For those that say the prodigal is a picture of the individual sinner, how do you explain the fact that he once belonged to the father, then he was dead? Apparently you believe that you lose your salvation when you sin.
Born saved, sin and lose salvation, then must be saved again. That is what you're saying.
Jesus taught this in an open rebuke to the Pharisees, Luke 15:1 Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.
2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
Notice the Pharisees and scribes the jewish leaders.
Also we see what John the Baptist tells us they would say in Luke 3:7 Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
These two sons the Prodigal and the oldest represent the Jews as the sons of Abraham or children of Israel. The oldest was the Pharisees who as sons had remained true to traditions of the time and not been sinners and publicans. The Prodigal represents a child of Father Abraham a Jew who represented the publicans and sinners. Both sons were descedents of their father, as the Pharisees were sons of Abraham and so were these publicans and sinners.
Those who went the way of sin Jesus came and sought.
Jesus says a man had 100 sheep and went and sought the lost one, the woman lost the coin and swept till she found it. this whole parable is showing how the Pharisees felt they needed no salvation because they had Abraham as their Father. This has nothing to do with how a child is born in or out of being in Christ. It has everything to do with being a Jew who went into sin and came to Jesus as their savior.
Luke 5:30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.
32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
The whole Parable is showing that 99 lost Pharisees felt safe in the wilderness. The coin lost from a headdress is found by the light that shines on it, and the Prodigal comes home and the oldest brother who is still lost because He felt he needed no salvation gets angry like the Pharisees who murmured about Jesus eating with publicans and sinners.
So this has nothing to do with one being spiritually alive dieing and being Born Spiritually alive. It shows the self-righteous Pharisees and scribes seeing themselves as safe in the family and these publicans and sinners being in sin while part ofd the family, seperated (dead) by sin. When both sons were dead in sins but the one repented and came to the real Father the Heavenly Father.