International Sunday School Lesson January 11, 2026
Hi, I’m Donnie Bryson. Welcome to another edition of the International Sunday School Lesson. Today’s lesson is for January 11, 2026. The title of today’s lesson is, “Repentance and Faith”. It is taken from Luke 15:11-24 and Acts 2:38-39. These scriptures describe the parable of the prodigal son. Looking at the entire chapter in Luke, it has parables of lost things. 100 sheep, 10 coins, and the parable today about 2 sons. The first two parables emphasize the item being found and the one today has the lost son returning home. It’s a balance. It’s important we understand that God does the heavy lifting in our salvation but we have decide and accept. We have a role to play in salvation. Decide and accept.
1. Departure into Distance
The parable starts with the younger son making a two bad decisions. He talked his father into giving him his inheritance and he left home to cavort in a foreign land.
Luke 15:11–13 NIV
Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.
It’s very unusual for someone to ask for their inheritance before their parents pass. It does happen, which is the reason the Deuterocanonical book, Sirach, says in Sirach 33:19-24 people should not bestow their inheritance before they die. Now, how big was the young son’s share? His inheritance would have been about a third of the family wealth as daughters would not have gotten anything and the older son would have gotten a double portion or 2 thirds of the family wealth. The younger son converts his assets to money and leaves the country.
2. Desperation in Distant Lands
Respectable Jews during these days would not even eat with Gentiles. They had very strict rules of what they could eat. We’ll see this young man fall far in this foreign land.
Luke 15:14–16 NIV
After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
The young man faced a threefold dishonor. He was a slave, he was a slave to Gentiles, and he was feeding swine. Not only was he in dishonor but he still wasn’t even getting enough to eat.
3. Decision to Return
The young man remembers what he left.
Luke 15:17–19 NIV
“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’
The young man has a complete change of heart. The young man goes deeper than merely the misery he was experiencing. We see him visualizing the shame of his actions. We see him understanding the impact he had on his father. He wasn’t merely thinking of the impact on himself. His repentance wasn’t focused only on himself.
4. Delightful Reception
I love the picture of what we see next. It appears that the father was looking regularly for his young son.
Luke 15:20–24 NIV
So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
Most likely the best robe was the father’s own robe. What a beautiful image of the father having his own robe put on his returning son. The ring would have the family seal. The fatted calf was for a very public celebration. The young man was accepted back.
5. Repentance as Renewal
We move to a completely different portion of scripture.
Acts 2:38 NIV
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
We have to be careful how we interpret this verse. Some have claimed that you have to be baptized to be saved. The English word, “for”, is the translation of the Greek word eis. The word eis can also mean “because” so the phrase could mean baptized because your sins are forgiven. That is how I interpret it. We’re immediately forgiven when we repent. 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Romans 10:9–10 “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” Friends, those actions are before baptism.
6. Promise of the Spirit
Acts 2:39 NIV
The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
Thank God for the Baptism in the Holy Ghost. John the Baptist said in Matthew 3:11 ““I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Jesus said in John 7:37–39 “On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.”
Concluding Thoughts
A couple of concluding thoughts. First, if you are away from God then you can return and God will accept you back. Second, don’t be like the older brother and treat the repenting brother horribly. Third, if you haven’t received the baptism in the Spirit then read the bible and seek. Well friends, good Lord willing, I’ll be back with you next weekend.
Leave a Reply