How far did Christ go to save us? If you were lost now, to what lengths would He go to find you? Those are critical questions for all humanity and are especially important to those who find themselves lost. 

Let’s begin this week’s study in Luke 15:1-2: “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’”

We’ve come to expect this from the self-righteous, holier-than-thou Pharisees. They felt superior to, looked down upon, and tried to avoid sinners. Thus, they’re critical of Jesus for hanging out with such people. They’re thinking: “If He’s really the Holy Messiah, shouldn’t He be hanging out with righteous people like us!”

Our culture loves to divide people between “us” and “them” based on a host of factors—race, gender, age, ethnicity, wealth, politics, and sometimes even frequency/severity of sin. But God is a god of unity. He loves everyone equally (See Acts 10:34). The only categories that matter are those who are in Christ (i.e., Christians, those who are saved) and those who are outside of Christ (i.e., the lost). As Jesus Himself put it in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Christ’s love for and pursuit of humanity, especially the lost, is extraordinary. 

To set the stage for the first in a series of parables about “lost” things, consider what we know about sheep. Perhaps the most descriptive word is helpless. Lacking claws or sharp teeth, they can’t defend themselves. They also lack speed and common sense. Like a helpless child, they depend on an outside source—usually a shepherd and dog—to guide and protect them. Otherwise, they’ll wander off or get killed. 

From Luke 15:3-7 – “Then Jesus told them this parable: ‘Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he 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.’”

The Shepherd is Jesus. John 10:11 states, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” In Matthew 15:24, Jesus answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”

The lost sheep represents anyone who has gone astray. 1 Peter 2:25 states, “For ‘you were like sheep going astray,’ but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” Isaiah 53:6 adds, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” So, in addition to anyone else I might see as the sheep in this parable, I need to see myself.

What did the Shepherd do to save the lost sheep? He left the 99 to go after the 1 who was lost. The lost sheep is not going to save himself. Similarly, Christ left all of heaven to seek and save us. Many rabbis of that time believed that God received the sinner who came to Him the right way—groveling. Even today, we may feel some satisfaction seeing a crushed soul respond to the invitation in tears, confessing their sins. But here, Jesus taught that God actively seeks out the lost. He doesn’t grudgingly wait on them to come to Him. Instead, He searches for them. As one commentary puts it, “God finds the sinner more than the sinner finds God.” This was a new concept for them and may not fit our concept of the lost sinner having to find God. 

When a shepherd realizes a sheep is gone, it consumes him. He worries and doesn’t rest. He goes after the sheep and the longer the sheep is lost, the more frantically he searches. He’ll do whatever it takes.

Imagine your dog escapes the backyard fence and is roaming the neighborhood, lost. This was a common occurrence for us with Penny (the pinscher) and Mandy (the beagle, who’s now dead) back in the day. I climbed over countless neighbors’ fences searching for those ornery dogs.

Now let’s up the ante. Your young child wanders off from the campsite during a camping trip. She’s nowhere to be found. To what lengths would you go to find her? Would you say, “Honey, we’ve been searching for her for two hours! It’s getting dark. Let’s get some rest and we’ll resume our search in the morning.”  Of course not! You’re frantic. You’re not going to stop until your daughter is found, even if that requires activating the National Guard. 

In the ancient hymn “There Were Ninety and Nine” written by Elizabeth Clephane in 1868, we find these lyrics:  

But none of the ransomed ever knew
How deep were the waters crossed,
Nor how dark was the night the Lord pass’d
Ere he found his sheep that was lost.
Out in the desert he heard its cry—
Sick and helpless and ready to die.

“Lord, what are these blood drops all the way
That mark out the mountain’s track?”
“They were shed for the one who’d gone astray
Ere the Shepherd could bring him back.
“Lord, why are these hands so rent and torn?”
“They’re pierced tonight by many a thorn.”

I picture the shepherd, after a long, exhausting search, finally hearing the lost sheep. As the sheep’s cry grows feinter and it nears death, he finds it. Notice, in the parable, he doesn’t punish, reprimand, or beat the lost sheep. He doesn’t make it grovel to the front pew. He doesn’t even walk it home. No, what’s he do? “And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders.” (Luke 15:5) What does it take to put something on your shoulders? You must pick it up! God does the same with us! He lifted us from our misery and our sin and put us on His shoulders. He went looking for us when we were lost and protected us from danger. And then He carried us home. Can I get an Amen?

Have you ever rescued someone? Have you located a lost, crying child at Walmart? Have you posted bail for someone at a jail? Have you ever gone to a bar to retrieve a drunk friend (or an Airman who works in your squadron) and drive him home? What about someone dealing with a tragedy, a crisis, or a loss of faith? Christians, have you ever joyfully put someone on your shoulders? Or have you ever been in a tough spot, lost, and had someone put you on their shoulders? Whether you’re the rescuer or the one being rescued, it is a beautiful thing.

What does the shepherd do after bringing the lost sheep home? He rejoices! Throws a party! That same rejoicing is going on in heaven. We don’t often think of God as rejoicing, but this passage tells us He does, and in what circumstances. “As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.” (Isaiah 62:5) Fellas, remember what it was like when you first looked up and saw your beautiful bride in her wedding gown, walking down the aisle toward you? Remember the excitement, the goose bumps, how proud you were of her? That’s how God rejoices over us. Zephaniah 3:17 adds, “The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” God is your biggest fan.

The religious people of Jesus’ day believed differently and even had a saying: “There will be joy in heaven over one sinner who is obliterated before God.” Christians today must be careful that we do not give the same impression, especially in our often-appropriate zeal to speak out against culturally popular sins. It’s interesting that, even though the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around Jesus (with an opportunity to be saved), the Pharisees weren’t rejoicing over that.

When we get lost, we cannot find our way back. But we think we can. “If I just try a little harder.” Instead, we need the divine love of God to save us. It’s true for lost sinners. It’s true for our world. “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14) God’s love can save us but we still need to turn from our wicked ways—to repent (See Luke 15:7).

During my time serving as an elder at a church in Florida, we divided the congregation into five “flocks” and each of us shepherds was assigned one. While we cared for the entire congregation, I was especially focused on those in my flock. We used attendance cards to track attendance and identify the missing. At regular elders meetings, we prayed for those who were missing by name. We also reached out to them via phone calls, visits, and e-mails—whatever it took. They were missing from the flock. They were the lost child on the camping trip. We went looking for them.

Keeping with that theme, Jesus told another parable in Luke 15:8-10: “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

The Pharisees didn’t like the first parable, because they considered themselves better than shepherds. The same goes for this story about a woman—a second class citizen in that world. 

The coin, like the sheep, represents those who are lost in their sins, apart from God. The silver coin—a drachma—was a full day’s wage. We’re not talking about a lost penny. The woman represents God seeking the lost and also, hopefully, Christians—the church, God’s ambassadors—who should be involved in that search.

Have you ever lost money in your house? How about your keys. It can be highly frustrating knowing they are somewhere. During my formative years, whenever my dad lost his keys, he would have the family line up from one side of the house to the other. Step by step, inch by inch, we did a 100% sweep of the premises, opening every drawer and looking under every cushion. It consumed him (and thus us) until the keys were found. 

Aside from the main point, already discussed with the lost sheep, here are 10 additional applications:

1. Does the coin realize it’s lost? No. The same can be said for lost souls today. People are often oblivious to their spiritual condition. They are in danger but unaware and unconcerned. I hope that doesn’t describe you. We have a sense of urgency when someone cries out for help. Do we have the same urgency when they do not, even though we’re aware of the danger?

2. Even in a good environment, home or church, a person may still be lost. Growing up in a good, Christian home doesn’t make you immune from falling away. I’ve known many teenagers and young adults who have lost their faith and fallen away, even though they were raised by good Christian parents.

3. Unlike the sheep, the coin did not run off. Its condition is the result of the carelessness of another. The sin of one person can have tragic spiritual consequences on someone else. Our poor choices—our sin—can have ripple effects across generations.

4. The coin falls to the floor—the dirtiest place in the house. Without God, that’s where we all end up. As we’ll see next week, where does the lost son end up? In a pig pen.

5. Still, the coin still has value, even in the dust. Even if there are 9 other coins. What’s at stake is the woman’s ability to use the coin toward some purpose. That’s why she seeks it. But the coin itself is still worth something. It still has its full value. That’s why God seeks us. Regardless of what deep hole we’re in, we still bear the image of God. We still have incredible value. Every day, He sweeps the house.

6. God will go to great lengths to find us. In the parable, the woman lights the candle and sweeps the house. There is a recognition that something is lost. We need to show the same care for those who have fallen away. Lost souls, lost dreams, lost hope. Helping people see that they still have value.

7. The candle represents the Word and God’s Spirit. Psalm 119:105 states, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” My wife notices and is annoyed by even the smallest light in our bedroom at night. Even that tiny blue printer light changes the complexion of the room and is noticed. For lost things to become found things, we need to light some lamps, friends! Whether you’re a tiny blue printer light or a lighthouse beacon, be a light! Change the complexion of your environment. Illuminate the path to help lost people find God.

8. Just as the woman removes the dust, the church must work to keep its environment clean. Remove the filth—false doctrines, false teachers.

9. As with the found sheep, there is joy in heaven over the found coin. Every hour, every day, around the world, a lost sinner is found—heaven is a constant party! When someone repents, we should pray, rejoice, and then have a potluck!

10. Sometimes you’ll have the opportunity to help God search for the lost sheep/coin and bring them back. Other times, you’ll be the lost sheep/coin. How comforting to know that if you ever become lost—if you ever give up on faith—there will be a search party going on for your soul.

Next week, we’ll continue our study of the parables, once again focusing on something lost that is found. Homework: read Luke 15:11-32, The Parable of the Prodigal Son.