Lost Sheep Parable

The Lost Lamb > Lost Sheep Parable

Parable of the Lost Sheep

“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not 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.

Luke 15:3-7
High-Level Takeaway:
Although it may not seem sensible to leave 99 sheep to go search for 1 lost sheep, the shepherd knew the 99 would be safe within the sheepfold, and it was the 1 that was lost that was in critical danger. Also, each sheep was of significant value, so the shepherd knew that finding the lost sheep was worth his time. Similarly, God’s love for each of us is so great that he seeks each of us and rejoices each time one of us is “found.” Like sheep, when we are “lost” (lost in sin) we are in critical danger, and Jesus is our good shepherd who seeks us and saves us!

Parable of the Lost Sheep (a “Deeper Dive” Commentary)

In Luke 15:3-7 and Matthew 18:10-14, Jesus conveyed a profound spiritual lesson through a simple story to His disciples. He shared the tale of a shepherd who had a flock of 100 sheep, and one of them strayed away. This sheep was not merely lost; the term “lost” here implies being in imminent danger, on the path to destruction, as it had left the safety of the shepherd’s care. The shepherd, intimately familiar with each of his sheep, was deeply concerned about the welfare of this one stray. His decision was to go after the lost sheep and rescue it, as it had gone astray.

God possesses knowledge of whether individuals are saved or lost, understanding the state of every lost soul, and has devised a plan to address this situation. He sent His only begotten son, Jesus Christ, to bear the consequences of their sins, sparing them from punishment. By incarnating as a human being and sacrificing Himself on the cross, Jesus bridged the gap between us and a Holy God. This separation had arisen due to our sinful nature inherited from our biological ancestors Adam & Eve.

The lost sheep in this parable may have strayed from the shepherd, but because the shepherd is a “good” shepherd who genuinely loves and cares for his sheep, he embarked on a quest to find it. Another shepherd might have taken a headcount of the remaining 99 and concluded that pursuing a single wayward sheep wasn’t worth the trouble and time. However, Jesus is different; He is the “Good Shepherd” who came into this world to offer His life because He cares deeply for each one of us.

The shepherd in this story persisted until his mission was accomplished, and the lost sheep was recovered. The last words that Jesus uttered on the cross during His crucifixion were “It is finished.” The Good Shepherd flawlessly fulfilled His mission, and all those who believe in what He did for them, shedding His sinless blood, are saved, adopted into God’s family, and guaranteed a place in Heaven. The lost sheep was now found, saved through the actions of the Good Shepherd. To be “saved” means to be rescued from all harm, and that’s precisely what Jesus, the Great Shepherd, accomplished for all of us, delivering us from the consequences and power of sin.

By placing our faith in this fact, God declares us righteous, making us as if we had never sinned, thus granting us the legal right to enter a holy heaven.

Though the sheep in this story may have been foolish enough to wander from the flock, it was the responsibility of the good shepherd who owned it to bring it back home. When the good shepherd located the lost sheep, he saved it and returned it to where it rightfully belonged. As Jesus stated in John 10:28, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” Genuine believers in Christ are likened to sheep, and the Lord’s sheep are saved through God’s gift of undeserved grace.

Jesus came into this world with a purpose: to “seek and save that which is lost.” You need not worry about being lost any longer, as long as you place your faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible is clear that all the angels in heaven rejoice over every sinner who comes to Jesus in faith, securing eternal salvation for their once-lost soul. Through this new spiritual rebirth, our relationship with Christ restores fellowship between a Holy God and lost sinners.

Are you in a relationship with the Good Shepherd, or are you still lost? If you find yourself in the latter category, there is hope for salvation, but only if you turn to the one who can help you and who died for you to cleanse you from your sins. His name is Jesus Christ.