Christmas Joy: Jesus' Salvation, Pt. 4

A lost sheep is really a pitiful sight. Without the protection of the herd or safety in numbers, that lone sheep is easy prey for a wolf.

Christmas Joy: Jesus' Salvation, Pt. 4

"So He spoke this parable to them, saying: 'What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?'"

(Luke 15:3-4)

I love Luke 15:4. It is the primary verse upon which I based my book, For the One. In Jesus' parable in Luke 15:3-7, the lost sheep represents the tax collectors and sinners, those who have drifted far from God and have lived in sin. But God brings them near to Him through His Son. Sheep are not too smart at times. The following 30-second video illustrates what I mean when I say that sheep are not the smartest!

A lost sheep is really a pitiful sight. Without the protection of the herd or safety in numbers, that lone sheep is easy prey for a wolf.

If the sheep becomes cast or turned over, then that is a sad sight. Without intervention, the sheep has received a death sentence, because it can't get right side up without a shepherd turning it over. But once the sheep is found, there is great relief and cause for rejoicing.

Please note that you and I are that sheep! We foolishly sin against God and wander away from Him and His plan for us. What does God do? He sends His Son, Jesus, on a rescue mission to get us! He paid the price for our sins and pursues each of us to save us.

Here is a picture I am so excited to share with you (see right). It captures beautifully the Good Shepherd, Jesus, going after that one lost sheep until he finds it.

Then there are those in Luke 15:7, those "ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance." Here Jesus is referring to the Pharisees and scribes in verse 2. Jesus was not saying that the Pharisees or anyone else did not need to repent. What He was saying, I believe, is that those who were self-righteous did not see their need for repentance, a very dangerous mistake.

Will talk more about these three groups of people in Jesus' parables tomorrow.