For Even One!

Matthew 18:12-14

“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

God demonstrates His love by coming to the least and lonely. He left His heavenly home to become our sin offering! 

God’s message, woven through scripture is that He reaches down to you and me. We are the lost sheep Jesus is talking about!

After the disciples had grumbled with one another about who was the greatest, Jesus instructs them using the example of a child. He reminds them to care about what matters to God!

Matthew 18:2He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

I want to share with you how the scripture applies to each one of us as we think about our responsibility in God’s Kingdom, for His sake and for His glory.

I want a key in on the following passage in Matthew 18:12 - 14. It is about the good shepherd.

Our Good Shepherd has extended his grace for even just one of us!  

— The least!

— The last!

— The lost!

We love children and youth (& their families) because Jesus cares about them. **We ARE THAT ONE JESUS LEFT THE NINETY NINE TO RESCUE!!** 

Understanding of the good shepherd, who would die to protect his sheep. And even for just one, leaving the 99 for JUST ONE!! 

Children are the example Jesus gives to define the importance of the Shepherd. He notes that children are near to his heart, they are the vulnerable!

We read further that the intent for understanding the parable is to know that Jesus is divine!

John 10:11: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

And further, verses 14-16. Vs. 14: “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.”

Here we read that Jesus is the Greatest Shepherd, God with us! He is our protector and defender. He is willing to lay down his own life!

He does lay down his life as our sin offering to atone for our wrongdoing (sin). He also rises from the dead to declare his Lordship over sin, death, and the grave! 

There are three questions we are encouraged to answer as we reflect on the Word of God. 

The least! Who is beneath you?

The last! Who is behind you?

The lost! Who is outside of your vision?