These parables tell us that God wants his lost children to come home and he will welcome our return with open arms. What a wonderful thought! John 10:11-18 tells us that Jesus knows us and that he gave his life for us.

SIN SEPARATES US FROM GOD

Acts 13:47,48 "For this is what the Lord has commanded us: I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth. When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the work of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed."

1 John 1:7 "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."

Romans 3:23 says "...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

1 Timothy 2:5 "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men - the testimony given in its proper time." Ransom means "to deliver from sin or its penalty; to free from captivity or punishment by paying a price"

John 14:6 "Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Reconciled means " to restore to friendship or harmony; to settle; resolve"

2 Corinthians 5:18,19 "All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation"

2 Corinthians 5:21 "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

1 Peter 2:24 "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed."

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Titus 2:11 "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men."

Titus 3:4,5 "But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy."

The Jews also had a special day each year called the Day of Atonement. An animal was chosen and used as a "scapegoat" as commanded by God. The sins of the people were symbolically transferred onto the animal and the animal was then left out in the desert. The people understood this removed their sins from them Lev 16:7-22, 1 Pet :24. Jesus is our "scapegoat" and sacrifice today John 1:29, Rom 3:25, 1 Pet 1:18,19. These animal sacrifices were only a temporary solution to a permanent problem. God would send his son, Jesus, as the final sacrifice Gal 3:22-25, 4:4,5, Heb 10:3,4, Heb 9:26, Matt 26:28, Rev 5:9, Eph 1:7, 5:25, Mk 10:45, Acts 20:28, 1 Cor 6:19,20 .

1 John 2:2 "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world."

Hebrews 9:22 "In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."

John 3:16,17 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

1 Peter 2:24 "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed."

John 1:29 "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"

Jesus carried our sins away from us, just like the animals that were sacrificed long ago removed the sins from God's chosen people. Jesus is our sacrifice!