Chapter 75
PARABLE OF THE LOST SHEEP
Matthew 18:11-14
Before we begin this study let us pray,
Dear Heavenly Father, Almighty God,
We come before You in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Father God, we ask You to please quite our heart and soul so we can peacefully listen and focus upon what You are teaching us. We also ask for You to please open our eyes, ears and heart so we can truly see, hear and accept the great love You have for each of us.
Amen
INTRODUCTION
We begin our study by reading from,
Matthew 18:11-14
[11] For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. [12] “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? [13] And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. [14] Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.”
To gain more insight and discover the significance of this parable we will,
1. Set the foundation for this parable with some background material.
2. Explore the fact that God does not wish for any of His children to perish.
3. Read God’s promise that He will save the lost and be their shepherd.
4. Discover that Jesus Christ was and is the fulfillment of the above promise.
5. Summarize the above discussions.
SOME BACKGROUND MATERIAL
As we read the Bible we find that through Jesus Christ,
GOD CREATED ALL THINGS
This is recorded in,
John 1:1-4
[1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] He was in the beginning with God. [3] All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. [4] In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
Let us notice the following verses,
1(a) … The title “the Word” refers to Jesus Christ. To see this we go to the following excerpt of John’s vision of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 19:11-13
[11] Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. [12] His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. [13] He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
Let us now return to the Gospel according to John and notice verse,
1(b) … The Word, who is Jesus Christ was with and is God.
Not only were all things created through Jesus Christ but all things were created for Him. To see this let us read from,
Colossians 1:15-16
[15] He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. [16] For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
Thus, the Bible teaches us that,
ALL LIFE BELONGS TO HIM
To see this let us read one of the key points Job made to his friends as they were trying to provide Job with the reason for his troubles. To read what Job said we go to,
Job 12:7-10
[7] “But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; And the birds of the air, and they will tell you; [8] Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; And the fish of the sea will explain to you. [9] Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this, [10] in whose hand is the life of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind?”
For another example of this truth we go to the time when Jeremiah questioned God about why He told him to purchase a field. The reason Jeremiah raised the question was that at this point of time in Israel’s history the nation was about to be overrun by King Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian army. In addition, the Israelites were going to be captured and taken to Babylon. However, earlier God told Jeremiah that this captivity would only be a temporary situation and the nation of Israel will be restored. Thus, the purchase of the field was to further illustrate this promise that the nation of Israel will be restored.
To read God’s response to Jeremiah’s question we go to,
Jeremiah 32:26-27
[26] Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, [27] “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?”
Notice: He is the God of “all flesh!” Also notice that nothing is too hard for God. Specifically, whatever He promises or says, He will do.
The Bible further teaches us that,
GOD DOES NOT WISH FOR ANY OF HIS CHILDREN TO PERISH
To understand the depth of God’s concern and love for all His people, we will review two Old Testament examples that illustrate:
1. God’s concern for the Gentiles, who are not Jewish.
2. God’s concern for the Jewish people
With this short introduction let us now address,
GOD’S CONCERN FOR THE GENTILES
To do this, we go to the lesson God gave to Jonah. This happened when,
God told His prophet Jonah to go to Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria
The reason God wanted Jonah to go to Nineveh was for him to preach to its residents the message of repentance. To see this let us read from,
Jonah 1:1-2
[1] Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, [2] “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.”
Unfortunately, Jonah disobeyed God’s command. This is recorded in,
Jonah 1:3-4
[3] But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. [4] But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up.
To save the lives of the crew, Jonah told them he was the reason for the storm. Thus, if they throw him overboard their lives would be spared. Hence, Jonah was thrown overboard. While in the raging sea God sent a large fish to swallow Jonah. After being in the belly of the fish for 3 days and nights Jonah repented of his disobedience. God commanded the fish to vomit Jonah up on dry land. This time Jonah went and preached to the people of Nineveh. After Jonah finished preaching, the people repented from their evil ways and God saved them from the disaster that was about to fall upon them. This is recorded in,
Jonah 3:10
[10] Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.
To find out why Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh, we go to,
Jonah 4:1-3
[1] But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. [2] So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness, One who relents from doing harm. [3] Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!”
In other words, Jonah did not want to go and preach to the people of Nineveh was because he did not want them to repent and be saved. We must remember, Nineveh was the capital city of the gentile nation, Assyria. Furthermore, the Assyrians were enemies of the Israelites.
Let us now read how God taught Jonah about His compassion and concern for the gentile and/or enemies of Israel. To do this we begin with,
Jonah 4:4-8
[4] Then the Lord said, “Is it right for you to be angry?” [5] So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city. [6] And the Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. [7] But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. [8] And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
The picture we now have is Jonah, angrily sitting under the withered plant that God provided for his comfort. Jonah is hot, beginning to faint from the heat and wished he would die. With this picture in mind we are now ready to read God’s message to Jonah and us. To do this we go to,
Jonah 4:9-11
[9] Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” And he said, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!” [10] But the Lord said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. [11] And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?”
This is also a serious message to take to heart for the born-again believer in Jesus Christ. Specifically, we are to love and be concerned for those who are even enemies of Christianity. To further amplify this point, let us read the following teaching from Jesus’ sermon on top of the mountain.
Matthew 5:43-48
[43] “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ [44] But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, [45] that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. [46] For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? [47] And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? [48] Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
Let us now move on and read about,
GOD’S CONCERN FOR THE JEWISH PEOPLE
To begin, let us read what God said through His prophet Ezekiel right after He explained that each and every one of us is accountable for our own actions. To do this we go to,
Ezekiel 18:21-23
[21] “But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. [22] None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live. [23] Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord GOD, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live?”
Let us notice the following verse,
23 … Just as we discovered earlier and read in the parable of the lost sheep, God does not wish for any to perish.
With the above in mind, let us now read God’s exhortation to the Old Testament Jewish people to repent from their transgressions and receive a new heart and new spirit. To do this we go to,
Ezekiel 18:30-32
[30] “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord GOD. “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. [31] Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? [32] For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord GOD. “Therefore turn and live!”
Let us notice the following verses,
30-31 … God was pleading with the people to repent and seek after a new heart and a new spirit.
In other words, God was pleading for them to pray as King David did in,
Psalm 51-1-4
[1] Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your loving-kindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
[2] Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
[3] For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
[4] Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight—
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge.
Let us now skip to verses 7-12
[7] Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
[8] Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
[9] Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.
[10] Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
[11] Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
[12] Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
In addition to needing a new heart and spirit, this continual lapse of the Israelites for their obedience to God was in part due to the negligence of the appointed shepherds. In the Old Testament we find that when God gave the 10 commandments to Moses He also gave the ceremonial law. A key element of the ceremonial law was the anointing and consecration of certain people to shepherd His flock (the people of Israel), who were the priests, scribes, etc. These people were to teach, comfort, encourage, help and intercede to God for the people under their care. Unfortunately, these shepherds neglected their calling and instead of serving the people they only served themselves. They used the people under their care for their own personal gain and benefit.
Consequently, God foretold through His prophets, that He, God Himself, will seek after the lost and bring them back into His fold. In other words,
GOD PROMISED HE WILL SAVE US
As noted above, during the Old Testament times God often spoke through His prophets about this promise. For this portion of our study we will read this promise as given by His prophet Ezekiel. To do this we go to,
Ezekiel 34:1-10
[1] And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, [2] “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD to the shepherds: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? [3] You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock. [4] The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them. [5] So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. [6] My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them.” [7] ‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: [8] “As I live,” says the Lord GOD, “surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock became food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock”— [9] therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the Lord! [10] Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them.”
Because of their neglect and cruelty towards those who were under their care, God said He will deliver the people from the shepherds authority and oppression. To see this let us read from,
Ezekiel 34:11-16
[11] ‘For thus says the Lord GOD: “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. [12] As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day. [13] And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land; I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country. [14] I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel. There they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. [15] I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down,” says the Lord GOD. [16] “I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong, and feed them in judgment.”
Let us notice the following verses,
11-12 … God promised He will deliver His people from the neglect and oppression of the shepherds. He, God Himself, will seek after His flock.
13 … He was going to gather them from the various nations.
14-15 … He was going to feed His people. In this instance God was referring to spiritual food. However, during the Old Testament days there were also times when He miraculously provided His people with physical food. For example, God miraculously provided food for a Zarephath widow and her child (1 Kings 17:8-16).
As we read the New Testament we discover that,
JESUS CHRIST WAS AND IS THE FULFILLMENT THE PROMISE
After His 40 day fast and ordeal with Satan in the wilderness, Jesus returned to Galilee. It was in the synagogue in Nazareth that Jesus clearly stated He was the fulfillment of the promise. To do this, Jesus used the prophecy concerning God’s promise given through Isaiah. To read it we go to,
Luke 4:14-21
[14] Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. [15 And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. [16] So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. [17] And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: [18] “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; [19] To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” [20] Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. [21] And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
To expand upon the above Scriptures we will;
1. Review a summary of what Jesus did while upon this earth.
2. Review a summary of what He now does from His position in Heaven.
With this in mind we begin with the time when,
JESUS SOJOURNED UPON THIS EARTH
The New Testament teaches us that,
He sought after and ministered to the lost
A good summary of Jesus’ ministry to the Jewish people living in various places is found in,
Matthew 4:23-25
[23] And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. [24] Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. [25] Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.
In the New Testament we find that Jesus was not only concerned about the Jewish people but also fulfilled the prophecy that God would seek after the Gentiles. To see this let us read where Jesus dwelt after He heard about John the Baptist’s imprisonment. His activity at this time is recorded in,
Matthew 4:12-17
[12] Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. [13] And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, [14] that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: [15] “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles:[16] The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.” [17] From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Let us notice the following verses,
13 … The city of Capernaum was in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali. This region was also identified as the Galilee of the Gentiles. Thus, for a period of time, the people living in this region heard and witnessed the Light of Jesus Christ.
14 … Jesus’ stay in Capernaum fulfilled God’s promise He gave through His prophet Isaiah.
17 … Jesus told them that the Kingdom of God was at hand. Also, at this time, Jesus’ message was one of repentance.
In the above summary we discover that Jesus taught and preached to the people. He gave them spiritual nourishment by feeding them God’s Word. In addition, by healing all of their diseases, reveals to us that He also cared about their physical issues.
As we reflect upon all this we come to realize,
JESUS WAS/IS THE PROMISED GOOD SHEPHERD
To see this let us read what Jesus said in,
John 10:11-18
[11] “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. [12] But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. [13] The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. [14] I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. [15] As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. [16] And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. [17] “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. [18] No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”
Let us notice the following verses,
15 … When Jesus said He would lay down His life for the sheep He was foretelling that the time was coming when He would freely give up His earthly life to save us from our sins.
16 … Since, at this time, Jesus was talking to the Jews, the other fold was a reference to the gentiles.
17-18 … Jesus again stated that He will lay down His life so He may take it up again.
The Bible also teaches us that,
JESUS CHRIST CONTINUES TO FULFILL THE PROMISE
After Jesus’ physical death and resurrection to save us from our sins and before He ascended into Heaven, Jesus gathered His apostles and told them to go to all the nations of the earth and share with them the good news of their salvation. To read what He told them we go to,
Matthew 28:18-20
[18] And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. [19] Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Thus, we find that even after Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven, through His apostles and disciples, Jesus fulfilled and is still fulfilling God’s promise to seek and search after those who are His. To see this let us read how Jesus divided the task of searching for those who belong to Him during
The initial development of the church
During the initial formulation of the church we discover that God chose the particular apostles He wanted to search after the lost children of the Jewish faith and those He wanted to search after the lost within the Gentile community. To see this, let us read an excerpt of what when was said during Paul’s meeting with James, John and Peter. To do this we go to,
Galatians 2:7-9
[7] … when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter [8] (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles), [9] and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.
Let us notice the following verses,
7 … It was recognized that God’s call to share the Gospel to the gentiles, who were uncircumcised, was committed to Paul. It was also recognized that God’s call to share the Gospel to the Jewish people, who were circumcised, was committed to Peter.
8 … It was not the human skills of Peter and Paul that worked effectively through them. No! It was God who effectively worked through Peter and Paul.
This last point is extremely significant. First of all, we must never forget it is God who anoints those He wants to search for His lost children. To see this let us consider what the Apostle Paul once wrote to the church in Corinth. The Scripture of interest is,
2 Corinthians 5:18-20
[18] Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, [19] that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. [20] Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.
With respect to,
Today’s church
Within today’s church, our Lord Jesus Christ has and continues to anoint and appoint some of its membership for to this same task. These anointed people are identified above as evangelists. According to Vines “Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words” an evangelist is a messenger of good news. They are to proclaim glad tidings, and good news, the Gospel. Missionaries are evangelists, as being essential preachers of the Gospel.
In other words, these are those who have been commissioned by God to go throughout the world seeking after the lost sheep of God.
With respect to the care and feeding of God’s sheep or children we find that each member of the body of Christ has the responsibility to share in this ministry. To see this we must remember that first of all each and every born-again believer in Jesus Christ has God the Holy Spirit dwelling within them (1 Corinthians 3:16). Secondly, we must also remember that it is the Holy Spirit living within the born-again believer who provides them with various gifts, ministries and manifestations. To review a sample of this working of God the Holy Spirit let us read from,
1 Corinthians 12: 4-11
[4] There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. [5] There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. [6] And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. [7] But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: [8] for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, [9] to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, [10] to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. [11] But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
Let us notice the following verses,
4 … There are different gifts, but all of them come from the Holy Spirit.
5 … There are different kinds of ministries or service, that is some may teach, some may evangelize, some may prophesy, etc.
6 … There are different kinds of activities, that is spiritual gifts will take on various forms and manifestations.
7 … The Holy Spirit gives each member of the body of Christ a spiritual gift. Also notice these gifts are given for the common good, not for selfish ambition.
11 … It is God who decides what gift to give to an individual.
It is noted that the purpose for these gifts is to spiritually strengthen and build up the body of Christ, the church. To see this let us read from,
Ephesians 4:11-16
[11]
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists,
and some pastors and teachers, [12] for the equipping of the saints for
the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, [13] till we
all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a
perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; [14]
that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with
every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of
deceitful plotting, [15] but, speaking the truth in love,
may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—[16] from whom the
whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to
the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the
body for the edifying of itself in love.
Even though it is not specifically stated in this study, it is implied that if and when we have the means to help other members within the body of Christ, we are to help those in need, such as food, clothing, etc.
SUMMARY
As we consider all we have covered in the above discussions we come to the conclusion that the parable of the lost sheep is really another wonderful description of Jesus Christ’s ministry and mission. It reveals to us that He is the fulfillment of the promise God gave through His Old Testament prophets to gather His lost sheep, care for them and grant them eternal life with Him. To verify this, let us read an excerpt from Jesus’ conversation with the Jewish elder, Nicodemus. The particular portion of this conversation for this study is recorded in,
John 3:16-17
[16] For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. [17] For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Shall We Pray?