. You're seated with Christ in the heavenly places with God the Father. We're in him. Everything who he is is now who you are. You're just learning how to live that out. That's all of us. He's the friend of sinners. I'm glad for that. [00:38:58] (44 seconds)

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