Dear Ones:
When Noah entered into the ark with his wife, sons, and their wives, it was for this purpose, “…the saving of his house.” (Heb. 11:7) When Joseph was sent by God to Egypt, he would relate to his brothers what the purpose of God was in him being there, “…to save your lives by a great deliverance.” (Gen. 45:7) When Jesus made his appearance as the Son of God, and of man, he declared that He had come, “… to save that which was lost.” (Matt. 18:11) In all three of these examples, the theme is the same…saving that which would be lost, or was lost.
Perhaps one of the most beautiful, and yet, illustrative examples of being lost, and then being found, is that of the shepherd with the hundred sheep, one of which is missing from the flock. We find in this story which Jesus told, that the Shepherd was not content, satisfied, resolved with the well-being of his ninety-nine sheep, which he secured in the fold. (Luke 15:3-7) In a parallel passage in Matthew 18:11-14, we find that the shepherd goes into the mountains alone to look for that one sheep. The sheep has gone astray, and has lost his bearings. Helpless, and most certainly vulnerable to be attacked and killed by wolves if not by exposure to the elements, without the shepherd, it will suffer great loss, even perhaps its life. In the case of David, as a young shepherd, even facing a lion and a bear, he would, as a shepherd, risk his own life to save the lamb that was taken from the flock. Christ came to save that which was lost, to save the life of the lamb, the sheep. This is the great purpose of the Shepherd…the unalterable purpose.
We cannot imagine the joy that is the Shepherd’s when He finds his sheep, each individual sheep. In speaking of children, the Lord Jesus would declare, “…even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, the one of these little ones should perish.” (Matt. 18:14) In Luke’s gospel, He declares that when the sheep is found, the sheperd calls his friends and neighbors together, declaring, “Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.” The Lord’s application of this parable is simple: “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” (Luke 15:7) What joy it gives to God, to Christ, to save that which is lost. Not only is this Shepherd prepared to go out into the mountains alone to seek the lost sheep, but he is willing to climb the hill of Calvary to draw all men to Himself, to purchase the sheep with His precious blood. Indeed, He did love us, and gave Himself for us.
Christ has not ceased in intensity, nor desire, to pursue His eternal purpose, the seeking and the saving of that which was lost, even unto this very day. Indeed, we might be right in believing that His pursuit is more urgent than ever, as He sees the days in which we live. For Noah, there came a day when he entered into the ark…and was saved. For Joseph, there came a day when he saw clearly that he had been sent to save his family, and his family understood. And for Christ, the call is TODAY, seeking and saving that which was lost. He will not be deterred…indeed, He has overcome every enemy to accomplish His objective…and accomplish it He will.
So, let us believe Him, and trust Him for His heart of compassion in the seeking of the lost. One has rightly said, that the measure of our compassion is the measure of our usefulness.
Love, Dad