You’re Not Who You Think You Are | Easter - Jeremy Duncan

April 6, 2026·25 min·2 clips

The prodigal son leaving home is not the offense that catches God off guard. The real shock is that any of us ever thought we were the righteous one in the story.

In this Easter sermon at Commons Church, pastor Jeremy Duncan works through Luke 15, building from the parables of the lost sheep and lost coin toward the prodigal son. He opens with a provocative claim: the younger son asking for his inheritance early is not what catches God off guard, because that is what all of us do. The real story, Duncan argues, is about the older brother. After recapping the familiar narrative of the younger son's departure, destitution, and return, Duncan pivots to the often-overlooked second half of the parable. The older brother has filled in details about his sibling's life that feed his own frustration, perceiving slights that cycle and grow without being checked. Duncan draws a universal parallel, noting this pattern of resentment happens to all of us. He builds to his central thesis: the secret of the parable is not that grace exists, which everyone knows, but that we somehow convince ourselves we are the exception to it. The three parables of Luke 15 are structured as an escalating series designed to make this point. Duncan also provides a close reading of Mary Magdalene's encounter with the risen Jesus, highlighting the moment recognition comes through a single word: her name. The sermon concludes by casting Easter as the story of God refusing to let death, shame, distance, or human pride have the final word, describing divine love as a relentless pursuit that keeps coming until we come back to ourselves.

As heard by us

An Easter sermon that turns the prodigal story into a hard, hopeful look at grace.

This Easter sermon begins with a familiar parable and narrows its focus until the sharper offense is clear: not the younger son's request, but the confidence that anyone has been right all along.

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Why you'd press play

Press play if you want Easter to feel like a hard, sharp turn toward grace.

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