What Is the Parable of the Lost Sheep — In Biblical Context
Jesus taught that a shepherd who has 100 sheep will leave the 99 to find the one that is lost — illustrating God's relentless love for every individual sinner.
Jesus taught that a shepherd who has 100 sheep will leave the 99 to find the one that is lost — illustrating God's relentless love for every individual sinner.
"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? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing." — Luke 15:4-5 (KJV)
The Biblical Context
In Luke 15:3-7 (also Matthew 18:12-14), Jesus told this parable in response to Pharisees who criticized Him for eating with sinners. A shepherd with a hundred sheep discovers one is missing. He leaves the ninety-nine in the wilderness and searches until he finds it. When he does, he 'layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing' and calls friends and neighbors to celebrate. Jesus concludes, '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.' This parable reveals God's heart — He is not a distant deity waiting for sinners to find Him, but an active seeker who pursues the lost. Each person has infinite value to God. The shepherd's willingness to risk the ninety-nine for the one underscores the extravagant, individual nature of divine love. It also explains Jesus' own ministry: 'the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost' (Luke 19:10).
Where It Sits in Scripture
The core passage for this question, Luke 15:4-5, sits inside Luke 15. To grasp the full meaning, read the surrounding paragraph — the verses before set up the thought, the verses after carry it forward.
"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? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing."
Supporting Passages
"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."
"For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."
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The shepherd who leaves the ninety and nine to seek one (Luke 15).
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