THe Gospel Of Matthew Chapter 18 Part 4 Joy & The Parable Of Lost Sheep

In Matthew eighteen, we read about the disciple disputing among themselves about who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

This was an issue of pride and Jesus strongly corrected their wrong thinking.

He used a little child to remind them that they needed trust and faith like a child has in his or her parents.

Then, Jesus looked forward, anticipating their future apostolic ministry and used the children to teach a great truth.

Unbelievers and sinners would reject the message of the gospel about salvation through repentant faith in Christ.

Some would subject the apostles to aggressive verbal abuse while others would physically assault them.

In both instances, any person rejecting or hindering gospel preaching, or who physically harm Christ's apostles, will be subject to severe judgment.

These truths about ministers of the gospel and the hardships they face are compared with those who harm a little child.

God will hold them to account.

This next paragraph is known as the Parable of the Lost Sheep.

Matthew 18:10  Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. 

The little ones in this parable are the disciples of Jesus and this truth applies to His apostles and to all pastors, evangelists and Christians in every generation since that time.

Jesus addressed Himself to His disciples, who were contending among themselves which one would be greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 

In doing so, some of His disciples boasted of themselves or viewed their position as superior to other disciples.

Jesus cautioned them against such pride, and bid them beware of despising other disciples, because God counts them all as His redeemed children.

Jesus' primary mission and the focus of the Great Commission is saving lost souls.

Matthew 18:11  For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. 

Jesus taught was is known as the Parable of the Lost Sheep.

He previously said that He came expressly to call sinners to repentance of sin and trust upon Christ (See Matthew 9:12-13).

Jesus previously said He came to save the lost sheep of the nation of Israel (See Matthew 10:6; 15:24).

Jesus as the good shepherd is most completely revealed and explained in John's gospel.

John 10:1-5  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2  But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3  To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. 4  And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. 5  And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. 

False prophets and false teachers are the ones who try to sneak into the sheepfold by another way or door. 

This connects with Paul warning the Galatian churches about another gospel which is not The Gospel of Christ (See Galatians 1:6-10).

All they cared about was enriching themselves at the expense of the sheep of God's pasture.

Jesus is the shepherd of the sheep and He enters by the door of the sheepfold.

His sheep are those who trust Christ and know His voice and they follow Him.

Christ the good shepherd, goes before His sheep to show them the way they must go.

Jesus calls His sheep by name for He knows them well.

He leads them out and His sheep follow because they have learned to obey the voice of their Master.

The sheep of God's pasture will not follow the alluring voice of those who would seek to lead them astray.

John 10:9  I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 

Jesus said "I am the door" and all who would come to the Father and find a home in heaven, must come through repentant faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, the good shepherd.

Those who come to Christ with repentant faith will be saved and enter into the joy of the Lord. 

John 10:14-16  I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15  As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16  And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. 

Jesus declared that He is the good shepherd who knows His sheep and they know Him.

He laid down His life to save all the sheep of God's pasture, for all generations.

He promised to continue to search and seek lost sheep, to bring them into His Father's fold, which pictures the ongoing gospel ministry through His church and faithful men.

It is in this context that we can best understand this parable of Jesus.

Every good shepherd who owns sheep will go looking for one that is lost.

Matthew 18:11-12  For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. 12  How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? 

Our souls by nature are lost souls just as one can become lost in a forest and cannot find his or her way out to safety. 

Jesus mission is to save that which was lost, to turn us from sin and depravity and to restore us to our God.

Christ, the Good Shepherd will reinstate our privileges, and put us into the right way that leads to eternal life, when we repent and trust Him.

Since Christ came into the world to save souls, and His heart is set upon that saving work, He will severely judge those that obstruct or hinder His gospel.

Jesus asked a rhetorical question and the only possible answer is that a sheep owner would stop and seek a stray sheep, because the risks of injury or death were great. 

Heaven sounds great joy when a sinner hears the gospel and has repentant faith in Christ.

Matthew 18:13-14  And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. 14  Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish. 

Luke 15:3-7  And he spake this parable unto them, saying, 4  What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 5  And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6  And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. 7  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's gospel gives us additional context.

The Pharisees and scribes were aghast that publicans and sinners came to hear Jesus preach, and they sought to tarnish Christ's standing in the eyes of the "religious" people.

This is why Jesus spoke the Parable of the Lost Sheep. 

We see that the hard hearts of Pharisees and scribes were exposed as being opposed to the heart of God, who wants to save sinners (See 1 Timothy 2:1-6; 2 Peter 3:9).

In Jesus' parable, a good shepherd stopped what he was doing to go search for that one lost sheep.

When he found it, he tenderly laid it on his shoulders and brought it to the rest of his flock, with great joy.

This pictures the Father rejoicing when a sinner hears the gospel of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ, and repents of sin and by faith calls on Jesus to save him.

The shepherd then called his family and neighbors so that they could rejoice together because he found the lost sheep.

This pictures the joyfulness in heaven as the angels, cherubim and seraphim rejoice over each sinner who exercises repentant faith in Jesus Christ. 

Thus, this shows why Jesus said that the angels behold these little ones (new believers) in heaven.

Psalm 79:13  So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations. 

Believers in Christ are often referred to as sheep belonging to God in the scriptures.

Here, the Psalmist connects those who trust Jehovah with sheep who are under the constant care of their LORD (See Psalm 23).

Sheep in God's flock will lift their voices in praise as they give thanks to Jehovah for His saving grace and abundant mercy.

Psalm 95:6-7  O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker. 7  For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, 

Here, the Psalmist calls us to worship Jehovah because He is our Creator, sustainer of all life and Savior.

It is personal for "He is our God and we are the people of His pasture."

Psalm 100:3  Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 

This Psalm extolls the goodness and mercy of God and urges us to fill the air with worship and praise to Him.

God made us and He created us with meaning and purpose.

We did not evolve upward from lower life forms. 

Evolution is a myth of the Devil which has deluded the minds of many people.

God made us and those who trust Him, are His people, much loved and cared for by His mighty hand.

Isaiah 40:10-11  Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. 11  He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. 

One Day, Jehovah will come with great and final judgment for all the wicked.

However, for the sheep of His pasture, God will feed us like a shepherd feeds his flock.

He will carry the lambs, those precious new believers in Christ, in His arms.

He will gently lead us to the promised land.

1 Peter 2:21-25  For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22  Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23  Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24  Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 25  For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

The apostle Peter teaches us many wonderful things about our salvation.

First, Jesus Christ suffered for us, voluntarily suffering God's wrath for our sin.

Even during His sufferings, Jesus never spoke harshly to those who blasphemed Him.

He carried our sins to His cross where scripture tells us they were nailed and taken away from us permanently (See Colossians 2:6-15).

Why did Jesus do this? Because He came to seek and  save all the lost sheep.

All humanity has gone astray from God since the fall of mankind into sin. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God (See Romans 3).

Christ, the Great Shepherd of our souls, came to earth to provide a way of salvation that includes redemption from sin, justification by faith, and our reconciliation to the Father.

Hebrews 13:20-21  Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21  Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.  

Thus, Jesus is the Great Shepherd of the sheep who repented and trusted the suffering, death, resurrection and ascension of Christ to save their soul.

This new covenant relationship with God is secured by the eternal blood of the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world.

1 John 4:9-10  In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 

The parable of the lost sheep teaches us about the love of God that moved Him to sacrifice His only, beloved Son, in order to save sinners from eternal condemnation.

God loved us in spite of our sinfulness and depravity.

Therefore, the Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ to be the final, once for all time sacrifice for our sins.

Christ's sacrifice satisfied the righteous and just demands of God and Jesus paid in full the debt of our sins.

The wages of sin is death and Christ's death counts for our death. 

Christ's sufferings counts as our punishment for our sins.

Therefore, let these words sink deeply into our hearts.

There is joy in heaven when one sinner repents and trusts Jesus Christ for salvation. 

The Father has open arms to receive all who have repentant faith in Christ.

Bob