Jesus said of Himself, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). The Parable of the Lost Sheep, better than any place else in the Gospels, reveals Christ’s heart to seek and to save the lost.

https://youtu.be/5SmTMgu3OE0
Luke 19:10 says, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” The Parable of the Lost Sheep reveals His heart to save the lost.

Table of ContentsFamily Worship GuideSermon NotesLesson One: Jesus seeks and saves the lost, because they’re valuable to Him.Lesson Two: Jesus seeks and finds the lost, versus the lost seeking and finding Him.Lesson Three: Finding and saving the lost causes Jesus to rejoice.

Family Worship Guide

Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions:

Day 1: Luke 15:3-4, 19:10—Why did the religious leaders in Jesus’s day avoid tax collectors and sinners? Why was Jesus willing to leave the 99 to seek and save the one? Considering how valuable the lost are to Christ, what application does this have for us?Day 2: Luke 15:5, 1 Timothy 1:15, Romans 3:11, 1 John 4:19, John 6:39, 44, 65—What was the prevailing view of how people were forgiven in Jesus’s day? Why do sheep make such good pictures of the lost? What does it mean that we build our theology with indicatives supported by narratives? Can you think of any other indicatives teaching that Jesus seeks us?Day 3: Luke 15:6, Matthew 13:44-46, Hebrews 12:2—In the parables, what do the treasure and pearl of great price represent? Who is the man and the merchant? In what ways did Jesus sell all that he has for the treasure and pearl? In what ways did Jesus buy the field? What Old Testament account prefigures this parable?

Sermon Notes

The title of this morning’s sermon is, “To Seek and to Save the Lost.”

On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves at Luke 15:3. Please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word. We will back up to verse 1 for context.

Luke 15:1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So he told them this parable: 4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 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 that was lost.’ 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

You may be seated. Let’s pray.

The religious leaders in Jesus’ day divided people into two groups:

the clean and the uncleanthe righteous and the unrighteous

They wanted to be clean and righteous so they tried to live, as much as possible, separate from people they thought were unclean and unrighteous.

Leon Morris wrote, “Some rabbis in Jesus’ day took this idea so seriously that they refused to even teach people they thought were unclean and unrighteous.”

Paul Billerbeck wrote, “Let not a man associate with the wicked, not even to bring him the law.”

This led to their criticism in verse 2 that “[Jesus] receives sinners and eats with them.”

Jesus responded by preaching these three parables that are all found only in Luke’s Gospel.

Jesus said of himself…

Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.

These parables, better than any place else in the Gospels, reveal Christ’s heart to seek and to save the lost. They will help us prepare for The Exchange.

Look with me at verse 3…

Luke 15:3 So he told them this parable: 4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost,