Lost and Found

Exegetical theme: Jesus tells the Parable of the Lost Sheep, in response to the Pharisees’ complaint that he welcomes sinners and eats with them. The parable lets his listeners know that his mission is to seek and find sinners, the very people the Pharisees are criticizing.

Bottom Line: Jesus came to seek sinners, not righteous people.

A Potential Outline:

           First: The Context is Very Important. 1-2

           Second: The Lost Sheep is a Picture of a Sinner. 3-4

           Third: The Search is Successful. 4

           Fourth: The Joy is Never-Ending. 5-6

           Fifth: The Application is Unmistakable. 7

Dear friends,

One of the great joys of reading the Gospels is seeing Jesus. We see shadows and symbols of him in the OT and he epitomizes the life we are called to in the NT. But, in the Gospels, we actually see him, directly. There are no shadows or symbols like in the OT. There is no reflection of him like in the NT.

When Saul was on his way to Damascus to further persecute the church, he had no idea he was going the wrong way (Acts 9). But when Saul saw Jesus, it became clear to him that he was on the wrong path and doing the wrong thing. After his vision, everything changed for Saul. In the same way, seeing Jesus in the Gospels changes us. But seeing Jesus was not the end but the beginning of a lifelong journey for Paul, a lifetime of walking with Jesus. It’s the same for us.

Luke 15 is a distinct chapter in the Gospels. In three parables - the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son - Jesus succinctly and uniquely epitomizes the Gospel. The bottom line is that our Christianity and our relationship to the church and the world hinges on our vision of Jesus. So, these three parables will define the Gospel for us and tell us how to live with Jesus, the church and sinners. It will be an exciting journey. And the hope is that the Holy Spirit will continue to transform us into the image of Jesus.