54th Post Jesus Mission Con't - Luke 15: 4 -7.

Luke 15: 4 - 7; Matthew 18: 12 - 14. The parable of the Lost Sheep (Ninety and nine).
This parable is hard for us to understand, because for most of us it has been a long time since we have been around sheep. Some of us may know where to buy products made from sheep, or where to buy the meat. But when you start to talk about how sheep react or what they do, we have a hard time understanding. Jesus tells us this story of a shepherd with 100 sheep and one is lost. The shepherd leaves the 99 sheep and goes looking for the one lost sheep. This doesn't sound very practical, what is to keep the 99 sheep together while you are looking for the one? Jesus does not tell us, however, that is not the point of this parable. The point is that the shepherd goes out and searches for the lost sheep and then rejoices when he finds it. What does the name Jesus mean? You can find the answer to that in Matthew 1:21 "you will call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." Finding the lost sheep, the lost people of God, was Jesus job on earth. This is what Jesus was talking about in this parable. Jesus did not come to save the righteous, they are symbolized in the ninety-nine sheep. The problem is if you really get down to it there is no such thing as righteous. Paul tells us is Romans 3:23 "that all have sinned and fallen short of the Kingdom of God". We are all lost and need Jesus. This is the point.