Kingdom Parables: Prodigal Son

What does the resurrection really mean—not just historically, but personally?

On Easter Sunday 2025, Pastor Josh concluded the Kingdom Parables series with a deeply personal and stirring message centered on Luke 15. While the parable of the prodigal son might seem like an unusual choice for Easter, Pastor Josh drew a powerful connection: the resurrection is about restoration, joy, and a return to the Father. “My son was dead and is alive again”—this is not just a line from the story, but a declaration of what the gospel accomplishes in every believer.

Entitlement: The Hidden Barrier to Joy

The message began with a diagnosis of the younger son’s heart: entitlement. In demanding his inheritance, he wasn’t just asking for money—he was asking for independence. Pastor Josh challenged us to see ourselves in that same posture:

“What the second son is really saying is, ‘I want all the blessings now… so I won’t need you anymore.’”

This entitlement, he explained, is the root of so much modern discontent. In a world obsessed with comfort and instant gratification, we lose the ability to feel deeply and live meaningfully. He illustrated this with a relatable and humorous example:

“I used to love going to the Virgin lounge—free food, free wifi! But after a while, it was the same rice and curry. Even I—someone who doesn’t care about food—started to complain. What changed? Not the food. My heart. Entitlement kills joy.”

Suffering: A Strange Mercy

As the prodigal son spiraled into poverty, he eventually “came to his senses.” Pastor Josh pressed the point that pain, while unwanted, can be redemptive:

“The greatest blessing for a cancer patient is pain—it tells you something is wrong, so you can treat it. In the same way, suffering shows us that something in our soul needs healing.”

He shared candidly about his own chronic illness, Crohn’s disease, and how it shaped his spiritual hunger: “Because of that, I think I’m a better pastor. It made me yearn for God every day.” Rather than seeing suffering as punishment, he framed it as God’s way of restoring what we truly need: intimacy with the Father.

The Gospel: A Running Father, A Resurrected Son

The heart of Easter came alive in one vivid image: the father running toward his son. Even before the son could finish his rehearsed apology, the father had already embraced him. “This is the beauty of the gospel,” Pastor Josh said, “God runs to you first.”

The resurrection isn’t just about Jesus walking out of a tomb—it’s about the Father welcoming dead sons and daughters back to life. And joy follows: “Value restored, desire satisfied, party began.”

The Other Lost Son

The story’s final twist came in the older brother—obedient, moral, and deeply resentful. Pastor Josh issued a sobering challenge:

“The older brother says, ‘I’ve served you all these years… and you never gave me a party.’ It’s a different expression, but the same heart of entitlement.”

Like many Christians, the older brother was close to the Father in proximity but distant in joy. Pastor Josh asked the church to consider whether our religion, effort, or service has become transactional. “If your obedience is fueled by pride or comparison, you will never know the joy of resurrection.”

Come Home

In closing, Pastor Josh invited everyone to recognize that the greatest problem isn’t loss of blessing, but loss of the Father. Resurrection Sunday isn’t about hype, performance, or religion—it’s about life out of death.

“Christianity is not about turning bad people into good people. It’s about turning dead people into living ones.”

Whether you’re the younger son stuck in guilt or the older brother stuck in bitterness, the invitation is the same: come back to the Father. Let the joy return. Let resurrection life begin.

Jesus is alive—and that is very good news.