There’s a familiar story in both Luke and Matthew’s gospels. If you have been churched any length of time, you’ve heard sermons on it. Even non-Christians have often heard the story. It’s about a shepherd who has 100 sheep, but he left the 99 behind to go and find one lost sheep.
So He told them this parable, saying, “What man among you, if he has one hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’7 I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. Luke 15:3-7
For most of us, it’s become so familiar that we think, “Of course he left the 99 behind, that’s what Jesus does.” We might not ever think of it at all.
It’s actually quite amazing to have the shepherd care that much for the one lost sheep.
What we fail to truly personalize is the fact that he left 99 behind to find me and you. Think about that for a moment. The LORD loves you and me so much that He came searching for us while we were still lost sinners and His enemies. I mean. Who does that? Apart from Jesus, no one!
Luke goes on to record Jesus’ parables of the widow searching for her lost coin and the lost (prodigal) son. Jesus is making a point: He cares for lost people.
It’s more than something we can infer. Jesus said it directly.
For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost. Luke 19:10
That is incredible love. It is an astonishing mercy. You and I both know we have no merit on our own to deserve salvation. We know we can never earn it by our works. We would be forever lost if it weren’t for the fact that he left behind the 99 to find me and you.
When we truly grasp that truth, not just with our minds, but deeply into the fiber of our souls, it fills our hearts with joy. Ever struggle, every temporary inconvenience ought to fade into nothingness with the joy that He saw we were lost and came to find us.
Joyfully praise His holy name. Give thanks for His perseverance and love.
Be blessed
Kevin
SUMMARY
Jesus’ parable of the lost sheep reveals a God who doesn’t wait for the lost to find their way home — He leaves the 99 to search for the one. That one is you, and grasping that truth personally transforms every struggle into joy.
KEY POINTS
The shepherd leaving 99 to find one lost sheep pictures the extraordinary, personal love God has for every individual sinner.
Jesus didn’t just illustrate this love in a parable — He declared it outright: “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”
When we move this truth from head knowledge to soul-deep conviction, it produces a joy that puts every trial in its proper place.
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