Finding the lost!

Ever lost anything?

Have you ever lost anything? How did you feel about it?

Did you find it? How did that make you feel?

Background: Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, there is a crowd following Him (Lk14:25) and now many tax collectors and sinners are coming to hear him and the Pharisees and scribes are grumbling. To illustrate God’s love for the lost Jesus is going to give two parables here, and we will get to another one next time.

In this we see the nature of God’s love, the call for repentance, and the joy of a sinner that repents and turns to Him.

The Complaint

Luke 15:1–3 NASB95

1 Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. 2 Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So He told them this parable, saying

What is the complaint that you see in these verses?

Because “this man receives sinners. . .”

Notice it was the tax collectors and the sinners were coming to hear Him.

The religious people, Pharisees and scribes grumbled.

There was religious division of the supposed righteous (Jews) and the unrighteous, tax collectors and sinners.

Our passage introduces parables to address the complaint.

While speaking directly to the Pharisees and scribes it is in listening of the crowd that is following Him.

The Lost Sheep

Luke 15:4–5 NASB95

4 “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 “When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing

Luke 15:6–7 NASB95

6 “And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 “I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

What do you notice in this passage?

To me it is not logical to leave the 99 to find the 1. Leave the 99 open to attack, unprotected to save the 1. I would say thank God only lost 1.

What assumption does Jesus make in telling this parable in (vv.4-5); as well as other facts you see?

That a man will leave the 100 to find the 1.

And will keep at it til he finds the lost 1.

When finds the lost one will lay on shoulders and rejoice

What does the man do (v.6)?

Comes home, calls together his friends to rejoice with him over finding the lost sheep.

The point of the parable is found (v.7), what is it?

Joy in heaven when one sinner repents!

In this passage you can see the willingness of the shepherd to go after the one, it was personal looking for the lost, personal when found and carried the lost back.

This parable points to the one, not the neglect of the ninety-nine.

The lost sheep would never find itself, never find its way back to the shepherd without the shepherd coming and seeking him.

It was Jewish belief, teaching that God did receive the sinner when they “came to Him,” the right way, but this parable points to the fact that it is the shepherd that does the seeking. He does not begrudgingly receive the lost sinner, He rejoices when one repents.

God is personal, He looks for the lost person, He is relentless and keeps seeking the lost. It is personal.

Do we have a heart for the lost? Do we diligently seek the lost to lead them to the Shepherd?

There is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, so we should be people who extend mercy and grace to sinners to lead them to faith in Jesus Christ. Be willing to come out of our comfort zones (being will all the righteous ones, the saints) to look for the sinner.

The carrying the sheep in, the sheep wandered off (as do sinners) but the shepherd (Jesus) came at just the right time.

Romans 5:6 NASB95

6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

Christ came and died for us. He sacrificed for us.

The difference we can see here is in our last verse, a sheep does not need to repent, but a person does!

The Lost Coin

Luke 15:8 NASB95

8 “Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?

Luke 15:9–10 NASB95

9 “When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!’ 10 “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Anything in particular stand out to you in these verses?

What facts do you see in (vv.8-9)?

What woman if has ten coins loses one does not look for it

Lights a lamp, sweeps the house, searches carfully

Does not give up until it is found

Calls friends together when finds it

The point of the parable is found (v.10), what is it?

The joy in presence of the angels over one sinner who repents.

Jesus goes from the looking for one out of a hundred, to looking for one out of ten. She did not just write off the coin, it was important to her.

It was believe that the lost coin would have been part of the dowry given her when she got married and was on a silver chain worn around her head that would identify her as being married. It would have been very important to her.

Take a minute and notice the order of things. Light, sweep, search carefully.

We need the light to light the way to reveal things. That is what the word of God does it is light unto our feet, a light unto our path. It shows us we are a sinner. Then comes the cleaning up, God making changes in our lives. And it shows that there is to be a careful search and not to give up until found.

“One of the first things to arrest us powerfully is the worth of single souls. It was one sheet the shepherd went to find. It was for one coin the woman searched the house.” (Morrison)

Jesus cares about the one sinner who needs to repent!

Do you think about it, Angels, and God rejoice when the one lost is found?

This is not new, the bridegroom rejoices over the bride so shall your God rejoice over you (Isa62:5); or He will rejoice over you in singing (Zep3:17)

Interesting fact from Barclay: “many of 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.’

Our passage shows it is rejoicing over repentance, not in destruction of sinners. May we remember

Luke 19:10 NASB95

10 “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

A sheep knows nothing of repentance, a coin knows nothing of repentance, but Jesus speaking to the Pharisees and the scribes brings in the importance of a sinner repenting.

How about some application?

First and foremost, you matter, you a person, a sinner that was once lost that has been found matter.

Just as Jesus welcomed sinners, we too need to extend love, mercy, grace, compassion to a sinner to lead them to the Savior.

We need to join with the angels, and the Lord in rejoicing when one sinner repents! It is a celebration time.

The shepherd, the woman were both persistent in looking for the lost sheep and the lost coin, we too need to be persistent in looking for the lost soul.