THE PARABLE OF THE LOST SHEEP
Luke 15:3-7
(Antioch Baptist Church: Sunday, February 1st, 2026)
“”There were ninety and nine that safely lay
In the shelter of the flock,
But one was out on the hills away,
Far off in the cold and dark;
Away on the mountains wild and bare,
Away from the tender Shepherd’s care.
“Lord, Thou hast here Thy ninety and nine;
Are they not enough for Thee?”
But the Shepherd made answer:
“This of Mine has wandered away from Me;
And although the road be rough and steep,
I go to the desert to find My sheep.””
As Christians we rejoice in the reality that we are sheep who belong to “The Good Shepherd” who came and rescued us from sin. In John 10:11, Jesus declares, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep”.
Interestingly, the word “shepherd” is not found in The Parable of the Lost Sheep, but the actions of a devoted shepherd are readily apparent. As Jesus seeks to illustrate the value of a soul and combat the haughty attitudes of the Pharisees, He tells of the story of how a certain shepherd sought out a single sheep that was lost.
When examining this parable we can see, The Awareness Of The Shepherd, The Activity Of The Shepherd, and The Affection Of The Shepherd. Each of these truths highlight some wonderful attributes of our loving Lord. I invite you to join me in our selected text as we consider “The Parable Of The Lost Sheep”.
At this point in Jesus’ earthly ministry, tax collectors and sinners were being drawn to Him, they possessed an intense desire to hear His words. Rather than pushing these social outcasts aside, Jesus received them and even dined with them. The Savior’s acts of love, compassion, and acceptance drew the ire of the self-righteous Pharisees and their Scribes. On numerous occasions they questioned Jesus’ godliness and commitment to the Law.
After Jesus called a tax collector named Levi to be one of His Disciples, “Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:29-32).
Now, the Pharisees and their Scribes were again complaining and saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” The grumbling of the Pharisees was prompted by their belief that Jesus was guilty of impurity, constituting a violation of the law. The Pharisees believed that their complaints were justified and even saw their opposition to Jesus as evidence of their own godliness. In reality, their complaining was actually evidence of their unrighteousness.
In response to their concerns and criticisms, Jesus shared three parables: The Parable of the Lost Sheep, The Parable of the Lost Coin, and The Parable of the Prodigal Son. Each of these parables illustrate the value of a soul and the importance of extending compassion to sinners.
While the three parables in this chapter show the importance of love and compassion, and they illustrate the seeking heart of Jesus, they also show us that the only way for sinners to experience true fellowship is for one to repent.
In our selected text, Jesus shares the story of a shepherd who had one hundred sheep. At some point he realized that one was missing. In response, he left the ninety-nine sheep, (who it appears are safe and secure) and went out on an intense and intentional search; he searched far and wide until he found the one that was lost.
Though it is not stated until Jesus’ conversation with Zacchaeus in chapter nineteen, Jesus’ mission to “seek and save the lost” is vividly apparent in the entirety of chapter fifteen, in fact, it is seen throughout the Gospels!
Jesus goes on to declare that when the shepherd found the lost sheep, he rejoiced greatly, put it upon his shoulders, returned home, and then called his friends and neighbors together for a great celebration.
The heart of this Parable is seen in verse seven, there Jesus said, “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” Though the Pharisees and Scribes grumbled and complained about the tax collectors and sinners, all of Heaven rejoiced at the their repentance. By failing to celebrate, the Pharisees showed just how far they were from the Angels.
- Let’s look to this parable and examine:
THE AWARENESS OF THE SHEPHERD
“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them…” v4a
Though there is an entire flock, each sheep is special to a shepherd; so much so that he knows them individually, to the point that he is able to recognize them and call them by name. A shepherd can look at a sheep and tell which one it is by its size, spots, or the way it walks.
The man that Jesus speaks of in this verse was aware that one his sheep was missing. His intimate knowledge of his flock and the fact that one was in certain danger prompted him to act immediately! This leads us to:
THE ACTIVITY OF THE SHEPHERD
“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?” v4
Though there were 99 other sheep safely in the fold, the missing one was valuable to the shepherd, so much so that he left the others and searched for the one that was lost. Furthermore, he continued his search until he found it.
The shepherd seeks his lost sheep and this search is personal, persistent, and profitable. This search is personal because the shepherd does not send someone else, he goes “after the one that is lost” himself. Moreover, this is not a halfhearted search, it is a persistent one; the man seeks his lost sheep “until” he finds it. Which also proves that this search is profitable. The shepherd’s work was not in vain, his valuable sheep was found and restored to the fold.
Likewise, the activity of The Good Shepherd was personal, persistent, and profitable. It was personal because the sinless Son of God personally descended to earth to make a way for our redemption. It was persistent because our Lord endured rejection, ridicule, and ultimately the agony of the Cross in order to rescue His sheep. Though there were times of extreme difficulty, He never gave up. Even though He cried, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me,” He went on to say “nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
Jesus went on to drink the bitter cup of God’s wrath and ultimately the Good Shepherd laid down His life for His sheep. However, His work was not in vain; rather, it was very profitable. As Jesus cried out “with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom…” (Matthew 27:50-51). The tearing of the veil symbolized the fact that God accepted Jesus’ sacrifice as the only sufficient atonement for sins. It also signified that we now have direct access to the Father.
Christ’s resurrection further proves that His activity concerning His lost sheep was profitable. Jesus’ resurrection is the foundation of the Christian faith, signifying victory over sin and death, validation of His divine identity as the Son of God, and the promise of eternal life for believers. The resurrection justifies believers, offering them a restored relationship with God, and guarantees their own future bodily resurrection. These things are possible for lost sheep, only because of the activity of the loving Shepherd. May we never forget the price that was paid for us to be rescued and placed in to the fold of the Good Shepherd!
“…none of the ransomed ever knew
How deep were the waters crossed;
Nor how dark was the night which the Lord passed through
Ere He found His sheep that was lost.
Out in the bleak desert He heard its cry—
All bleeding and helpless, and ready to die.
“Lord, whence are those blood-drops all the way
That mark out the mountain’s track?”
“They were shed for one who had gone astray
Ere the Shepherd could bring him back.”
“Lord, whence are Thy hands so rent and torn?”
“They’re pierced tonight by many a thorn.”
Why would a shepherd go to so much trouble for a single lost sheep? The reason is because that sheep is valuable to the shepherd. This leads us to:
THE AFFECTION OF THE SHEPHERD
“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 that was lost.’ (v5-6)
- The shepherd rescues his precious sheep and rejoices that he is found and returned safely home. Notice:
THE SHEPHERD RETURNS HIS SHEEP TO THE FOLD
“And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. v5
The sheep was lost and had no way of finding his way home. Someone has described sheep as being dumb, directionless, and defenseless. Furthermore, sheep have a tendency to go astray, and that is why they need a shepherd. It seems that when this man found his lost sheep it was either hurt or too weak to walk. Therefore, the shepherd had to reach down, lift the sheep up, and carry it to safety.
There is much beauty in the fact that the shepherd could not contain his joy as he put his sheep upon his shoulders. Though not mentioned, it is a safe assumption that the shepherd carried his sheep and placed it back into his fold. Moreover, he desired to share his joy with his friends and neighbors. This leads us to the fact that:
THE SHEPHERD REJOICES WITH HIS FRIENDS
“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 that was lost.” (v6)
When we are overly excited about something we cannot keep our joy to ourselves. We must share the news with those closest to us. This man was so thrilled that he found his lost sheep that he called together his friends and neighbors and celebrated the rescue!
Like that lost sheep, we were lost and had no way of finding our way to an eternal home. Thankfully, we have a great Shepherd who knew of our peril and cared enough to come to where we were, reach way down, lift us up, and carry us to a place of safety.
The Apostle Peter described the work of our Shepherd so beautifully in 1 Peter 2:22-25, there he said: “Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”
Not only did Jesus sacrifice Himself to rescue us, He did so willingly, and the end result brings Him great joy. Like the man He referenced in this parable, Jesus sees His sheep as being so valuable that He rejoices when we repent; then, to top it off, all of Heaven rejoices with Him!
Verse seven seems to imply that ALL OF HEAVEN rejoices when a sinner is saved. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit rejoice when a sinner is converted. The salvation of the lost brings glory to God and when God is glorified, the entire population of Heaven has reason to celebrate!
We have seen The Awareness Of The Shepherd, The Activity Of The Shepherd, and The Affection Of the Shepherd, before we close I would like to examine:
THE APPLICATION OF THIS STORY
Remember, Jesus is responding to the Pharisees’ complaint about how He receives tax collectors and sinners and even dines with them. He invites His listeners to place themselves into the story with, “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep.”
As He concluded His story, the prideful Pharisees refused to see themselves as shameful “sinners.” They clearly saw themselves as being righteous, but in doing so they placed themselves in the position of being in the less significant group of ninety-nine.
Jesus said: “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” (v7) Though there is some debate among scholars concerning this verse, it seems that Jesus is using a touch of sarcasm or hyperbole in the reference to the Pharisees “who need no repentance.” The reality is that ALL need to repent! (Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”)
The Pharisees needed to see the value that God placed on those whom they saw as worthless. They also needed to comprehend the reality of their own sinful condition, the need for repentance, the opportunity for salvation, and the rejoicing that occurs in Heaven when just one sinner repents.
There are a couple of ways that the truths in this parable apply to those of us who have gathered here today. First of all, those of us who belong to Christ must resist the urge to look at certain people and people groups as being worthless or unworthy of salvation. No one is beyond the reach of God’s grace. It is also important for us to remember that those whom we are tempted to look down on are in a position very similar to where we were when Jesus found us. They are lost sheep, but praise God there is a loving, seeking, and persistent shepherd named Jesus Christ.
For those who have yet to repent and believe in Jesus Christ for salvation, you may think that you are worthless. Nothing could be further from the truth! God sees you as being one of great value. You are so precious to Jesus that He left His rightful place in Heaven, came to earth, lived a perfect life, was despised and rejected, suffered at the hands of His enemies, and ultimately died for your sins! He did everything necessary to secure your forgiveness and to grant you salvation and eternal life.
Some of you here today are just like the sheep in this parable, you were away from God; lost, helpless, hopeless, in grave danger, with no way of finding your way home. But the wonderful news is that Jesus Christ (the Good Shepherd) is actively seeking out lost sinners and calling them to repentance. If you will repent (that is turn from yourself and turn to Him) then you can be saved. We also have the great promise that when just one lost sheep repents all of Heaven rejoices! You could be the cause of that rejoicing today!
“And all through the mountains, thunder-riven,
And up from the rocky steep,
There arose a cry to the gate of heaven,
“Rejoice! I have found My sheep!”
And the angels echoed around the throne,
“Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own!”
("The Ninety and Nine," written by Elizabeth C. Clephane in 1868. The lyrics, set to music by Ira D. Sankey)
01312026
