The Man Who Lived

by Luke1813

Harry Potter seems to have it all. So, then, why does he feel as if his life is missing something? Searching for answers, he visits his parents' gravesite, which sparks an investigation into a mystery. An investigation that takes him on a journey he never could have expected and forces him into the toughest decisions he'll ever have to face. Contains major Christian teachings.

5. Chapter 5

The Man Who Lived

Chapter 5

Author's Warning: There is a literal preaching of the Gospel (i.e., the 'good news' of Jesus Christ) in this chapter. I know that I already warned you at the beginning of chapter 1 about the heavy, Christian themes in this story, but I'm warning you again. So, if reading a Christian sermon is going to offend you, I highly recommend that you click off of this story and, perhaps, go read one of my Witcher adventures – like 'On the Path' or 'Hell Hath Frozen Over.' God doesn't play a role in either of those stories.

oOo

Harry's eyes scanned the yellow, legal pad on the table.

'In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.'

'When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life."'

'You, Lord, are my lamp; the Lord turns my darkness into light.'

'God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.'

Along with these verses of Scripture, Harry had copied many others down on the page. In fact, the first three pages of the legal pad were full of verses, thoughts, and questions that he'd written down as he was reading.

Before he'd left Mr. Gold's cottage earlier in the week, he'd received an introductory lesson from Festus on how to use the Bible. The pastor had explained that there were footnotes at the bottom of each page to give context to certain words or phrases. He'd also showed Harry how to use the reference system in the middle column of each page so that he could look up other verses of Scripture that had a similar theme. Finally, he'd taught him how to use the abridged concordance in the back of the book, allowing him to find verses containing certain words.

That night, after having met Festus, Harry had done his best to focus during his meeting with Tracey and Mr. Hawker at the broom-maker's estate. But frankly, he hadn't even wanted to be there. So, once the drinks had been served, he'd gotten right to the point.

"Mr. Hawker, I enjoy using your product. Your company makes a high-quality broomstick. And I know that you want me to continue to use it, as well. So, I hate to cut this meeting short, but I've got practice tomorrow."

"For the World Cup," interjected Tracey with a wide smile.

Harry glanced at his agent.

"I'm sure he's aware."

"Just thought I'd remind him that you're the best seeker in Britain."

Harry refrained from rolling of his eyes – though a smirk did come to his lips. He really did love having Tracey as an agent.

"So, how about you just tell me your offer," he said after turning back to Mr. Hawker, "and then we'll go from there."

Not long afterwards, their meeting had ended, and Harry had rushed home. After telling Ginny about his day, he'd headed to his study. He'd grabbed his Bible and the legal pad and pen. Per Festus' advice, he'd started reading the Gospel according to John, but that first night he hadn't even finished the first chapter. He'd gotten caught up on the verse calling Jesus the light of all mankind. For it had immediately reminded him of the war-memorial in front of the Hogwarts castle, of the obelisk that stated: 'In the absence of light, darkness prevails.' Harry couldn't deny that there was darkness in the world – a world full of hatred, prejudice, and violence. He'd seen it as a child living with the Dursleys. He'd experienced it throughout his years at Hogwarts. His battles against Voldemort and the Death Eaters were glaring evidence of it. He'd even fought against it in his time as an Auror. There was so much darkness – evil within the hearts of men – that caused destruction and death and sorrow. If he was completely honest with himself, he'd felt it in his own heart at times. As a little kid, he had actually wished ill upon the Dursleys numerous times. Hoping that some horrific accident would befall all of them so that he could be free of them forever. To his shame, he'd also used Unforgivable curses on multiple occasions. He could still remember the absolute hatred he'd felt in his heart when he'd cast the Cruciatus curse at both Bellatrix Lestrange and Amycus Carrow. He hadn't cast it in order to capture them or to stop them from hurting others or to bring them to justice. He knew full-well that, if that had been the case, there were dozens of other spells that he could have used. No, he'd cast it in order to torture them. Because he'd wanted them to suffer. So, he knew first-hand about the darkness. And here was the Bible claiming that Jesus was the light of the world. That he was the ultimate source to defeat the darkness. That verse had struck a chord in Harry, and he'd subsequently fallen down a rabbit-hole, searching for other verses in the Bible that referenced God as light. He'd ended up writing down over a dozen other verses.

Harry had eventually decided, though, that what he was doing was not the correct way to read the Bible. He was getting a bit side-tracked, he thought. So, after that first night, he'd simply begun to read through the rest of the book of John – making a few notes here and there when a thought or question came to mind. He figured that he could do a more in-depth analysis on his second read-through, if he even decided that it deserved a second look.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard the door to the study open. He looked up to see a frowning Ginny standing in the threshold.

"Are you ever coming to bed?"

"What time is it?"

"Past midnight. Again."

"Is it? I didn't even realize. I'm sorry."

She didn't respond. Her eyes flicked towards the book on the table in front of him, and she clenched her jaws.

"Be honest with me, Harry. Are you turning religious? Do you actually believe that?" she asked, jutting her chin towards the Bible.

"No, Ginny, I'm not turning religious. And, no, I don't actually believe it. I'm just trying to understand it. That's all."

"Well, you can understand my confusion then, can't you? Because for the last three nights, all you've done is read that book."

Harry looked at his fiancée and nodded.

"You're right, Ginny. Between Quidditch practice and this, I haven't spent much time with you this week. I'm sorry that I've been neglecting you."

He stood up and approached her.

"What can I do to make it up to you?"

"Just promise me that you're still coming to George's tomorrow night."

"Yes, of course, I'm going to be there, but…"

Harry didn't finish his thought because he was pretty sure how Ginny was going to react next.

"But what?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Sunday morning, I'll have to leave the Burrow a bit early."

"Why?"

Suspicion was clear in her voice.

Harry sighed internally, knowing that they were about to get into a row.

"I decided tonight that I want to attend Festus' church on Sunday morning."

"You can't be serious! I thought you just said you weren't turning religious. What has this guy done to you?"

"He hasn't done anything, Ginny. Like I said, I'm just trying to figure this book out, and I've got some questions. And he's the only person I know who can answer them. Why are you so resistant to this? I don't understand."

"Why?! Because Christians hate magic, Harry! That's why! They hate witches and wizards. Don't you know that?"

"What? Who told you that?"

"It's just known."

"That's ridiculous, Ginny. How would Christians even know magic existed? There's a little thing called the Statute of Secrecy, remember?"

"Don't you dare talk down to me, Harry. Of course, I know about the Statute. And I don't remember where I heard it from. But that's what I heard – that Christians hate magic. So, I don't understand why you want to get involved with it at all."

Harry knew that Ginny had to be mistaken.

"Ginny, if what you're saying is true, then it's news to me. I've been reading the Bible for the past few days, and I haven't come across anything about magic. But if it makes you feel better, I can look it up right now."

"Good," she said, crossing her arms. "So, do it."

Harry sat back down at the desk and flipped the pages so that he was toward the back of the Bible.

"I'm going to look up the word 'magic' in the concordance. It'll show me all the verses in the Bible that contain that word. Okay?"

"Fine."

But when Harry looked, he couldn't find an entry for 'magic.'

"It's not in here, Ginny. Come see for yourself. The closest word to it is 'magi.' I'll look that up and see what it says."

He saw that the word 'magi' was in Matthew 2:1. After checking the table of contents, he found the book and then the verse in question. He began reading out loud.

"After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.'

"There's a little superscript after the word 'magi,'" he continued. He then looked at the bottom of the page where there were footnotes. "It says that 'magi' are also knows as 'wise men.' Let me read the rest of the section, okay?"

After about a minute of reading silently, he looked up at his fiancée.

"There's nothing in here about magic, Ginny. It doesn't even imply that these magi were magic users. In fact, it says that they had made their journey in order to bring gifts to Jesus and to bow down before him. So, if Jesus doesn't like magic users, then it's odd that they'd come all that way to worship him. You can read it for yourself if you'd like."

He'd said the last while holding the Bible out to her.

"No thank you. I'm going to bed."

After she'd left the room, Harry exhaled long and slow.

"Fantastic."

oOo

"Everything okay between you and Ginny?" asked Hermione.

Harry just shrugged.

"Why do you ask?"

"Because the looks she's been giving you since you got here have been…well, a little frosty."

The two friends were standing in a corner of the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes in Diagon Alley, talking loudly so that they could hear each other over the noise reverberating throughout the store. It was Saturday night, and there were over a hundred invited guests packed into the establishment waiting for the World Cup Group Play presentation to start on the Wizarding Wireless. Almost all of them wore some type of World Cup team paraphernalia – scarfs, beanies, or jerseys. There were a few sporting Irish, Wales, or Scottish gear, but the majority were wearing the white and red of England. With the 'Boy Who Lived' playing seeker for the English team, the World Cup craze was even more pronounced than usual. While everyone waited for the broadcast to begin, they were drinking beverages, eating snacks, and playing with a variety of the store's practical joke products.

Harry looked through the crowd and found Ginny talking and laughing with one of her Holyhead Harpy teammates. He let out a small sigh before turning back to Hermione.

"Yeah, well, we are having a little disagreement."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Nah, it's nothing serious."

"Come on, Harry, you can tell me."

"Hermione, do you tell me about every fight that you have with Ron?"

She made a face.

"Point taken. But I'm here to listen if you change your mind."

"Thanks, but we'll be fine."

Suddenly, George's voice could be heard booming through the store.

"Ladies and germs, listen up! The Groups are about to be announced!"

The crowd roared in excitement and anticipation before immediately going silent.

A moment later, the amplified voices of Emmett Fitz-Hume and Austin Millbarge came through the magically enhanced Wizarding Wireless. The two men had been announcing World Cup matches for decades and were considered pillars of the British Quidditch community. They'd been inducted into the International Quidditch Hall of Fame a few years back, and it was they who had announced the Chudley-Montrose BIQL championship match a week ago.

"Greetings and salutations, worldwide Quidditch fans! This is Austin Millbarge…"

"And Emmett Fitz-Hume…"

"Broadcasting live from Helsinki, Finland – headquarters of the International Quidditch Federation and the IQF Hall of Fame…"

"Which we happen to be members of…"

"Indeed, we are Emmett, but the listeners aren't tuning in to hear about our accomplishments…"

"Extensive though they may be…"

"…their concern tonight is in finding out where their favorite team will be competing when the Group Play starts next week. And coming onto the stage is Jere Lehtinen, current president of the IQF."

At that point, the broadcast cut to Lehtinen, who – even though nobody listening needed it – explained the process that had been used to whittle down all of the world's Quidditch teams to its current, sixty-four contestants.

During the previous two years, Quidditch teams from around the globe had competed in preliminary matches until the top sixty-four teams were picked based on a points-system. Of that top sixty-four, the top sixteen teams were given number one seeds and the privilege of hosting a Group Play tournament in their home country. The remaining forty-eight teams would be placed in the various groups via a lottery – that is, Lehtinen picking names out of a hat. England, as usual, would be traveling during the Group Play. It had been over a century since they'd last earned a top seed.

"And, now, onto the selection process!" announced Lehtinen once his explanation was complete.

At that point, the president began announcing a number one seed and then randomly selecting the three other teams that would make up that Group's foursome. The four teams would play a round-robin style tournament, with each team playing the others one time each. At the end of that tournament, the team with the most points – based on wins and other tie-breaking criteria – would advance to the Sweet Sixteen of the World Cup.

As each Group was announced, Fitz-Hume and Millbarge would make pertinent comments, indicating if they thought there was a potential upset in the making. This went on for about half an hour when Lehtinen announced the Group for the Russian National Team. Upon that announcement, everyone at the party held their collective breath.

"The first team picked for the Russian regional is…Colombia. The second team is…New Zealand. And the third team…England."

Immediately, groans filled the air followed by silence. It seemed as if, suddenly, the energy had completely left the party.

"Ouch," announced Fitz-Hume.

"That is a punch to the bits," agreed Millbarge.

"Harry, what's going on?" asked Hermione. While the bookworm had read 'Quidditch Through the Ages,' she did not keep up at all on current Quidditch news and gossip. "Why is everyone so dejected?"

Harry looked at his best friend.

"Because that Group is a murderers-row, Hermione." He swallowed hard. "Especially the Russians. We really got our work cut out for us."

oOo

Without making even the tiniest of 'popping' sounds, Harry apparated amidst a copse of trees and then immediately searched his surroundings. Seeing no one else nearby, he quickly removed his invisibility cloak and stuffed it into his backpack. An instant later, he moved toward the western edge of the park. Down the street, at the corner, was his destination – Grace Bible Church. After practice on Friday, he'd stopped off at an internet café to look up the address of the church, and then he'd apparated to the small city of Newton Abbot to scout out its location.

As he walked up the street, his heart was pounding in his chest, his throat was dry and his palms were sweaty. He felt more nervous than he had prior to the championship match against Montrose. He was about to attend his very first church service, and he had very little idea what to expect. Festus' church did have a website, providing a lot of information: their 'Statement of Beliefs,' the various ministries that they offered, the time of service, and a few other things. However, it didn't tell him what an actual service entailed – what he should wear, where he should sit, or any other practical piece of advice. He suddenly wished that he wasn't alone, that he had a friend to accompany him. Yesterday, he'd asked Ginny if she wanted to come along, but she had looked at him like he'd had a horn growing out of his forehead. Which was something he was getting used to. Earlier that morning, when he'd told the Weasleys that he had to leave the Burrow early so that he could attend a church service, they'd looked at him the same way. But at least they hadn't glared at him with open hostility like Ginny had. So, he'd quickly explained about the epitaph on his parents' tombstone and stated that his visit to the church was related to that, which was technically true. Discovering the mystery behind the epitaph was how his journey had begun, but he'd solved that riddle. So now, if he was honest with himself, he had a new motivation. He couldn't exactly explain it, but the words of the Bible – particularly those about Jesus - were simply resonating with him. He wouldn't go so far as to say that he actually believed its claims, but the book was definitely speaking to him in a way he couldn't deny. Its statements about God being the light in a world full of darkness and its promises of giving him rest for his soul - all of that intrigued him. And he found in himself a curiosity to read and hear more. Of course, he was smart enough not to have told the Weasleys – and especially Ginny - any of that.

As he approached the church, he was once again taken aback by its appearance for it didn't look anything like a house of worship. It certainly wasn't a giant cathedral nor was it even like St. Jerome's chapel in Godric's Hollow. It possessed no stain-glassed windows, and it had no steeple with a ringing bell. It was just a normal, single-story wooden building. In fact, without the sign out front indicating, 'Grace Bible Church,' he would have assumed it was some accountants' offices or perhaps a town hall building.

Harry stopped at the corner as he got close to the church building and watched the people entering. They all seemed to be fairly young – in their twenties or early thirties – and most of them had children with them. And he sighed with relief when he noticed their attire. He'd had no idea what to wear. He hadn't wanted to be either underdressed or overdressed because, either way, he would have stuck out like spinach between one's front teeth. He'd decided on a pair of nice slacks and shoes with a long-sleeve, button-down dress shirt. He'd also brought a tie in his backpack, just in case, but it didn't look like he'd need it. Most everyone else was dressed similar to himself, and he didn't see anyone wearing a tie. He noticed a middle-aged man at the door greeting everyone who entered.

He swallowed hard and wiped his sweaty palms on the sides of his trousers.

"You've played in front of thousands of screaming fans…you faced down Voldemort," he whispered to himself. "You can do this."

He nodded his head and exhaled slowly before making his way toward the entrance.

"Good morning," said the smiling man at the door. "I don't think I've ever seen you before. First time visiting?"

"Uh, yes, it is."

The man's smile grew wider, and he extended his hand.

"Well, welcome. My name's Bill."

"Harry," he replied, shaking the man's hand.

"So, what brings you to Grace Bible this morning?"

"I, uh, met Festus – Pastor Gold, that is – earlier this week. So…"

"Well, we're glad you're here, Harry. Just continue walking through those double doors. The worship service is straight ahead. You can't miss it. It'll start in a few minutes."

Harry thanked the man before following his instructions. When he entered the main room, he saw that there were hundreds of cushioned, folding chairs lined up in rows. There were two aisles along the walls that allowed people to walk and a wide, main aisle down the center of the room that led to a short stage up front. On the stage were some musicians who looked to be doing some final tuning to their instruments. On the walls to either side of the stage were a couple of large screens that were showing various announcements. About half the chairs were already filled while dozens of other churchgoers were standing and talking to each other.

Harry found an empty aisle near the back of the room and took a seat about half-way in. That's when he finally saw a familiar face. Festus was up front, talking to a man who had just hugged him. Harry furrowed his brow upon noticing Festus' attire. He wasn't wearing any type of religious robes or even a white collar. His ensemble looked just like Harry's except for the fact that he was also sporting a tie. Harry knew very little about churches, but this one was nothing like the few things he'd heard over his lifetime.

A moment later, he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder.

"Excuse me," came a male voice behind him.

He turned to see a young couple with a tiny baby.

"Good morning. I'm Rudy. This is my wife, Cynthia," said the man, extending his hand. "Are you new here?"

"I am," he answered, shaking his hand. "I'm Harry."

"It's nice to meet you. So, are you new to town?"

The three of them shared some small talk for about a minute when Harry heard his name being called from the aisle. He turned to see Festus smiling at him.

"I thought I saw you come in," said Festus. "I'll be honest – I'm surprised you're here. Pleased, but surprised. Didn't you tell me that you lived in London? That's like a four-hour drive."

"Yeah, well, I don't mind traveling," answered Harry with a small smile. "It usually goes by in a flash."

Festus walked down the row to shake Harry's hand.

"I'm really glad you came. I've been thinking about you – and praying for you – all week."

"You have?" he asked, with furrowed brow. He wasn't sure how to feel about that. As far as he knew, no one had ever prayed for him before in his life. If he was honest, he didn't really even know what that truly meant.

Festus nodded, but before the conversation could continue, Rudy interjected.

"Festus, I'm really sorry for your loss. Please let us know if there's anything we can do."

The two men hugged.

"Thanks, Rudy. And I will."

Harry's heart dropped into his gut, and he was about to ask Festus about his father, but at that point, the band on stage began to play a song.

"Harry, come sit with my family, will you?" said Festus. "No need for you to sit alone."

Harry followed Festus towards a front row, and for the next fifteen minutes, the musicians played several songs. There was a small break interspersed between two of the songs, where the band leader welcomed everyone and gave the congregation time to greet one another. It was at that point that Festus introduced Harry to his wife and two kids, both of whom looked to be in their mid-to-late teens.

Even though the lyrics to the songs were on the two big screens on either side of the stage, Harry didn't sing at all. He did, however, read the words very carefully. Some were upbeat and some were slow. A couple sounded old while the others more contemporary. But they all talked about the same things: God's grace, the love of Jesus, being cleansed in his blood, the forgiveness of sins, and so forth. They were all themes that he'd read about that week in the Gospel according to John. Though, to be truthful, he still wouldn't say that he believed any of it. The idea that Jesus had actually been God in the flesh still sounded a bit too far-fetched for him. However, there was something inside of him that was keeping him from completely dismissing it either.

Eventually, the songs ended, and the band leader made a few general announcements. Soon after, Festus walked up the steps to the stage. There was no lectern to stand behind. He simply positioned himself in the middle of the stage with his Bible in hand. He wore a light-weight, wireless microphone that wrapped over his ear.

"It's great to be here this morning. To be able to worship Christ with my church family. And I want to say 'Thank you,' to all of you who reached out to Susan, the kids, and me over the weekend. For those of you who haven't heard, my father passed away yesterday morning…so it's been a very emotional time for all of us. So, again, thank you for your prayers, your words of support and encouragement. For bringing cooked meals by the house. We really have felt God's love through you this weekend.

"Join with me in prayer, please.

"Father, we ask that, by Your Holy Spirit, You make Your book speak truth to our hearts and minds this morning. That You show us Yourself. That You show us ourselves, and that You show us our Savior. In Christ's name, amen.

"For the past year we've been going through the Gospel according to Luke, and this week we come to one my favorite chapters, Chapter 15. We've read of Jesus teaching with the use of parables in weeks past, and today, he's going to use a couple more. We'll actually get to one of my favorite parables next week, but this week we're going to read about the parables of the lost sheep and of the lost coin.

"Now, please stand in honor of God's Word. Luke 15, verses 1 through 10.

"Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, 'This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.' Then Jesus told them this parable: 'Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, "Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep." I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.'"

Festus continued with the reading of the Parable of the Lost Coin, which Harry thought was quite similar to the first one. It was about a woman who had lost one of her ten valuable coins and had searched her entire house until she'd found it. After finishing the last verse, Festus said that the congregation could have a seat before he began his sermon.

"No one wants to think that they're weak, dumb, foul-smelling, and helpless. Putting that on your resumé will not get you hired. It's the strong and intelligent…the go-getters and the beautiful that succeed in this world. And we're taught that – if we're not those things – then we'd better pretend that we are. I mean, we've got an image to uphold, right? And if you need help with that image, don't worry. There are countless books and magazine articles out there telling us how to obtain and exude power – what color tie men should wear, what body language you should use, what message a certain hairstyle or watch or car sends to your business associates. In our culture, the four Bs are most highly prized: Brains, Beauty, Brawn, and Bucks. We're measured by how many advanced degrees we hold, by our titles, and how many letters come after our name. Or we're measured by just how attractive we are. Are people envious of our looks? And do others want to be with us? Or we're measured by how strong and virile we are – because in this world, might makes right. And, finally, we're measured by how much money is in our bank account, by how many cars we drive and houses we own. Those who have the four Bs are the pinnacle of human evolution. And even if you don't possess the four Bs, relatively speaking, as a human, you're still at the top of the food chain. Nothing is more powerful. Nothing is smarter. According to this world, there is nothing that the human will and mind can't accomplish or overcome. Well, that's how we humans see ourselves. But how does God see us?

"Throughout the Bible, many analogies, figures of speech, and parables are used. But a prominent one revolves around the shepherd and his flock. King David states in perhaps his most famous psalm, 'The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.' The prophet Isaiah says of God, 'He tends his flock like a shepherd.' Jesus Himself said, 'I am the Good Shepherd.' This idea of a shepherd and his flock is referenced dozens and dozens of times in Scripture. But pay close attention: in every one, it is God who is the Shepherd. So, if that's the case, then what does that make us? Well, obviously, we're the sheep. Has anyone spent much time around sheep? Because I have.

"As you may or may not know, I was born in the little village of Godric's Hollow and lived there the first eighteen years of my life. One of my father's best friends – Mr. Tarpley was his name - owned some property outside of town. And, as a family, we'd often go to Mr. Tarpley's home. He had a son about my age. And the son and I would sometimes go out to their pens or into the fields with the sheep. And let me tell you - sheep are not impressive creatures. They are prey animals. They don't have sharp claws or massive fangs. Most don't even have any horns. They are small and weak. They are fairly dumb. They're not very fast. And, frankly, they don't smell so wonderful. They even sound pathetic."

At that point, Festus mimicked the bleating noise of a sheep, causing some laughter from the congregation.

"And that is how God chooses to represent us, not only in this specific parable but throughout the Bible. Spiritually speaking, in and of ourselves, we are sheep. Weak and dumb and helpless. We are lost with no way of finding our way home. We can't save ourselves. All we can do is cry out – bleat – for our Shepherd to save us. Frankly, spiritually speaking, we stink."

Festus smiled.

"Happy Sunday morning. Feeling good about yourself yet?

"So, let's look at this Parable of the Lost Sheep. Before we discover what Jesus was trying to teach, let's first look at who His audience was. It says in verse 1 that sinners and tax collectors were gathering around to listen to him. But then, in verse 2, it states that the Pharisees and the teachers of Law were also there – muttering. Muttering that Jesus would actually associate with such despicable sinners. How dare He mingle with such riff-raff? The Pharisees and the teachers of the Mosaic Law were the religious leaders of their time. These are the same people that, in other passages, Jesus called hypocrites, white-washed tombs, and a brood of snakes - because their religion was cold and empty. They were devoid of any true love for God or for their fellow man. They performed their 'devout' acts for their own prestige and glory, and they looked down their censorious noses at any who didn't have the same appearance of purity that they carried. Unfortunately, today, there are many professing Christians who come off similarly - as harsh, condemning hypocrites. Well, the Pharisees were their forerunners - the ones whose professed beliefs didn't match their behavior. So, even though sinners were present listening to Jesus, there is no doubt that the religious hypocrites were definitely a part of his targeted audience, as well.

"So, now that we know who His audience was, what was the truth - or truths - that Jesus was wanting to teach? First, notice who does the actual searching in the parable. It's not the lost sheep. It was the shepherd. It's sometimes easy to read too much into a parable, but I don't think I'm doing it in this case, and I think that this point is telling. In the secular world, it's often believed that God has hidden Himself away from man. And that if man wants to find God, then man must search Him out. Again, since it's believed that man is the pinnacle of creation, then it is he who must take the initiative. That all sounds good except that the Bible completely contradicts that idea. The Bible repeatedly states that it is God who seeks us. In verse 4, the Shepherd leaves the ninety-nine and goes searching for the lost one until He finds it. And then what does He do? He doesn't chastise the sheep. He doesn't wag His finger at it and scold it for running away. No…He picks up the little sheep, puts it on His shoulders, and takes it home. In this parable, it is the Shepherd who is the hero. The sheep is just helpless and lost.

"So, my first point is this: God's Word is clear – God seeks us out. In fact, man does not even have it within himself to seek out God unless God first acts in that man's heart. In John 6:65, Jesus says, 'No one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.' Let that sink in. Jesus is saying that, in and of ourselves, we will not seek Him out and cannot seek Him out unless God, the Father, first acts within our hearts and minds to do so. It is God who compels us to seek Him. Therefore, there should be no such thing as an arrogant Christian. Ever. We didn't save ourselves. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, did that through His sacrifice on the cross. And we can't even boast that it was we who took the initiative to seek out Him and His salvation. If there's ever been a desire in us to seek God, it's because God put it there. The apostle Paul summed it up perfectly in his letter to the Christians in Ephesus when he wrote, 'For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.' The 'it' that Paul is referring to, the 'it' that he calls a gift of God is 'faith.' Paul is stating that even the faith to believe that Jesus is the Christ – God's Holy Anointed One – is a gift from God. Therefore, our salvation – all of it – is completely dependent upon God. Not just the act of salvation – Christ's sacrifice on the cross - but also the means by which we receive it – that is, faith. Which means that He gets all the glory, and we get none. Our only proper response as Christians – loved and saved by Christ – is to fall on our knees and worship Him with all our heart. Our response should never be to boast. We should never feel proud that God has chosen to love us. We should just feel grateful and humble. That's the first point.

"Now, let's examine what God does after He saves us. He rejoices. Verse 7 says: 'I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents that over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.' Not only do we rejoice at our salvation, but God does too. He doesn't save us begrudgingly or with a sense of resignation. He doesn't save us out of duty - because we deserve it – but rather, He saves us out of love. How incredible is that! That the Creator God of the universe actually loves us.

"But let's pause and look a bit more closely at verse 7. Is Jesus saying that there are people who aren't sinners? Is Jesus stating that the ninety-nine are truly righteous? No, in this parable the ninety-nine are the Pharisees and teachers of the Law. They, too, are sinners, but their pride keeps them from accepting that truth. They believe themselves to be righteous through their own external, religious deeds and, therefore, they see no need for repentance.

"There is so much truth that Jesus teaches in this simple, four-verse parable. In essence, He's not only summarizing the Gospel, He's summarizing the entire Bible. Out of love, God created man because He wanted to share Himself with us. But, from the beginning, we turned our backs on Him. We distrusted Him…as evidenced by our disobedience. We refused to believe that He knew best. And throughout history, we have all, like sheep, continued to go astray. We have all rebelled against Him. That is called sin."

A small smile came to Festus' lips.

"In a congregation this size, I know that not everyone here is a follower of Christ, and, therefore, I have no doubt that some of you may have found yourself bristling at that last statement. And I understand. Because in today's world, it's not politically correct to talk about sin. In our current culture, it's a dirty, little, three-letter word. In fact, when was the last time you heard someone use the word 'sin' out beyond these walls? It's just not done, is it? Instead, we say that we made 'mistakes' or had a 'lapse in judgment.' Or perhaps, we were simply 'victims of circumstance.' Or, 'It's not my fault,' we say. 'It's because of my upbringing.' In our current times, 'sin' has been relegated to simply describing desserts. 'That chocolate cake was absolutely sinful.' Right?

"Well, the Bible doesn't let us get away with that. Over and over, it calls our rebellion against God and His commands exactly what it is - sin. And because God is holy and just, then like any good judge, He must punish our sin. And that punishment is death – both a physical death and a spiritual one. Meaning separation from Him forever. Because we have sinned against Him, none of us deserve Heaven. Let me repeat that. No one deserves Heaven. We are all sinners, and, therefore, the only thing we truly deserve is eternal damnation in Hell. That's a hard truth to hear, but that is the truth. And if the story ended there, our lives would be nothing but despair. But thank God that there is 'good news' to go along with the bad.

"The second half of the story is that God loves us and wants a relationship with us. But how can that be? Because our sin separates us from Him, right? So, how can a holy God who must punish sin have a relationship with sinners? Well, He had a plan for that, and it involved His Son, Jesus. God loves us so much that He sent His Only Son – the Good Shepherd – to seek us out. To seek and save the lost. Jesus came down out of Heaven. Think about that – He willingly stepped down from His Heavenly throne and put on human flesh. He lived among us, living a sinless life and preaching to us the Gospel – that He is our Savior. And then He willingly went to the cross and took the Father's just wrath against our sin upon Himself. His death paid the penalty for our sins, so that we wouldn't have to pay it ourselves. And because the Father was satisfied and pleased with His Son's sacrifice, He resurrected Him from the dead. And He's now back in Heaven interceding for us, His beloved sheep. And for those of us who have received Jesus as Lord and Savior, the Father no longer sees our sin when He looks at us. Jesus' blood on the cross washed that away. Even though we are not technically righteous, God still chooses to view us as such. Because when He looks at us, He sees the righteousness of Jesus. That's how we can have a relationship with Him – because we have been clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

"I've got a final point, and then I'll be through. The question is – who are you in the parable? You're not the Shepherd. That's clear. Which means you can only be a sheep – one of the sinners. But which one? Are you the lost one? Or are you one of the ninety-nine? The lost one is the one who repents of their sin. Repent means 'to turn.' To turn away from the sinful way you are thinking, from the sinful way you are living. But with Biblical repentance, there's actually a second step, as well. Turning away from a sinful way of living isn't enough. Millions of people attempt to do that every January 1st with their New Year's resolutions. No…Biblical repentance includes a turning toward. Specifically, toward Jesus. That's what Christianity is – not turning toward some arbitrary set of rules in order to find salvation, but rather, turning toward a person, a Savior - Jesus Christ.

"But for a person to truly repent of their sins, they first have to see that they are actually a sinner, that - spiritually-speaking - they are lost, filthy, dumb, helpless sheep. So, ask yourself right now? Am I a sinner? Not, 'Have I made mistakes or done a few foolish things in my past?' Don't sugar-coat your behavior. Don't rationalize it away. No, the question is - am I a sinner? Have I sinned against God? Because, of the one hundred sheep in the parable, only one of the sinners was taken home by the Shepherd. The one who admitted that they were a sinner and repented. The other ninety-nine – the self-righteous, pride-filled Pharisees and teachers of the Law – those who believed they had no need of repentance – they stayed out in the open country. They never made it home with the Shepherd.

"If you have never admitted that you are a sinner and in need of a Savior, if you have never repented of your sins, then you can decide right now, right where you're sitting. Do you want Jesus – the Good Shepherd – to save you? To save you from your sins…your guilt…your failures and hurts…your loneliness…your emptiness…your broken relationships…your fears and depression…your addictions. Just call out to Him right now, and He'll save you. He'll forgive you and cleanse you of your guilt and clothe you in His righteousness. He'll make you whole. He'll give you peace in your soul. Just say, 'Lord Jesus, I am a sinner by both nature and deed, but I now repent. I believe in my heart that You are the Son of God and that You paid the penalty for my sins. I receive You as my Lord and Savior, and I will follow You the rest of my days.'"

As Festus continued to talk, Harry swallowed hard before asking himself the question, "Which sheep am I?" The thought of being either type – a proud, hypocrite like the Pharisees or a weak, pathetic, lost sinner - didn't particularly please him. But, deep down, Harry knew the answer. He couldn't deny it. He knew he was lost. That's why he'd felt so hollow and empty for the past week. But he was more than lost. He knew that he was guilty, too. His use of the Unforgivable curses was proof of that. One of many, in fact. He had to admit that he couldn't even live up to his own standards, much less those of the holy God of the universe. But despite admitting those truths, something was keeping him from calling out to Jesus. Perhaps his reluctance was due to fear. Because, if he was honest with himself, he didn't truly know what having Jesus as his Lord would mean for his life. But he somehow knew it would be life-changing.

A moment later, he was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of the band playing. He hadn't even noticed them going back on stage. Festus was down in front of the stage facing the congregation as the musicians sang a final song.

"Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost but now I'm found. Was blind but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved.

How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come.

'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home."

Harry didn't sing along with everyone else, but he read the words on the screen closely. They were striking a chord deep within. He didn't know exactly what was happening to him, but he knew that he wanted to continue reading more about Jesus. And he knew for sure that he wanted to come back to hear Festus preach the next Sunday.