Luke 15:24 (ASV)

Passage

for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

Nearby Context

Luke 15:22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:

Luke 15:23 and bring the fatted calf, [and] kill it, and let us eat, and make merry:

Luke 15:24 for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

Luke 15:25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing.

Luke 15:26 And he called to him one of the servants, and inquired what these things might be.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "dead", "alive", "again", "lost", "found", "began", and "merry". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "dead" and "alive", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 23's "and bring the fatted calf and kill..." into verse 25's "Now his elder son was in the...", so "dead" and "alive" belong inside that flow. In Luke context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "dead" and "alive" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.